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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
33 views11 pages

Ijece V7i12p103

Gkdj

Uploaded by

Marinko
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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SSRG International Journal of Electronics and Communication Engineering Volume 7 Issue 12, 11-21, December 2020

ISSN: 2348 – 8549 /doi:10.14445/23488549/IJECE-V7I12P103 © 2020 Seventh Sense Research Group®

Design and Implementation of Frequency Generator


of a Portable Sound Wave Fire Extinguisher
Hassan Amin Osseily, Hussein El Husseiny, Hilal Sweidan
Electrical and Electronic department
The International University of Beirut (BIU), Lebanese International University (LIU), Al Maaref University (MU)

Received Date: 25 November 2020


Revised Date: 31 December 2020
Accepted Date: 06 January 2020

Oxygen is an oxidizer. When a mix of


Abstract — This paper aims to design and implement a combustible material with a sufficient quantity of an oxidizer
circuit of frequency generator of a portable fire extinguisher such as oxygen gas O2is exposed to a temperature above the
based on sound waves. The intervention of firefighters is one oxidizer/fuel mix's flashpoint, the fire started. [2,3]
of the most prominent situations that put their lives at risk,
and it urges us to consider finding new ways to extinguish The main ways to stop fire are: removing the fuel,
fires. Even though traditional techniques have high efficiency removing the heat, and removing the oxygen [4.5]
to extinguish fires, they have many drawbacks such as
causing damages and leaving toxic materials polluting the II. FIRE EXTINGUISHER BASED ON SOUND WAVES
environment. Proceeding from the nature of sound as a
mechanical wave that propagates in different mediums, this As known, sound waves are classified as
paper shows that sound waves may be used in the firefighting mechanical waves. By definition, a sound wave needs a
field where the frequency generator is the main part of this medium to propagate [6,7,8]; it depends on the medium's
new firefighting device. particles to move. Particles in the air vibrate back and forth,
transferring the sound's energy from one particle to another,
Keywords—Pulse Width Modulation (PWM), WaveLength, acting as a mechanical wave.
Velocity, Carbon Dioxide CO2. Since fire is based on oxygen molecules in the air,
a sound wave oscillates between high and low pressure,
I. INTRODUCTION creating a vacuum, which helps to move the oxygen
Fire is one of the most common accidents causing molecules away from the flame, putting out the fire. The
death worldwide. In 2015, the Electrical Safety Foundation block diagram of this project shows the principal hardware
International (ESFI) posted an article about the facts and the parts of the sound wave fire extinguisher device. The flow of
statistics of home electrical fires in the United States: fires at the process from the microcontroller to the frequency
home caused by electrical faults are estimated for 51,000 generator is right up to the speaker's vortex nozzle.
fires each year. About 500 deaths and 1,400 injuries are the
results of home electrical fires. The property damage each
year is estimated at $1.3 billion. [1]Four elements must be
present for the fire to exist: heat, fuel, oxygen, and chain
reaction. In a fire, flammable substances are burning, not
oxygen.

Figure 2.The block diagram of the Sound waves fire


extinguisher.
Figure 0. The fire tetrahedron
The sound emitted from the speaker is
characterized by its frequency and amplitude. For that

This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)


Hassan Osseily et al. / IJECE, 7(12), 11-21, 2020

reason, it is obligatory to use a frequency generator and an III. FREQUENCY GENERATOR


audio amplifier [9,10,11]. After the sound comes out of the Sound is a longitudinal mechanical wave, which
speaker, the acoustic wave should be directed to be more can be represented as a sinusoidal wave. It has its specific
effective in a specific direction. That is why a collimator is frequency, wavelength, and amplitude. Since the velocity of
connected to the speaker. A power supply unit is used to feed sound in air is constant at 344 m/s, the relation between the
the different parts of the device. A microcontroller connected distance (wavelength λ) traveled during a period T is
to some sensors to detect fire will decide the operation of the inversely proportional to the frequency f.
device.
𝑉
λ=
𝑓
(1)

