The Physics Of Methane Fire Spewing Tails... Safe for the User Or Not?

[Spacescifi]

 

There is nothing in physics that prevents the following but I wonder if it would even be safe at all.

Scenario: A humanoid with a tail that has a claw at the end that can open and spew methane gas the body stores in special organs near the base of the tail.

 

Methane is spewed back with enough force that if ignited a flame would reach 10 feet.

When open the claw can arc an electric bolt between it's prongs, which is just enough to ignite the methane blown out from the claw because of oxygen in the air.

 

Questions: How should the tail be designed for a reasonable amount of saftey for the user?

 

I assume a short tail is better than a long one, simply because it takes less distance/time to spew methane in emergencies.

I also assume a user would primarily want to blast behind them, since trying to blast stuff sideways would flick off the tail's aim from the thrust created by shooting the methane gas ten feet.

One could do a sideways blast but the force woud immediately flick the tail in the opposite direction, so pulse blasts is the best one could do sideways.

Kind of like a high pressure hose.

 

Obviously a user does not want to set fire to themselves... I trust this design is reasonably safe?

 

I presume a long tail is worse from a safety POV for the user.

 

Thoughts?

[KSK]

Should be safe enough provided that no outside air is drawn back into the methane storage organ. In use, the flame can’t back-propagate into an oxidiser free environment since it will just go out.

No idea what methane pressure is required to generate a 10 foot flame but tails can be pretty muscular. Or, for that matter, the tail could be more like a trunk and they’re plenty muscular.

I don’t think that aiming the flame is going to be a problem. Storing enough methane for a sustained flame might be though - I imagine your critters will be ‘pulse blasting’ due to lack of fuel more than anything else.

[Spacescifi]

32 minutes ago, KSK said:

Should be safe enough provided that no outside air is drawn back into the methane storage organ. In use, the flame can’t back-propagate into an oxidiser free environment since it will just go out.

No idea what methane pressure is required to generate a 10 foot flame but tails can be pretty muscular. Or, for that matter, the tail could be more like a trunk and they’re plenty muscular.

I don’t think that aiming the flame is going to be a problem. Storing enough methane for a sustained flame might be though - I imagine your critters will be ‘pulse blasting’ due to lack of fuel more than anything else.

 

Oh I understand... you are saying a thick tail with muscles would not be blow around anymore than elephant trunks are when they shoot water. Good point.

So short elephant trunk tails. Got it. This also means when not in use the tail will hang limp since it takes energy to lift it.

 

Second but kind of gross question... how will their poop smell if it lacks methane?

 

Since virtually all methane the body produces is siphoned off for the methane storage organs.

 

EDIT: Floating around in midair would be fun on spaceships... they could use their tail like a rocket thruster.

 

As for lack of fuel... maybe beans will be considered a protected crop?

 

Since eat a lot and suddenly your dangerous lol.

 

This is a fun article on how valuable poop could be if we used it as a power resource.

https://time.com/4098127/human-waste-energy-recycling/

Which I reckon my creatures would figure out sooner than later (discovery of fire would be very fast as would the development of technology).

Edited February 19, 2023 by Spacescifi

[AckSed]

Bombardier beetles create a hot stream of steam and noxious chemicals by decomposing peroxide with a biological catalyst.

Some gases and vapours like methanol can be ignited by platinum black or silver catalysts:

 

3 hours ago, Spacescifi said:

Second but kind of gross question... how will their poop smell if it lacks methane?

The same as normal crap. Methane, butane, propane and so on has no smell - the gas that's used in a bunsen burner has had stenchants added that make it detectable in the event of a leak. The smell of crap is a mixture of skatole, indole, and sometimes putrescine and cadaverine. If created by a gut, you get those odors deposited in the solids, though as a volatile solid those chemicals might be excreted through your creature's tail-thrower gas anyway.

[Spacescifi]

14 minutes ago, AckSed said:

Bombardier beetles create a hot stream of steam and noxious chemicals by decomposing peroxide with a biological catalyst.

Some gases and vapours like methanol can be ignited by platinum black or silver catalysts:

 

The same as normal crap. Methane, butane, propane and so on has no smell - the gas that's used in a bunsen burner has had stenchants added that make it detectable in the event of a leak. The smell of crap is a mixture of skatole, indole, and sometimes putrescine and cadaverine. If created by a gut, you get those odors deposited in the solids, though as a volatile solid those chemicals might be excreted through your creature's tail-thrower gas anyway.

 

Hahaha... those terms sound fake... skatole? Really? Lol. But looked it up and the article looks legitmate so guess I am wrong.

Uhhh... so you are implying that my creatures may not poop at all? Just literally fart everything out their tail flame thrower?

 

To do that their bodies would have to actually use and process more of the stuff it eats than a normal human... which frankly seems unreal since even animals poop.

Birds are the ones I know of who just poo and pee all at once... which I thankful.

If birds were dropping solid turds from the sky would mankind try to make birds go extinct.

 

So I guess only a fraction of the stinky chemicals would be in their tail throwers.... that way people know if anyone is blowing gas in class.

 

Strange. In our society farting is viewed as inpolite.

 

In my creatures society they do not fart... not like we do anyway.

They poop normal, but the excess gas plus stored methane would be saved for the tail throwers.

So in their society they view fart smells as dangerous since it means someone is blowing off with their tail... they only need to ignite it and stuff is going up in flames.

I strongly suspect most if not all their clothes and furniture will be flame resistant.

Especilly given that they were created as a designer species using humanity as a template (humanity did not maje them though).

[kerbiloid]

Ignition is not a problem.

Option 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolina_Reaper

Option 2. Something causing backhurt.

[jimmymcgoochie]

A creature with a tail that emits fire? Where have I seen that before…

 

[Spacescifi]

19 minutes ago, jimmymcgoochie said:

A creature with a tail that emits fire? Where have I seen that before…

 

 

Yeah... mine has a claw at the end though.... was not inspired by pokemon though.

 

I was around when pokemon first came out and I did not like the show then.

 

Still don't lol.