China is an amazing country, with a rich culture and unique traditions, many of which are different from Europe and America. A full part of its culture can be called Chinese lanterns, an amazing design that can itself rise into the air. Such a "sky lantern", as it is also called, consists of paper, which is stretched over a light wooden frame. The design includes a burner - thanks to it, the device rises into the air and glows. Such an amazing, at first glance, device operates, according to the principle of the so-called. hot air balloon. Chinese lanterns are very popular today in almost all eastern countries.

A hot air balloon is an aerostat that has a shell filled with hot air. It was invented by the Montgolfier brothers - Michel and Etienne. The hot air balloon made its first flight in 1783. True, in fact, such a design was “tested” a little earlier - in 1709, by the Brazilian Bartolomeu de Guzman, who lived in Portugal. His model consisted of a thin egg-shaped shell and a small brazier suspended underneath. This structure managed to rise four meters above the ground. Thus, Guzman can be considered the first who was able to discover a fairly real way of lifting into the air and, in general, aeronautics of a person.

As for such an interesting invention as Chinese lanterns, it was originally used not at all for entertainment, as it is today, but as a way to intimidate the enemy during the campaigns of General Zhuge Liang. This is 180-234 BC, i.e. long before the invention of the hot air balloon. Mentions of "sky lanterns" are found in the annals that described these military campaigns, where these structures were used quite successfully. The enemy thought that divine power was helping the general and his army and was thus taken by surprise.

Researcher Joseph Needham claims that Chinese lanterns were used much earlier - in the third century BC and were a paper container with a burning lamp inside. In the Chinese army, these devices had another military meaning. They were used to give signals from the command to the troops, and vice versa. And a little later in the eastern countries, "sky lanterns" acquired a religious meaning, their launch was considered a real ritual.

In Europe, the launch of flashlights in droves appeared closer to 2005-06. In particular, in 2005, a total of up to 5,000 lanterns were launched on a Thai beach called Khao Lak (near Phuket) in memory of the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Interestingly, a photo taken at this site during the launch won second place in the prestigious World Press Photo international photo competition.

In conclusion, we can say more about the design of the flashlight. The carrier here is the frame, which is most often made of bamboo, because. he is light. A burner is attached to its lower part, made of cloth or paper impregnated with wax or a flammable liquid. A dome is put on the frame, made of rice paper impregnated with a non-combustible composition. The height of the Chinese lantern is up to 200 meters, and the flight time is up to 20 minutes.

Anyone who has ever attended Chinese New Year celebrations will never forget the ceremony of launching fire lanterns into the night sky. The sight is truly fantastic. It looks like hundreds of flashing "fireflies" rush high into the sky, conquering the skies. There is a feeling that magic descended to the earth and fascinated everyone around with its magic.

History of appearance

How and where did Chinese lanterns first appear? Sky lanterns owe their appearance to ancient China. Few people know, but initially their purpose was completely different than now. The first mentions of Chinese sky lanterns are found more than 2 thousand years ago, in ancient chronicles that tell about the combat episodes of history. With their help, they intimidated enemy troops, and used as a signaling tool. Also, with the help of flying paper heavenly candles made in the shape of a commander-in-chief's hat, military units exchanged messages on the battlefield. That is, they were used in military strategies, and won bright victories.

Over time, the Chinese forgot about the military purpose, and fire lanterns received a symbolic meaning, becoming a full-fledged traditional attribute of the culture of the Middle Kingdom. They have become symbols of goodness and prosperity. Lanterns can serve to bring good luck and material well-being to the house. They can also decorate any part of your living space.

It is believed that a burning lantern flying into the sky is able to fulfill wishes and make the most cherished dreams come true. It is necessary, with the help of hieroglyphs, to indicate your intention on paper, and then light your talisman and release it into heaven. Along with the traditional decorations that decorate the outer facades of houses, streets and trees, not a single significant holiday in China is complete without this beautiful ritual.

When it gets dark, the stream of people moves to the river bank and before starting the lanterns, people think about it in order to make a wish. At this moment, even the most inveterate skeptics hope that their wishes will certainly come true. By launching lanterns into the sky, people believed that they were undergoing a purification process and filled with new vital energy. If for some reason the lanterns do not take off, burn out at the start, without even rising, or blown away by a gust of wind, get tangled in the nearest trees, then the Chinese are not particularly upset, joking that they made too many wishes.

souvenir gifts sky lanterns popular all over the world, having managed to win recognition far beyond the borders of China. Fashion for them continues to grow, covering holidays associated with almost all areas of human life. A rare wedding does without a memorable finale with burning lanterns, which bypass even crackling fireworks in demand. They are "silent", and therefore create a more "intimate", tender atmosphere of this romantic holiday.

