Flame suppression due to acoustic streaming by using time reversal

Abstract

Using high amplitude time reversal focusing to extinguish small flames is a novel demonstration of transient acoustic streaming. Typically, others have placed a low frequency acoustic source near the flame in order to generate a high enough particle displacement to extinguish it. In this study, we move the sources far from the flame and demonstrate that the time reversal method can focus transient waves to the flame. The peak acoustic overpressure level needed to extinguish a candle flame in free space is 191 dB peak when using a frequency range of 300 to 15000 Hz. This momentary focus causes acoustic streaming at the flame location after the focusing, which extinguishes the flame. By tracking the flame in high-speed video, we show the displacement of the flame due to the passing acoustic wave and subsequently due to the acoustic streaming. We further show that acoustic streaming extinguishes the flame, not the acoustic particle displacement.