How Jet Flame/Torch/ Jet lighters ACTUALLY work. (Hint: it isn’t a pressurized gas chamber)

After spending a little too much time researching the function of a jet torch in comparison to that of a standard soft flame lighter I became frustrated by the large amount of people and websites claiming that they create the jet flame using pressure in the fuel tank to propel the gas. Taking into consideration the fact that they are refilled using the same exact butane as a refillable soft flame lighter I knew this to not be true.

After digging up some scientific literature and jet lighter schematics I discovered the true nature of these devices. Rather than relying on the pressure of the butane inside of the tank they utilize oxygen readily available in the environment to create a propellant flame. This is the same phenomenon that is observed when house fires cause “backdraft”.

The lighter first forced the butane through a small hole in the nozzle known as an “orifice”. This is the hole visible in the very center of the nozzle on a standard torch lighter. Surrounding the orifice are several small ventilation holes generally located around the perimeter of the nozzle. These lead to a space behind the nozzle that is separate from the butane path and is exposed to the environment via vents on the torch head.

The pizioelectric ignition sends a static charge up a thin copper wire that protrudes above the orifice of the nozzle. When the static charge is created it causes electricity to arc from the wire to the face of the nozzle thus igniting the butane that has passed through the orifice. As the flame burns outside of the nozzle inside of the small space within the wind guard it starves the air of oxygen. This is because oxygen is reacted into byproducts such as CO2 when combustion occurs. Because the flame has been starved by oxygen it “sucks” in oxygen from the surrounding environment to continue the combustion reaction.

The escaping butane prevents the oxygen from entering the flame from the open end of the nozzle and instead is pulled in through the ventilation on the torch head. It passes through the inside of the nozzle via the tiny holes for-mentioned and escapes out of the end of the torch nozzle. The air escapes with such force as to create and enhance the propellant effect on the flame. Because the torch limits the amount of oxygen that is able to be supplied and is tightly controlled the flame burns much hotter (2,000°c 3,600°F).

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti....

One last thing I must mention is that the adjustment valve on most handheld torch lighters are not as much for the adjustment of the flame size (as the knobs on kitchen torches are) rather to control the amount of oxygen allowed to the flame to achieve the best function given the environment you are using the lighter. You can test this yourself; at different temperatures and elevations (atmospheric pressure) you will almost certainly have to adjust the lever either up or down to achieve a consistent and steady flame. As time goes on and the lighter is subjected to normal wear this process can become much more sensitive. If your torch lighter starts igniting only for a split second it likely needs to be purged. Purge by turning it upside down and then using something small and thin to depress the gas valve. Hold it down until air stops coming out and liquid butane begins to spray. Then keep it upside down and fill it with butane again. This helps alleviate built up air inside of the tank. Air must enter to allow butane to escape without creating a vacuum. Then the pressure from the evaporated butane can force some of the air to combine with the butane and get forced out of the lighter with the butane. This messes up the balance of oxygen to butane. This is also why they tend to function best when filled to a specific level.

I really hope this helps you understand how these lighters work. Every description ever given is so simplified and incomplete that I felt it was an injustice to not make this video. Some jet lighters only have the orifice and instead the air is sucked in behind the nozzle in a similar fashion except it too is forced from the orifice creating an even more potent, more accurate, yet thinner and hotter burning flame. If I made any mistakes in the video I apologize; I had just used my torch lighters to combust some dank buds.