Luminous bright lanterns are welcome guests at other bright events - graduation parties, anniversaries, birthdays, corporate parties. Extremely popular at children's parties, as they can cause indescribable delight in any child.

Design. How is a sky lantern

What is the secret of their lightness and weightlessness, and what is the principle of operation of flying lanterns? It's all about the special design. The basis of each lantern is a bamboo frame, which is carefully covered with special rice paper. To prevent thin paper from igniting when the burner is ignited, it is pre-impregnated with a non-combustible compound. On the flashlight itself, a burner is fixed, which is made of cotton fabric treated with wax, or from porous paper with a flammable coating.

The frame and dome are made in various shapes and colors, ranging from simple geometric shapes to the exhaustion of the creator's imagination. These can be images of animals, household items, flowers, etc. The image of the dragon, which is especially revered in China, is also actively used in the manufacture of sky lanterns. There are modern fashionable options - for example, in the form of a smiley. Interestingly, until recently, lanterns were made exclusively by hand, so as not to violate centuries-old traditions. It is believed that the more labor is invested in their creation, the more wealth and good luck will go to the owner.

At present, China, of course, has an entire industry for the production of flying lanterns, now using the latest modern technologies, and the enterprising Chinese export them to many countries of the world.

This is how, with the help of simple devices, the Chinese invented their famous heavenly masterpiece, known and extremely popular now all over the world. The height to which it can fly is, as a rule, 200 - 1000 meters, and the duration of its life in a burning state lasts about 15-30 minutes.

It is better to launch a flashlight into the sky in an open area, a large wide area, and so that there are no tall structures, trees, parking lots nearby. After all, I would not want the flashlight to get stuck at the very beginning of the flight or create a fire hazard.

The weather for launching is preferable to choose calm and rainless. The bright sun is also undesirable, because because of its light the fire of our flashlights will not be visible. Therefore, it is desirable to launch after dusk, or do it at night.

It is better to launch lanterns into the sky together. One person holds, and the second sets it on fire. When the air inside warms up (in about a minute), then you can let go - the flashlight will soar up, and you can enjoy the beautiful spectacle of its flight.

Nowadays, it is very easy to buy Chinese souvenir lanterns. It is not necessary to visit the countries of Southeast Asia for this. Specialized stores selling Feng Shui symbols make it possible to place an order from anywhere in the world and provide a huge selection for the most demanding taste.

Bright and touching fiery "moths" will not only be a pleasant addition to any holiday, but also help to fulfill your innermost desires. Good spirits will surely notice the shimmering color, and will flock to start doing their good deeds.

Chinese lantern also known as sky lattern- a paper flying luminous construction made of paper stretched over a light wooden frame. It operates on the principle of a hot air balloon and is popular in eastern countries.

For the mass launch of flashlights on the territory of Russia, in accordance with the Air Code, permission from the air traffic management authorities is required.

Story

The first mention of sky lanterns was found in chronicles describing the military campaigns of the general Zhuge Liang (180-234 AD, honorary title Kunming), which sources say used them to instill fear in enemy troops: However, the device, which is a lamp in a paper container, is recorded earlier, and, according to Joseph Needham, hot air balloons were known in China in the 3rd century BC. BC e.

Sky lanterns are also known to have been used as a general purpose means of signaling between command and various army units in the Chinese military. Later in China and other eastern countries, the launching of sky lanterns was given a certain religious significance.

In Europe, sky lanterns began to appear en masse in 2006. In 2005, in memory of the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake, about 5,000 lanterns were launched at Khao Lak Beach (in Thailand). Journalist Zhou Xin (Gangzhou Daly) took second place in the Arts and Entertainment category of the most prestigious international photojournalism competition, World Press Photo, with his photograph of the event.

Device

The role of the supporting structure in a sky lantern is performed by a light wooden frame, usually bamboo. In its lower part there is a burner fixed on a thin wire. The traditional burner is made from a piece of cotton cloth impregnated with wax, or from porous paper impregnated with flammable liquids. In modern flashlights, the burner is sometimes made from combustible polymers. The dome is made of rice paper with the addition of . Paper, as a rule, is impregnated with a special non-combustible composition so that it does not catch fire. The frame and dome of a sky lantern can have a variety of shapes, from standard geometric shapes (cylinder, ball) to images of animals and popular household items.

Operating principle

The principle of the flight of a sky lantern

The burner flame heats the air inside the flashlight up to 100~120°C. When heated, the density of air becomes less, and, accordingly, its mass. The air inside the flashlight becomes lighter than the air outside, so the flashlight floats in the cold air.