From equation (1), when the frequency decreases, the


wavelength increases. As mentioned in the introduction, the
wavelength is the length of the compression and the
rarefaction. The suppression of a fire using sound waves
depends on the fire's fire's oxygen particles' push and pull.
Therefore, it is to have a large wavelength; consequently, a
low frequency will be more preferable.
After some trials and experiments on the effect of
sound frequency on the flame, the range of 30 Hz to 60 Hz
Figure 0. Arduino Nano microcontroller.
was more efficient [12,13,14]. Therefore, the frequency
Using this Arduino, the sound wave fire generator circuit should generate a signal between these
extinguisher device can get the order to start. This frequencies. A function generator using Arduino is the
Arduinoalso has the feature to generate a sine wave signal method that will be used to produce a waveform signal. The
with any frequency between 1Hz and 20 kHz; therefore, it Arduino will produce four waveforms: square, triangular,
can take the frequency generator's place. To operate an sine, and sawtooth. Apart from that, the generator can also be
automatic fire suppression system, detection sensors must be accompanied by frequency control. A color OLED display
used. There are two types of detection: mechanical and will show the frequency and the type of the signal. A rotary
electrical. The mechanical components such as a fusible link encoder is connected to the Arduino to change the frequency.
fire damper or a frangible bulb sprinkler depend on the The PWM signal on the Arduino is a digital square wave. An
increase in temperature to release the extinguishing agents. RC circuit could be connected to the PWM output to get a
Electrical sensors are thermal sensors that detect high pure sine wave signal.
temperature or radiation sensors that detect a flame's
presence. In this project, since the extinguisher should start
just after the fire, it will be better to use a flame sensor
connected to the Arduino. The flame sensor is a device that
receives electromagnetic radiation, which allows it to detect
the wavelength between 760 nm and 1100 nm from the light
source. It has high photosensitivity, very high response time,
its detection angle is 600, and it can be detected from a
distance of 1 meter. [16]

Figure 5. The relation between the frequency and the


wavelength.

Figure 4. Five-way flame sensor.

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Hassan Osseily et al. / IJECE, 7(12), 11-21, 2020

collimator is used to limit the direction of a wave or particles.


In the vortex cannon, a quick force is applied to air
molecules by the speaker's diaphragm, accelerating the
molecules to move and push them to the cannon's end. The
only way for the particles to escape from the closed canon is
to pass through the opening, forming a jet of air that flows
out of the vortex cannon.

Figure 6. Function generator block diagram.


To find the required voltage to supply an
amplifier, it is necessary to find its peak output voltage when
it is connected to the speaker. Each speaker has an
impedance RL in Ohm and an average output power Po in
Watt. The peak output voltage of the amplifier VOpeak is
calculated from the following equation:
Figure 8. Air vortex cannon.
VOpeak = √2 × 𝑅𝐿 × 𝑃𝑂 (2) Due to the vortex ring phenomenon, which is also
called a toroidal vortex, the jet of air flowing out from the
The amplifier adds the energy converted from the cannon's nozzle will flow around an idealized ring and keep
power supply to the signal, and it increases the signal's spinning, as shown in the figure below. The air around the
amplitude from the input to the output. When implementing vortex has a high pressure that allows the ring to stay stable
an amplifier, a minimum value of the gain Av must be set, and keep its shape while traveling forward.
and it depends on the input voltage Vin, the output power PO,
and the speaker impedance RL.

√𝑅𝐿×𝑃𝑂
AV =
𝑉𝑖𝑛
(3)

The cutoff frequency of the filter is the frequency


that decides the work of the filter. Any frequency below the
low cutoff frequency will be muted in a high pass filter.
While, in the low pass filter, any frequency above the cutoff
will be muted. The combination of the two filters will set the
bandwidth. Figure 9. Vortex ring.

The main objective of using vortex cannon is to


increase the distance traveled by the air particles. The ring
shape can carry the particles for a distance greater than the
normal flow of air. In addition, it will help it to conserve its
kinetic energy for a longer distance.
V. DESIGN OF THE FREQUENCY GENERATOR
CIRCUIT
As we know, the outputs of an ATmega328
microcontroller are either digital outputs or PWM output. It
will be easy to produce a square wave by generating an
Figure 7. Audio amplifier and filter types. ON/OFF signal on one of its digital output pins with a 50%
duty cycle. Moreover, the work will be more difficult when it
IV. COLLIMATOR AND VORTEX NOZZLE comes to generating a sine wave signal. For this reason, we
will use an R-2R Ladder Digital to Analog Converter. Since
Air vortex cannon is an instrument that looks like
it is not possible to generate a sine wave directly from a pin
a collimator ending up with a vortex nozzle. In general, the
of an Arduino, a digital to analog converter must be used. R-

