Fire Piston - As A Scientific Curiosity

As A Scientific Curiosity

A fire syringe is a piston-and-cylinder device used to demonstrate compression ignition. A typical fire syringe is a thick-walled transparent cylinder fitted with a metal piston which can travel to within a short distance of the bottom of the cylinder.

Compression ignition is demonstrated by placing a matchhead or other piece of tinder at the bottom of the fire syringe and then plunging the piston forcefully into the cylinder. The tinder then bursts into flame due to the rapid rise in temperature which accompanies the sudden reduction in volume (and increase in pressure) of the air beneath the piston. The energy provided by the arm muscles working to compress the air is transferred into the much reduced volume of the air during compression and manifests itself as heat energy sufficient to ignite the tinder.