Pyro Board Design
In Spring of 2020, for my senior engineering capstone project, I designed and built a pyro board. A pyro board is an acoustic device that uses flammable gas to demonstrate the relationship between sound waves and pressure waves. By combining two interfering speakers and an enclosure full of propane, I can create a brilliant cymatic display where fire is made to dance with music and to form standing wave patterns.
Pyro Board Build
To complete my project, I needed to study acoustics and learn how to design safe flammable gas pipe systems. It was a multi-year project and I spent many long days and nights in the machine shop refining the build.
After one early hot test, I learned that a significant amount of propane remained in the enclosure post-deactivation, posing a serious safety problem. If the mixture of oxygen and propane ignited inside the box, my beloved pyro board would turn into a bomb. My initial solution, tipping the box to dump the gas, left me with singed eyebrows and wounded pride, but I continue to learn from my mistakes.
My pyro board was awarded a Halpern Grant, which supports projects that successfully combine design, engineering principles and aesthetics.
How it Works
The arrows indicate the location of the pressure anti-nodes where gas is being squeezed and expanded making the flames higher and the nodes where pressure is static and the flames are lower.
Final Prototype
The final Pyro Board was constructed using Aluminum 6061 side panels, stainless steel top and bottom plates and standard cast iron pipe fittings. The size was 30x30x6 inches. Due to the outbreak of Covid-19, I was unable to completely finish this project. Not shown is the Bluetooth speaker system that I wired, as well as the planned video of a final test. For reference as to what the final product is supposed to be, see this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2awbKQ2DLRE