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Hassan Osseily et al. / IJECE, 7(12), 11-21, 2020

2R Ladder is a circuit that contains only two values of


resistors, such that if the first value is R, then the other
should be equal to 2R. That is why it is called the R-2R The Thevenin terminal voltage is equal to:
circuit. The general circuit shows several repetitive stages
connected to a number of bits of the circuit board, as shown. 2𝑅×𝑉𝑟𝑒𝑓 𝑉𝑟𝑒𝑓
𝑉𝑡ℎ = 2𝑅+2𝑅
= 2
(5)

To find the equivalent resistance, the voltage reference is


assumed to be 0. Then the two resistance (2R) are in parallel.
Then the equivalent resistance is equal to:
2𝑅×2𝑅
𝑅𝑒𝑞 =
2𝑅+2𝑅
= 𝑅 (6)

Figure 10. R-2R ladder circuit.

The circuit in figure 10 is a simple ladder R-2R


circuit using 3 bits. Where B0 is the least significant bit, and
B2 is the most significant bit. The output voltage Vout will
change according to the connected bits. Therefore, the
number of levels of output is related to the number of bits Figure 12. R-2R ladder equivalent circuit.
according to the following equation: Now, we find the equivalent circuit of the part inside the
rectangle shape. The two series resistances R are in parallel
𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑠 = 2𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑏𝑖𝑡𝑠 (0)
with the 2R resistance; therefore, the Thevenin voltage will
become:

The more the number of bits is higher, the more the signal 2𝑅×
𝑉𝑟𝑒𝑓
𝑉𝑟𝑒𝑓
2
becomes smooth and free of noise. 𝑉𝑡ℎ = 2𝑅+2𝑅
= 4
(7)
Let us start by showing the calculation, using the
Thevenin method, of the output voltage for 3 bits R-2R Same as in equation (6), the equivalent resistance will be
ladder circuit, of binary code 001, where the only B0 is equal to R.
connected to the voltage reference.

Figure 13. The equivalent circuit after replacing the new


Thevenin circuit.
Figure 11. R-2R ladder circuit with B0 connected.

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Hassan Osseily et al. / IJECE, 7(12), 11-21, 2020

The final Thevenin voltage is calculated as: the bit will become 1, and a new voltage value will be
produced. In this way, and with the change of time, a signal
𝑉𝑟𝑒𝑓
2𝑅× 𝑽𝒓𝒆𝒇 will be produced.
4
𝑉𝑡ℎ = 2𝑅+2𝑅
= 𝟖
(8) As shown in the following figure, the number of bits affects
the purity of the signal produced.
Furthermore, the final equivalent resistance is equal to:
2𝑅×2𝑅
𝑅𝑒𝑞 = 2𝑅+2𝑅 = 𝑅 (9)

