Large Scale Central

Vapes

Electronics Power and Sound
#1

Anyone see the Vapes (electronic cigarettes) that folks are using lately? They produce a vapor that folks inhale to satisfy their need for a cigarette. These things are battery powered, and produce some really impressive vapor clouds. I was thinking, if the technology used in those things, could be fitted to a model locomotive, they could produce some really impressive “smoke” instead of the wimpy wisps we are used to seeing from our model trains.

It was just a thought, since I do not know how them things work, or how much power they draw. But they are battery powered, so it would seam to me that they could be adapted to our needs by some really bright person. No, we wouldn’t need the nicotine additives in the fluid, just a fluid that would vaporize and produce a nice looking plume.

#2

Extract of coal would be nice though (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

#3

I think the moisture from the person inhaling on the “vape” makes the “smoke”, or more correctly “steam”. After all, vape is short for vapor. I think the whole thing is stupid. It is a fad, and most people do it simply to look hip. The bigger the vape the more cool you are! Some people look like they are lugging around a miniature Hookah! IMO, Dumb …

#4

I posted the above piece of opinion twice, so I had to do this to get rid of it. There seems to be no way to gravefully delete a double post.

While on the topic of using a vape of some kind to produce prodigious amounts of smoke - I think the energy required to make one of those things produce enough vapor to make a significant “chuff” would be hard to produce - plus the fact that the vapor doesn’t linger long enough to make a good billow by the time it would leave the stack. Nice thinking out of the box, but, in my opinion, no cigar … Hey wait! Maybe a cigar in the stack? NAH!

#5

Andrew, I wasn’t intending to open a conversation about the users of such…devices. I was just noticing the huge vapor cloud that some of them produce, and thinking that if my steam locomotives produced such a cloud it would be really cool.

#6

David, you are right that these units can product an amazing amount of “smoke”.

My IT manager vapes, and is a very smart guy, let me look into the current consumption, it is high.

The best ones appear to have a microprocessor. What I don’t know is the life of the vaporizing element.

They are often wirewound, and even more exotic construction.

I think the issue is that it’s not designed for continuous duty.

Let me get back to you next week, he’ll fill me in on the mechanics of the gadget.

Greg

#7

Gentlemen - this article from Popular Science may help with your analysis:

http://www.popsci.com/article/diy/create-smoking-pumpkin-e-cigarette

dave

#8

Instead of an air pump, a small fan, like in the Aristo smoke units, could work.

#9

Yeah, to get smoke better than the wimpy Aristo units, you need to run higher power, and a more sophisticated control system.

Overall I think you will find the smoke reservoir is too small, and the continuous smoke output will be disappointing, as compared to the other “direct drive” solutions.

Greg

#10

So much for my theory that they use an ultrasonic transducer to make the vapor

This thread is the most I’ve investigated vapes.

#11

Yep, just a really hot coil and lots of current.

The ultrasonic makes nice fog, but since it is cold, it does not plume up like smoke.

Greg

#12

Greg Elmassian said:

The ultrasonic makes nice fog, but since it is cold, it does not plume up like smoke.

Greg

Just don’t put your hand/finger over the rising liquid! (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-yell.gif)

#13

Pardon my ignorance, but why?

(and you meant the rising “fog” right?)

Greg

#14

No, I mean the ~1/2" of water between the mister and the water’s surface (as if you want to reposition one of the misters in one of the hot tubs).

The 14 kHz that produces the mist will drive the water into/under your skin. It feels like a hot soldering iron or X-acto being pushed into your finger.