Definition

electric fire extinguisher

Part of the Electronics glossary:

An electric fire extinguisher is thin wire that generates electric fields that, when directed towards smoky flames, can put out fires.

Next Steps

Chemist Ludovico Cademartiri of Harvard revealed his new discovery at the 2011 American Chemical Society (ACS) conference. Scientists have known for years that electricity may be able to fight fires but all previous attempts used direct current (DC) and its effects were too small to be noticed. Cademartiri’s invention uses alternating current (AC) to multiply the effects of the electric field.

When attached to a 600-watt amplifier, the wand can snuff out flames of up to twenty inches and its effects increase as voltage increases.

According to Cademartiri, "the electric field interacts with the charged particles in the flame — the electrons, ions and soot particles — and this collective motion of the charges in the electric field can lead to movement of the gas within the flame. The mechanics of suppression is that the flame gets detached from the fuel source, so it gets pushed away."

This technology has potential for use in data centers, where fires are catastrophic and water is the enemy.

Watch Ludovico Cademartiri reveal his discovery at the 2011 ACS conference

This was last updated in April 2011
Posted by: Margaret Rouse

Related Terms

Definitions

  • NAND flash memory

    - NAND flash memory is a type of non-volatile storage technology that does not require power to retain data. (WhatIs.com)

  • Mini-ITX 2.0

    - Mini-ITX 2.0 is a motherboard designed for use in small form factor personal computers (PCs). The physical boards measure 6.7 inches (17 centimeters) square. (WhatIs.com)

  • electroluminescence

    - Electroluminescence is a characteristic of a material, typically a semiconductor, that enables it to emit light in response to an electrical current or a strong electrical field. (WhatIs.com)

Glossaries

  • Electronics

    - Terms related to electronics, including definitions about electrical components and words and phrases about computers, laptops parts, digital cameras, televisions and home appliances.

  • Internet applications

    - This WhatIs.com glossary contains terms related to Internet applications, including definitions about Software as a Service (SaaS) delivery models and words and phrases about web sites, e-commerce ...

Dig Deeper

People Who Read This Also Read...

Ask a Question. Find an Answer.Powered by ITKnowledgeExchange.com

Ask An IT Question

Get answers from your peers on your most technical challenges

Ask Question

Tech TalkComment

Share
Comments

    Results

    Contribute to the conversation

    All fields are required. Comments will appear at the bottom of the article.
    Back to top