Trapping Gases With a Wire Screen

A wire screen prevents dangerous gases from exploding

A fine-mesh kitchen sieve with a candle inside simulates Humphry Davy's miner safety lamp. An explosive mixture of propane gas and air is blown in from the outside. If the mesh is fine enough, the fire will stop at the screen even as the explosive gas flows through it.

Davy observed that gas flames would not travel down long, thin metal tubes because the metal draws heat from the flame, lowering the temperature of the gas below the ignition point.

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