Piezo ignition is a type of
ignition that is used in portable
camping stoves,
gas grills and some
lighter
A lighter is a portable device which uses mechanical or electrical means to create a controlled flame, and can be used to ignite a variety of flammable items, such as cigarettes, butane gas, fireworks, candles, or campfires. A lighter typic ...
s.
Piezo ignition uses the principle of
piezoelectricity
Piezoelectricity (, ) is the electric charge that accumulates in certain solid materials—such as crystals, certain ceramics, and biological matter such as bone, DNA, and various proteins—in response to applied mechanical stress.
The piezoel ...
, which is the electric charge that accumulates in some materials in response to mechanical deformation. It consists of a small, spring-loaded hammer which, when a button is pressed, hits a
crystal
A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macros ...
of
PZT. This sudden forceful
deformation produces a
high voltage
High voltage electricity refers to electrical potential large enough to cause injury or damage. In certain industries, ''high voltage'' refers to voltage above a certain threshold. Equipment and conductors that carry high voltage warrant sp ...
and subsequent
electrical discharge, which ignites the gas.
No external
electric
Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...
connection is required, though wires are sometimes used to place the sparking location away from the crystal itself. Piezo ignition systems can be operated by either a lever,
push-button or built into the control knob. An
electric spark
An electric spark is an abrupt electrical discharge that occurs when a sufficiently high electric field creates an Ionization, ionized, Electric current, electrically conductive channel through a normally-insulating medium, often air or other ga ...
is usually generated once per turn of the knob or press of the button. Eventually, the crystal will no longer be able to emit an electric discharge. However, this takes a long time — piezoelectric igniters usually stop sparking after several tens of thousands of strikes.
The most common material used in piezo ignition systems is
lead zirconate titanate (PZT). However, other materials such as
quartz
Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica (silicon dioxide). The Atom, atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen Tetrahedral molecular geometry, tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tet ...
and certain types of ceramics can also exhibit piezoelectric properties. These materials generate an electric charge in response to mechanical stress.
The piezoelectric effect was discovered by
Pierre and Jacques Curie in 1880. The application of this effect in ignition systems began to be explored in the mid-20th century, leading to the development of modern piezo ignition devices.
References
External links
Piezo Disassembly— Exposing the piezo element in a barbecue lighter
— A destructive test of igniter lifetime
Fire making
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