DARPA Creates Machine Which Extinguishes Fires With Sound

SchrodingerZ writes "The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is known for making odd scientific advances ranging from hypersonic unnamed rockets to bionic prosthetic limbs to insect-sized reconnaissance drones. But recently DARPA has made a interesting advancement in the field of fire suppression. Using two speakers arranged on either side of an open liquid fuel flame, an acoustic field was emitted and engulfed the fire. 'The sound increases air velocity, which then thins the area of the flame where combustion occurs, known as the flame boundary.' This make the flame weak and much easier to douse. Another wonderful thing about this: it's not even that loud! DARPA began its testing in 2008, stating that despite extensive research in this area, there have been no new methods for extinguishing and/or manipulating fire in almost 50 years. The agency plans to expand on this experiment and try to make it successful on a practical scale."

Re:CO2?

[Anonymous Coward]

Quenching a fire in a submarine would probably be far less problematic if you could use sound instead of gases.

Re:CO2?

[drinkypoo]

BUT - this could be significant - a robot carrying speakers does not need to carry a CO2 gas supply.

Robot carrying speakers has to run back and forth dropping speakers. Speakers which are robots, much better.

Re:CO2?

[Anonymous Coward]

AKA: Submarines. Navy just had a very expensive submarine fire. If they could simply install speakers, they could avoid a very expensive fire suppression retrofit. Risk of crew suffocation and equipment damage are always present with chemical or gas based systems.

Re:CO2?

[DarwinSurvivor]

Acoustic fire suppression also leaves a LOT less mess behind. Think server rooms, restaurants and print shops where the fire suppression system typically causes about as much damage (in that area) as the fire itself.