Design, construction, and assembly of an acoustically responsive fireplace with resonant flame tubes

The resonant flame tube, or “Rubens” tube, is a popular physics demonstration that has been utilized in science education for decades. The apparatus uses acoustics and resonance to create a visualization of a standing sound wave in flames along a length of perforated tube. This closed tube apparatus will resonate at different frequencies as a function of the length of tube and the properties of the gas within the tube. The resonant flame tube operates most effectively when a single frequency is applied. The goal of this project is to create a system that can take any source of music, which consists of frequencies throughout the audible 20Hz to 20kHz range, and then distribute these frequencies into corresponding resonant flame tubes. The end product would be able to filter audio from your home entertainment system and display it in your fireplace. Investigations into acoustics of closed tube systems, thermodynamics of gas pressures in closed tubes, and audio filtering with LabVIEW are made. Since flammable gases are being utilized within a pressurized tube, a comprehensive safety procedure has also been developed to ensure the system is safe to operate