Advanced search

Answers


Could a bunsen burner work in reverse?

Bunsens are commonplace in the lab, but suppose that one were to be lit in an atmosphere of methane, such as on Titan, with oxygen being fed through the hose. Would the flame look any different? Is it even possible?

sssss
 (no votes)

submit an answer
  • Member status
  • none

Categories: Unanswered.

Tags: flame, Oxygen, methane, bunsen, Titan, reverse.

 

Report abuse


7 answer(s)


Reply

Jon-Richfield says:

Decidedly. Never mind Titan, this has been known for decades or possibly even two centuries on Earth.  (I don't know who first observed the effect.) A flame is simply (well, actually not so simply; dissecting the structures of flames has been a field of research for many decades, but the techincal details do not affect us here) a pattern of reaction and heat generation in a jet of gas squirting into some other gas with which it reacts vigorously.  Those we are most familiar with are fuel gases such as hydrogen, methane, or acetylene squirting into air, but it has long been documented that a jet of oxygen into an atmosphere of hydrogen say, will burn in quite an ordinary way. 

A more interesting point (don't try it at home, but it might be an interesting laboratory experiment!) is what will happen if you burn a jet of oxygen in an atmosphere of a smokily burning fuel such as butane. In normal usage proper mixing of well mixed fuel in an excess of oxygen produces a clean flame, but invert the roles of the gases, and  I would predict a smoky flame no matter how you introduce the oxygen, because there should always be a zone of partly burnt butane where the supply of oxygen peters out.

Other interpretations of expressions such as "Bunsens burning in reverse" suggest far more esoteric outcomes, demanding such things as unburning Zombie flames and crescent negentropy. 

Creepy, no?

 

Jon

sssss
 (no votes)

Tags: flame, Oxygen, methane, bunsen, Titan, reverse.

top

posted on 2010-05-05 09:11:21 | Report abuse

Reply

Georg says:

An example of a "reverse" flame is the combustion

of chlorine in hydrogen gas.

BASF does that since about 100 years, the burners are

made from fused silica.

Georg

 

sssss
 (no votes)

Tags: flame, Oxygen, methane, bunsen, Titan, reverse.

top

posted on 2010-12-24 16:13:10 | Report abuse

Reply

Jon-Richfield says:

Thanks for that item Georg.

I wonder why they did it that way round.  Was it because they did not mind a small excess of free H2 in the product, but didn't want any excess of free Cl2?

Cheers,

Jon.

sssss
 (no votes)

Tags: flame, Oxygen, methane, bunsen, Titan, reverse.

top

posted on 2010-12-25 11:32:40 | Report abuse


The last word is ...

the place where you ask questions about everyday science

Answer questions, vote for best answers, send your videos and audio questions, save favourite questions and answers, share with friends...

register now


ADVERTISMENT