The same calculation is done when B1 is


connected to Vref while B0 and B2 are connected to the
ground: the Thevenin voltage obtained is equal to Vref/4.
When B2 is connected to Vref while B0 and B1 are connected
to the ground: the Thevenin voltage obtained is equal to Figure 14. The effect of the number of bits on the signal
Vref/2. waveform.
In conclusion, in a 3 bits R-2R ladder circuit, the In our frequency generator circuit, 8 bits will be
output voltage of the circuit before it enters the amplification used. Therefore, the number of voltage levels is equal to 256
will be calculated using the following formula: values.
The ATmega328 is programmed by a code that
𝐵0 𝐵1 𝐵2
𝑉𝑡ℎ = 𝑉𝑟𝑒𝑓 ( 8 + 4
+ 2
) (10) contains different functions; each function can be called by
the user using the rotary encoder. The user can push on the
Where B0, B1, and B2 are either 0 or 1, depending on rotary encoder and change the type of the signal. Once the
whether the bit is connected to Vref or not. A 3 bits R-2R signal is chosen, the microcontroller sends a sequence of the
ladder circuit will give us 8 levels of voltages at the output. 8-bit number to the ATmega328 pins repetitively on a
The following table shows the different output voltage values specific period depending on the frequency chosen. A 256
when we connect the bits to the reference voltage. bytes array stores the waveform to be sent to the pins, in
other words, to the R-2R circuit.
Table 0I.The different output voltages in an R-2R Ladder The waveform is formed of a number of phases;
circuit each has a specific value of output voltage. When combined,
B2B1B0 Equation Vth a signal is formed. Changing the frequency of the signal will
000 0 0 0 0 change the time by which the phase is incremented. Since the
𝑉𝑡ℎ = 𝑉𝑟𝑒𝑓 ( + + ) crystal oscillator connected to the Arduino has a 16MHz
8 4 2
001 1 0 0 𝑉𝑟𝑒𝑓 frequency crystal, and since it takes 42 clock cycles to set the
𝑉𝑡ℎ = 𝑉𝑟𝑒𝑓 ( + + ) pins, the sampling rate is equal to 381KHz. Which lead to an
8 4 2 8 accuracy of 0.089 mHz of the frequency. [24]
010 0 1 0 𝑉𝑟𝑒𝑓 The R-2R circuit has a high impedance that leads
𝑉𝑡ℎ = 𝑉𝑟𝑒𝑓 ( + + ) to a drop in the voltage. Therefore, the output should be
8 4 2 4
011 1 1 0 3𝑉𝑟𝑒𝑓 amplified using the LM358 op-amp. Note that feeding the
𝑉𝑡ℎ = 𝑉𝑟𝑒𝑓 ( + + ) op-amp by 20V can generate a signal with a voltage up to
8 4 2 8 18V. [24]
100 0 0 1 𝑉𝑟𝑒𝑓 An LCD screen is the electronic part module that
𝑉𝑡ℎ = 𝑉𝑟𝑒𝑓 ( + + )
8 4 2 2 will allow us to display the frequency and the type of signal
101 1 0 1 5𝑉𝑟𝑒𝑓 that we chose. When the user changes the signal or the
𝑉𝑡ℎ = 𝑉𝑟𝑒𝑓 ( + + ) frequency, the values change on the LCD. Electronic design
8 4 2 8 engineers usually use the Proteus software to create a
110 0 1 1 3𝑉𝑟𝑒𝑓 schematic for a circuit and test it before the print stage. Using
𝑉𝑡ℎ = 𝑉𝑟𝑒𝑓 ( + + )
8 4 2 4 this software, the frequency generator circuit is drawn, and a
111 1 1 1 7𝑉𝑟𝑒𝑓 simulation is done to make sure that the circuit generates
𝑉𝑡ℎ = 𝑉𝑟𝑒𝑓 ( + + ) different types of signals on different frequencies.
8 4 2 8

Using the ATmega328 microcontroller, we can


connect the R-2R circuit to a specific number of pins, and
each pin will control a bit of the circuit. When we turn it ON,

15
Hassan Osseily et al. / IJECE, 7(12), 11-21, 2020

Figure 16. Heat sink connected to the IC.


Figure 15. Frequency Generator Circuit on Proteus.
We have to find the proper values for the
amplifier circuit components after calculating the power
The first test of the portable sound wave fire supply voltage. The minimum gain of the amplifier depends
extinguisher was made using a 40-Watt speaker to see its on the input voltage Vin which is the audio source from the
effect on a candle's flame. This section will follow some phone (1V), speaker impedance, and the output power using
steps to build a 40-watt amplifier using the LM3886 audio the formula:
chip amplifier, and we will calculate the component values.
This amplifier can handle up to a 68-watt speaker. To build √𝑅𝐿×𝑃𝑂
an amplifier for a 500-watt speaker, we have to move into a Av ≥
Vin
(12)
circuit based on the transistors such as MOSFETs. However,
the same considerations should be taken. To find the required
voltage to supply an amplifier, it is necessary to find its peak √6 × 38.2
Av ≥
output voltage when it is connected to the speaker. Each 1
speaker has an impedance RL in Ohm and an average output Then Av ≥ 15.1
power Po in Watt. The peak output voltage of the amplifier The resistors connected to the LM3886 decide the
VOpeak is calculated from the following equation: value of the gain. Here we will assume a gain of 21. We will
calculate the values of the resistors Rf by taking a value of Ri
VOpeak = √2 × 𝑅𝐿 × 𝑃𝑂 (11) = 1KOhm.

