Abstract:
Paraffin wax tea light candles and ethanol-fuel candles are ignited within an enclosed, plexiglass and glass environment in an attempt to create a model of burn time before self-extinction of various candles regardless of type, size, and the volume and shape of the enclosed container. A lower limit of final percent O sub 2 is found that is consistent with theory, but these experiments do not always reach this limit, leading to non-repeatability. Many factors, such as the relevant fluid dynamical and flame dynamical systems, known combustion models such as the those given by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Boussinesq model of buoyant combustion, and other current combustion studies have been considered and controlled for without success.