Fuel flashlight?

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N0rs3man

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I am not a big fan of batteries, charging, and things that require electricity to work.

Is there a Fuel based flashlight that exists? I love the idea of filling up the handle and setting off... My batteries always seem dead or weak, and honestly they seem really inefficient.

I recently started using white fuel hand warmers and cannot believe at how well they perform over batty powered hand warmers... The best thing about them is if you need more than 10 hrs of hot hands u can just refill it.

Id love to have something akin to a fuel lantern condensed into a flashlight.
 

Phlogiston

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Fuel lanterns are generally designed for use only when standing upright, in order to avoid leaks. That's a problem for flashlights, which can be used in any orientation. It's complicated by the fact that the burning fuel has to be visible in order to project light, which makes it hard to create a sealed fuel-burning system.

That said, if something like a methanol fuel cell ever becomes generally available, that would work. The fuel cell system keeps the fuel sealed off; it generates electricity by reacting the fuel with oxygen from the air through a membrane. You could then use that electricity to run a standard flashlight LED.
 

eh4

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I can hardly wait for a fuel cell light/power supply that will run on pure grain alcohol in a pinch.
 

iamlucky13

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I have one of the white gas hand warmers, too. It's not the same. It burns the white gas at a low temperature with the help of a catalyst. It only needs to produce heat, which is what combustion inherently does. A flashlight doesn't need heat. It needs electricity. Converting heat to electricity in miniature devices is difficult.

Some low power compact fuel cells do exist that produce electricity from methanol, and a while back there was also some discussion about perhaps being able to develop extremely small turbine generators that might be economical, but neither have reached generally viable prices.

I don't know what you're currently using, but I suspect a better light and better batteries can significantly change your outlook on battery powered lights. My Zippo handwarmer is nice because it runs a long time, but it is definitely not easier to fill than swapping a battery and putting the empty one on a charger.
 

bykfixer

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Not since George Washington tried this...
IMG_20171122_165015.jpg
 

Burgess

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May I suggest . . . .

a Calcium Carbide ( C2H2 )
Acetylene lamp !


Really !
 

eh4

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@Modernflame;
You and me both, it's bio compatible rocket fuel after all... no guarantee on the long term well being of your nozzles and burners, but it'll get the job done if you're ok with burning all your wicks at once for a glorious minute or two. ...
 
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lightfooted

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I am not a big fan of batteries, charging, and things that require electricity to work.

Is there a Fuel based flashlight that exists? I love the idea of filling up the handle and setting off... My batteries always seem dead or weak, and honestly they seem really inefficient.

I recently started using white fuel hand warmers and cannot believe at how well they perform over batty powered hand warmers... The best thing about them is if you need more than 10 hrs of hot hands u can just refill it.

Id love to have something akin to a fuel lantern condensed into a flashlight.


Well that's certainly your choice to not like electricity and modern technology that uses it to function but you wouldn't be here (posting this question) if not for it. So I'm kinda guessing that you are talking about when you go camping or exploring or whatever other outdoor activity it is you do.

They call them torches. I of course am referring to the stick and fuel kind, not the English (UK) word for an electric flashlight. Also as others have already said, there are lanterns designed to use a fuel source although using a liquid fuel has a down side too. It can be spilled irrecoverably while refilling and generally requires specialized containers to carry the extra in.

Also posting these remarks in a forum for battery powered flashlights and essentially asking if there is something that doesn't use batteries and not returning to comment even once in two days, seems a bit troll-like in nature. I'll not berate or criticize your personal preference, but the reason battery powered flashlights are a thing is because they are a better solution to the personal lighting dilemma than what we initially had, namely burning lengths of fibrous material soaked in a fuel. Torches.

I don't doubt that with modern technology focusing on using white gasoline as the fuel source that someone could make such a tool for providing light for outdoor activity, but...why would they? We have an entire industry built to make these wonderful little light sources that use a power source already long in development and readily available in common sizes and chemistries that can be found almost anywhere.

On that note...these little power houses of technology are in essence just "liquid" fuel which has been packaged in such a way as to be more convenient, safe and easy to use than the old fuel cans of the 19th century. The only real difference is that the chemical reaction in these little "cans" is used specifically to generate electricity, which over-all has far many more uses than a simple flame. Because of that they can be used in many more tools and devices than the old liquid fuel before them. However it does mean that using them for the specific purpose of heating, is far less efficient than burning fuel directly.

Personally I prefer electrically powered illumination tools. An LED converts electrons into light far better than does a cotton wick convert fuel into light. Now a gas mantle...that's different, but my electric torch can function upside down and under water as well as being highly resistant to shock and vibration. I don't think you can get a gas lamp to do that.
 
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lightfooted

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Pretty sure that was why it wasn't very popular with neighbors, it "caught on" a little too well. xD
 

rayman

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If you don't mind the size you can get yourself a generator and hook that up to some searchlight that would get yourself some serious luminosity.

On the other hand, as already mentioned here, you could try yourself with a fuel cell where you would get much higher efficiency.
 
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