Therefore, to build an amplifier for 40 watts with R f = R i (Av − 1) (13)


the 6-Ohm speaker, the peak output voltage is:
VOpeak = √2 × 6 × 40 = 𝟐𝟏. 𝟗 𝑽 R f = 1000(21 − 1)

The voltage that the amplifier needs from the


supply to obtain the desired output power depends on the
voltage drop across the LM3886 with mostly 4V. Also, the
transformer regulation can be given by the datasheet, which
is 6% here. The formula to be used to calculate the maximum
supply voltage:

Vmax 𝑠𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑙𝑦 = ±(Vpeak + Vod )(1 + 𝑅𝑒𝑔𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛)(1.1) (0.1)

Vmax 𝑠𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑙𝑦 = ±(21.9 + 4)(1 + 0.06)(1.1)


= ±𝟑𝟎. 𝟐 𝑽
The LM3886 generates a large heat value to avoid
its damage; a heat sink should be used. Figure 17. Gain setting.

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Hassan Osseily et al. / IJECE, 7(12), 11-21, 2020

After setting Rf and Ri to obtain the desired gain, Ci ≥


√2×(𝑅𝑖𝑛 +𝑅𝑏 )×𝐶𝑖𝑛
(15)
two new resistors have to be added, Rin and Rb, to balance the Ri
input bias current. LM3886 has an inverting input (pin10)
and a non-inverting input (pin9). If the currents entering √2 × (20000 + 1000) × 0.0000047
these two inputs are different, it will produce a voltage across Ci ≥
1000
them. In other words, it will produce noise. Therefore, we
add to the non-inverting input two resistors Rb and Rin such Therefore, Ci should be greater than 140 μF, and we will
that their summation is approximately equal to Rf, which is choose a 470μF capacitor, as shown in the following figure.
connected to the inverting input. Thus, the currents entering
the two inputs are equal, as shown in the following figure.

Figure 18. Balancing input bias currents.


As known, any DC will be blocked by a capacitor. Figure 20: Low cutoff frequency at the feedback loop.
Since the audio signal to be amplified has the form of an AC
wave, any DC in the audio will be blocked by a capacitor Cin A low pass filter will be formed by the resistor Rb
connected at the input directly. Cin and Rin will form together and the capacitor Cc to set the input's highest frequency. A
an RC filter that will determine the lowest frequency entering 680 pF capacitor will give us a cutoff frequency of 234 kHz,
the amplifier. The value of Cin is calculated basing on the based on the following equation:
cutoff frequency Fc which will be assumed to be 1.69 Hz (to
1
get a value of Cin that can be found in the market) using the Cc = 2𝜋R (16)
following formula: b Fc

1 1
Cin = 2𝜋R (14) = = 𝟔𝟖𝟎 𝒑𝑭
in 𝑓 2𝜋 × 1000 × 234000

1 The following figure shows the low pass filter at the input of
= = 𝟒. 𝟕𝝁𝑭 the circuit.
2𝜋 × 20000 × 1.69
The connection on the circuit will be as shown in the
following figure.

Figure 21. Low pass filter at the audio input.


To improve the stability and reduce the feedback
loop's resonance, we add a resistor Rf2 and a capacitor Cf
Figure 19. Low cutoff frequency circuit. parallel with Rf. These three components form a low pass
filter for a specific cutoff frequency. We calculate the value
Another high pass filter will be connected as a of Cf using the following formula:
feedback loop, containing a resistor Ri and a capacitor Ci.
The capacitor here affects the bass response. The value of Ci
is calculated using the formula:

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Hassan Osseily et al. / IJECE, 7(12), 11-21, 2020

1
𝑅𝑓 ×𝑅𝑓2 (𝑠+ )
𝑅𝑓2 ×𝐶𝑓
Fc =
1
(𝑅𝑓1 +𝑅𝑓2 )(𝑠+( ))
𝐶𝑓 (𝑅𝑓1 +𝑅𝑓2 )

(17)

The optimum value of Cf calculated is 50pF, as shown in the


following circuit.

