Spark arrestor

A spark arrestor is any device which prevents the emission of flammable debris from combustion sources, such as internal combustion engines, fireplaces, and wood burning stoves.

Spark arrestors play a critical role in the prevention of wildland fire and ignition of explosive atmospheres. As such, their use is required by law in many jurisdictions worldwide.

Applications

Engines

Steam

Spark arrestors for steam locomotives may be internal (in the form of wire mesh inside the smokebox) or external. The earliest platforms for spark arrestors in the United States were steam locomotives. Wood and coal-burning locomotives produce embers which are readily transported by the wind. One popular design was the Radley-Hunter spark arrestor, which used a spiral-shaped cone to separate embers from the exhaust flow by centrifugal force.

The problem of equipment-started fires continued into the 20th century. University of California, Berkeley researchers J.P. Fairbank and Roy Bainer provided the first known academic research on the subject. Their experiments demonstrated that hot particulate matter larger than 0.023 inches (0.584 mm) in diameter was capable of igniting wildland fuels.