A “Steampunk” style upgrade to a coiled beeswax candle holder.
Friends of ours showed off her new candle holder. It features a coil of thin beeswax candle on a stand with a clamp. The candle is moved upwards through a clamp. When the candle burns down to the clamp it extinguishes itself. This photo shows what these look like:
Our friend complained that it only allowed 20 minutes of burning before she had to go readjust the candle in the clamp. Hmmmm. Sounds like a perfect task for an automated system.
My goal:
1) The candle should be turn up automatically as the it burns down.
2) The sensor must be determine where the end of the candle is regardless of lightning or likely interior temperatures.
3) The device should be powered strictly from the energy given off by the burning candle. (I suspect this will be the hardest part.)
4) It should look, in the Steampunk fashion, like something from the mid to late 1800’s. It should be form first, but the function must, well, function.
So far, as of this intro, I’m in the research phase of components. What will be needed are quite small and energy efficient components. The area of Beam Robots has provided the most information so far.
Have you looked into Sterling engines? These are candle powered motors that generate movement (and thus maybe a battery charger for a controller and servo?)
Good Luck!
I like the thought. I’ll keep it in mind for something else. I wanted this to be quiet and peaceful. I’ll be experimenting with tiny solar panels to see if I can get enough juice to run things. Nano amp chips, long sleep cycles, surplus current stored in a capacitor, etc. Maybe it will work, maybe it won’t, but it will be fun trying no matter what. :)
I like the thought. I’ll keep it in mind for something else. I wanted this to be quiet and peaceful. I’ll be experimenting with tiny solar panels to see if I can get enough juice to run things. Nano amp chips, long sleep cycles, surplus current stored in a capacitor, etc. Maybe it will work, maybe it won’t, but it will be fun trying no matter what. :)
Hmmm. I entered the first comment and the “spam mitigation” solution. The web page bitched at me about the answer being wrong, so I did the spam math again and submitted it. However, it appears that it entered the first comment anyway.
Have you thought about a “Candle Pyramid” with a worm gear+drive wheel that would advance the candle. No electronics and would keep the tone of the project inline with steam punk without resorting to current tech.
You might want to include an error adjustment to accomodate variations in burn rate; somthing like a bi-metal leaf that bends if the candle gets too close and removes the drive wheel from the candle till the leaf cools. Cool project – too bad my current project is my house from Ike.
I think the closed loop system you’re describing is too complex for both the application and the aesthetic you’re after. I’d just have the rising air from the candle turn a small turbine, which transmits power via gears and driveshafts to a pinion that bites into and continually advances the candle. By experimenting with gear ratios, you could have the candle advanced at the same rate it burns.
To a degree, the process is self regulating; as the candle burns faster, it releases more energy, which, it seems, would make the turbine—and, consequently, the pinion—turn faster. It’s a simple, self-contained, completely mechanical system, not unlike what they would actually build 100 years ago.
You may also want to look into thermoelectric modules. A module of about 1/2" on a side would produce enough electricity to power a small motor and associated controller. I don’t know a lot a about the modules, but it might be possible to cut a hole in the center for the wick to get the module closer to the flame.
magnific, amazig, pretty cool, i love this
(complete instructions)