Figure 24: Thiele Network.

Decoupling capacitors are connected in parallel in


the negative and the positive supply. The large capacitors
provide a durable source of current when a low frequency
takes place at the output. The optimal values for a bass
frequency are between 470μF and 2200μF.

Figure 22: Stability components Rf2 and Cf.


The inductive loads cause some oscillations. To
prevent them, we use the Zobel network. It helps restrain the
radio frequencies picked up by the speaker's wires to go back
to the amplifier circuit. The capacitor Csn is very low, so at
high frequency, the current goes to the ground. We chose two
values for the resistor and the capacitor where Rsn=4.7 Ohm,
1W, and Csn=220nF.

Figure 25. Power supply decoupling capacitors circuit.


After calculating and designing each component's
values, the amplifier's circuit is ready to be tested on the
Proteus software, and then a PCB layout is designed.
Figure 23:Zobel Network.

A resistor represents the Thiele network in parallel


with an inductor at the output of the circuit. This network
reduces the oscillations caused by the capacitive loads and
reduces the radio frequency caused by the speaker's wires to
get back to the amplifier circuit. The datasheet of LM3886
recommends a resistor of 10 Ohm, 5W, and an inductor of
0.7μH.

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Hassan Osseily et al. / IJECE, 7(12), 11-21, 2020

Working on a portable fire extinguisher prototype


needs some experiments and simulations. The amplifier and
the frequency generator circuits are simulated on the Proteus
software to analyze the results before working on the
hardware part. This chapter will present the simulations'
results and the sound wave extinguisher's effect on the fire.
The amplification part of the project is the most
important since the signal's amplitude will affect the
speaker's voice coil's movement. The more the signal is
amplified, the more the speaker's diaphragm will move up
and down, making a powerful sound wave that moves the
particles in the air. In our project, the amplifier must keep the
signal pure without any noise and harmonics. As explained
in the design part, some components in the amplifier will
achieve this goal. The following figures show the amplifier
circuit's simulation and how the sine or the square signals are
amplified.

Figure 26: The final schematic of the amplifier circuit.

VI. SIMULATION AND RESULTS


The Sound wave fire extinguisher is a device that
allows the suppression of fire with no water, chemical
agents, halons, or gases. The device comprises a frequency
generator that generates a signal with a low frequency
between 30 Hz and 60 Hz. This signal enters into an Figure 28: Sine wave amplification
amplifier that increases its amplitude and gives it the ability
to be an audio signal produced by a subwoofer.

Once the coil's movement vibrates the speaker's


diaphragm, it produces sound waves traveling in the air
particles. The air movement occurs inside a tube called
“vortex cannon,” where the air molecules pass through the
vortex nozzle at high speed, making rings shape of air. Thus,
when the device is placed facing a fire, the oxygen molecules
will be dispersed, putting out the flame.

Figure 29: Square wave amplification.


The frequency generator is the portable fire
extinguisher that generates the signal to the amplifier with a
specific frequency. Our prototype was very important to
implement a frequency generator with a wide range to test
Figure 27:Full System Components how the flame can be suppressed. Using the ATmega328
microcontroller, a rotary encoder, and an LCD screen, the

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Hassan Osseily et al. / IJECE, 7(12), 11-21, 2020

user can change the type of the signal (square, sine,


sawtooth, triangular) and the frequency of the wave.
The frequency generator circuit was implemented
first on the Proteus software before printing it on a PCB. The
following figure shows the result of the virtual oscilloscope.

Figure 32: Sine wave generated by the frequency


generator circuit.
Several tests were done on different speakers and
frequencies to find the speaker's optimal type of signal,
frequency, and power. In the first experiment, a 60 Watt
speaker is used in front of a candle flame, and the flame was
suppressed after 1 second at a maximum distance of 5 cm
from the speaker. A 180 Watt subwoofer replaced the
Figure 30: Sine wave using the frequency generator speaker, and the flame was suppressed in less than 100
circuit. milliseconds at a maximum distance of 12 cm. When a 400
Watt speaker was used, connected to vortex cannon, the
The frequency generator circuit is printed on a flame was suppressed in less than 100 milliseconds at a
PCB, and it was tested on an oscilloscope. The following distance of 40 cm, as shown in the following figure.
figures show the frequency generator and the sine wave
generated.

