Using Sound Waves to Put Out Fire: The Story of Two George Mason University Students
Imagine fighting a fire without water, foam, or chemicals—just the power of sound.
Sounds like something out of a sci-fi flick, right? But back in 2015, two engineering students at George Mason University in Virginia made it a reality.
Viet Tran and Seth Robertson, both seniors at the time, built a device that uses low-frequency sound waves to extinguish flames.
Their invention, dubbed the “Wave Extinguisher,” caught the world’s attention and sparked a wave of research into acoustic fire suppression.
Here’s the full story of their breakthrough, the science behind it, and where this wild idea might take firefighting in the future.
The Birth of the Wave Extinguisher
It all started as a senior project for Tran and Robertson, electrical and computer engineering majors at George Mason University.
Instead of picking a safe, predictable project, they decided to tackle something bold: fighting fire with sound.
After a year of trial and error—and $600 of their own money—they built a 20-pound prototype that looked like a cross between a fire extinguisher and a boombox.
The device used a sound generator, an amplifier, a power source, and a cardboard focusing tube to direct low-frequency sound waves at flames.
The results were jaw-dropping. In demonstrations, the device could snuff out small fires—like a burning pan—in seconds.
Videos of the extinguisher in action went viral, racking up millions of views and landing the duo features in outlets like TIME, The Washington Post, and even The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
It was a classic underdog story: two college kids, a shoestring budget, and a big idea that actually worked.
How Sound Puts Out Fire
So, how does this thing work? It’s all about physics.
Sound waves aren’t just noise—they’re mechanical pressure waves that vibrate the air.
When directed at a fire, these waves disrupt the thin layer of air and fuel molecules around the flame.
By targeting frequencies between 30 and 60 Hz—think the deep, thumping bass of a hip-hop track—the device agitates the air enough to separate oxygen from the fuel, starving the fire.
As Tran told The Washington Post, “The pressure wave is going back and forth, and that agitates where the air is. That specific space is enough to keep the fire from reigniting.”
The science is surprisingly straightforward, but getting it to work in practice was no small feat.
The students used an oscilloscope to fine-tune the frequencies, ensuring they hit the sweet spot for maximum disruption.
Their prototype wasn’t sleek, but it was effective, proving that sound could indeed be a weapon against fire.
Not a New Idea, But a Big Leap Forward
The concept of using sound to fight fire wasn’t born in 2015.
The U.S. military, through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), had been experimenting with similar ideas since at least 2012.
DARPA’s goal was to develop fire suppression methods for confined spaces, like aircraft or submarines, where traditional extinguishers could be risky.
Their research showed that sound waves could manipulate flames and disperse fuel particles, but their setups were bulky and impractical for real-world use.
Tran and Robertson took DARPA’s ideas and ran with them, creating a portable, functional prototype that actually worked.
Unlike DARPA’s clunky systems, their device was lightweight and didn’t require a massive power source.
It was a proof-of-concept that turned heads and showed that acoustic fire suppression could be more than just a lab experiment.
Challenges Holding It Back
As exciting as this technology is, it’s not ready to replace your fire extinguisher just yet. There are some serious hurdles to overcome.
For one, scalability is a big issue. The Wave Extinguisher works great on small fires, like a candle or a stovetop blaze, but tackling a massive wildfire or a burning building? That’s a whole different ballgame.
Scaling up the technology to handle larger fires requires more power and precision, which isn’t easy to achieve.
Energy requirements are another sticking point. Generating low-frequency sound waves strong enough to suppress a fire takes a lot of juice.
The prototype already weighed 20 pounds, and in a real firefighting scenario, lugging around a heavy, power-hungry device could be a dealbreaker.
Plus, environmental factors like wind, air density, and flame intensity can mess with the sound waves’ effectiveness, making the technology less reliable in uncontrolled settings.
| Challenge | Description |
|---|---|
| Scalability | Effective on small fires but struggles with large-scale structural or wildland fires. |
| Energy Requirements | Requires significant power to generate strong low-frequency sound waves. |
| Environmental Factors | Wind, air density, and flame intensity can reduce effectiveness in real-world conditions. |
The Research Keeps Growing
Since Tran and Robertson’s breakthrough, researchers have been digging deeper into acoustic fire suppression.
A 2022 study published in Fire journal highlighted how low-frequency sound waves (40–80 Hz) disrupt combustion stability through airflow disturbance, while high-frequency waves (over 1 kHz) might work through thermal effects or resonance.
New advancements, like acoustic cavity focusing, have extended the effective suppression distance to 1.8 meters, making it more practical for real-world use.
One exciting development is the integration of sound wave technology with drones.
Imagine a fleet of drones equipped with sound wave extinguishers, swooping into dangerous fire zones without risking human lives.
Research also suggests combining sound waves with water mist, which can cut suppression time to just 30 seconds while reducing the risks of high sound pressures.
These hybrid approaches could make acoustic suppression more efficient and safer.
In 2019, the mayor of Nevada City, California, invited Tran and Robertson to test their technology in a real-world setting, showing continued interest in its potential.
The duo also founded a company, Force SV, to further develop their invention, with plans to apply it to automated systems for urban and forest fires.
A Broader Tech Revolution in Firefighting
Sound wave suppression is just one piece of a larger tech revolution in firefighting.
Drones with thermal imaging cameras, like those tested by the San Bernardino County Fire Department, are giving firefighters real-time aerial views of fire scenes.
Artificial intelligence is being used to predict fire spread based on weather, terrain, and fuel sources, helping crews stay one step ahead.
And then there are firefighting robots, like Thermite and Colossus, designed to tackle high-risk environments where human firefighters would be in danger.
These technologies, combined with sound wave suppression, could transform how we fight fires.
Picture a future where drones blast sound waves at flames, AI predicts fire behavior, and robots handle the heavy lifting—all while keeping firefighters safer and reducing environmental impact.
Why This Matters to Me
I’ve got to say, Tran and Robertson’s story is the kind of thing that gets you excited about science.
Two college kids with a crazy idea and a tiny budget managed to create something that could change the world. It’s inspiring, plain and simple. But I’m also a realist.
Firefighting is tough, dangerous work, and any new tech has to prove itself in the chaos of a real fire, not just a lab.
The challenges—scalability, energy, reliability—are real, and they won’t be solved overnight.
Still, I’m optimistic. The fact that researchers are still exploring this idea, combining it with drones and water mist, shows it’s not just a gimmick.
It’s a step toward a future where firefighting is safer, greener, and more effective. And in a world where wildfires are getting worse due to climate change, we need all the innovation we can get.
Sound wave extinguishers might not be in every fire truck yet, but they’re a reminder that sometimes, the wildest ideas can spark the biggest changes.