Figure 33. Flame suppression using the 400-watt speaker.


After many tests using a frequency generator, it
was found that the type and the frequency of the signal are
related to each other. All types of signals can be used in fire
suppression, but the sine wave is preferred since it helps the
Figure 31: Frequency generator on PCB. speaker's voice coil move softly without damaging the
diaphragm. However, after the experiment using a square
wave with a frequency of 30 Hz had the same effect on the
fire when a sine wave is used with a frequency of 50 Hz.
Moreover, the best choice to suppress the fire is a sine wave
with a 30 Hz frequency. After all the experiments, a final
prototype is tested on fire with a continuous source of gas.
The fire takes about 3 seconds to be suppressed at a distance
of 20 cm from the extinguisher.

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Hassan Osseily et al. / IJECE, 7(12), 11-21, 2020

project that can extinguish a huge fire, save the world, our
planet, and all living beings.
REFERENCES
[1] ESFi, 2 April 2015. [Online]. Available:
https://www.esfi.org/resource/home-electrical-fires-184. Accessed 25
December 2019.
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Figure 34. The final prototype of the portable fire [5] J. C. Voelkert, "Fire and Fire Extinguishment, A brief guide to fire
extinguisher. chemistry and extinguishment theory for fire equipment service
technicians, 2009.
[6] M. Rouse, Sound Wave, Whatis, September 2005. [Online]. Available:
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After all the experiments done on the portable December 2019.
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https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/what-are-the-
traditional fire extinguishers, we figured that firefighting characteristics-of-sound-waves-1525678871-1. Accessed 20 December
using sound waves is impossible or a hopeless device. It has 2019.
many pros and cons. The main problems that we faced are: [8] Discovery of Sound in the Sea, dosits, [Online]. Available:
https://dosits.org/science/sound/characterize-sounds/intensity/.
 The portable fire extinguisher must very close
[9] J. Segeborn, How does a speaker work?
to the fire to suppress it. The maximum https://www.youtube.com/user/JohanSegeborn, 2014.
distance that we reached was 40cm using a [10] L. Sebastian, Subwoofers, Woofers, and Tweeters as Fast As Possible,
400-watt speaker. If we want to reach a Techquickie Youtube, 2014.
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device more expensive. tutorials.ws/amplifier/amp_1.html. Accessed 31 December 2019.
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towards the flame, so if this device were fixed 2018. [Online]. Available: https://circuitdigest.com/tutorial/classes-of-
in a room, it would be effective only if the power-amplifier-explained. Accessed 31 December 2019.
fire occurs in front of it. [14] Firefighting Robot TAF35, EmiControls, [Online]. Available:
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 The sound wave fire extinguisher costs more protection/firefighting-robot-taf35
than the traditional fire extinguishers. [15] Ramesh Nayak. B, Bheemsha, Pundarika. G, "Performance Evaluation
of Thermoacoustic Refrigerator Using Air as Working Medium" SSRG
With the help of dromes or robots, sound wave International Journal of Thermal Engineering 1.2 (2015): 16-21.
firefighting techniques avoid contact between humans and
[16] P. B. Varvadiya, P. D. Patel, A. McEwan, "Measurement of the Speed
fires. It can also be used side by side with the traditional of Sound in Air Medium using Lissajous Patterns" SSRG International
extinguishing agents to increase efficiency and extinguish the Journal of Electrical and Electronics Engineering 1.1 (2015): 5-8 .
fire in a shorter time. In space, sound wave fire extinguishing
is very efficient to avoid chemical agents in spaceships.
Kitchen, hospitals, malls, and the industry sector may get
benefit from this project. Moreover, the most important, in
the electrical sector, sound wave fire extinguishing could be
a fire system used in electrical panels. Avoiding the damage
of the components in a panel due to the traditional
extinguishing agents, the sound wave is a clean method,
nontoxic, with no expiration date, and less damage to
surroundings. Sound wave extinguisher leaves no residue
compared to other extinguishing techniques, and it has a
lighter weight. Firefighting with sound waves has a
promising future. The past results motivate us to work on a

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