The density of heated air inside a flashlight can be calculated using the equation of state for an ideal gas

Where ρ - air density, p- absolute pressure, R- universal gas constant for dry air (287.058 J ⁄ (kg K)) And T is the absolute temperature in Kelvin.

The volume of an average flashlight is approximately 0.25 m³. At a standard atmospheric pressure of 101.325 kPa and an air temperature of 20 °C, the density of atmospheric air is 1.2041 kg⁄m³. It follows that the mass of air in a flashlight with a volume of 0.25 m³ will be about 300 grams.

When the air inside the lantern is heated to a temperature of 100 °C, its density will decrease and will be 0.946 kg⁄m³. With this density, the mass of air inside the flashlight will no longer be 300 g, but 236 g. The mass of the structure of an average Chinese lantern is about 50 g. flashlight is 14 g less than the mass of air occupying the same volume. This difference corresponds to the lifting force acting on the flashlight.

According to the law of Archimedes, a body immersed in a liquid (or gas) is acted upon by a buoyant force equal to the weight of the liquid (or gas) displaced by this body, where is the density of the liquid (gas), is the acceleration of free fall, and is the volume of the immersed body.

For a flashlight, buoyant force = 1.20kg⁄m³ × 9.8m/s² × 0.25m³ = 2.94 N. Force of gravity acting on the flashlight = 0.286kg × 9.8m/s² = 2.80 N .

The behavior of a flashlight depends on the ratio between the modules of gravity and the Archimedes force that act on this body. The flashlight will start to rise into the sky if the condition is met. In our case, this condition is met, since 2.80 N< 2,94 Н.

Some characteristics

The weight of an average sky lantern is 50-100 g. The lifting height is usually in the range of 200-500 meters, the fuel burning time in the burner is 15-20 minutes. The sizes of flashlights vary from 70*28 cm to 170*50 cm (height*diameter of the bottom ring)

Operational safety

When launching sky lanterns, certain safety requirements must be observed. For example, they cannot be launched in the immediate vicinity of airports and fire hazardous structures. To avoid fires, do not use flashlights in windy weather.

Launching sky lanterns is prohibited in many states. A metal frame from fallen lanterns leads to the death of livestock, which eats the wire along with hay, dogs on a walk injure their paws with this wire. Candles that do not have time to go out before landing set fire to thatched roofs and even destroy entire fields. There are known cases of power plant failure and a fire in a residential building, which led to the death of people.

Lantern launch event in Moscow

Notes


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010 .

Rules of the fire regime in the Russian Federation ... Clause 77 ... It is prohibited in the territory of settlements and urban districts, as well as at a distance of less than 100 meters from forest areas, to launch uncontrolled products made of combustible materials, the principle of lifting to a height is based on heating the air inside the structure with open fire.

Story

The first mention of Chinese paper lanterns was found in chronicles describing the military campaigns of the general Zhuge Liang (180-234 AD, honorary title Kunming), which sources say used them to instill fear in enemy troops:

An oil lamp was placed under a large paper bag that rose with hot air from the lamp. … The enemies were overcome with fear due to the light in the air, thinking that the divine power was helping him.

However, the device, which is a lamp in a paper container, is recorded earlier, and according to Joseph Needham, hot air balloons were known in China in the 3rd century BC. BC e.

Flying Chinese lanterns are also known to have been used as a universal means of signaling between command and various army units in the Chinese Army. Later, in China and other eastern countries, the launch of paper lanterns was given a certain religious significance.

In Europe, Chinese lanterns began to appear en masse in 2005. [ ] In 2005, in memory of the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake, about 5,000 lanterns were launched at Khao Lak Beach (Thailand). Journalist Zhou Xin (Gangzhou Daly) took second place in the Arts and Entertainment category in the prestigious World Press Photo international photojournalism competition with his photograph of the event.

Device

The role of the supporting structure in a sky lantern is performed by a light wooden frame, usually bamboo. In its lower part there is a burner fixed on a thin wire. The traditional burner is made from a piece of cotton cloth impregnated with wax, or from porous paper impregnated with flammable liquids. In modern flashlights, the burner is sometimes made from combustible polymers. The dome is made of rice paper with the addition of . Paper, as a rule, is impregnated with a special non-combustible composition so that it does not catch fire.

The frame and dome of a sky lantern can have a variety of shapes, from standard geometric shapes (cylinder, ball) to images of animals and popular household items.

Operating principle

The burner flame heats the air inside the flashlight up to 100~120°C. When heated, the density of air becomes less, and, accordingly, its mass. The air inside the flashlight becomes lighter than the air outside, so the flashlight floats in the cold air.

The density of heated air inside the flashlight can be calculated using the equation of state for an ideal gas

ρ = p R ⋅ T , (\displaystyle \rho =(\frac (p)(R\cdot T)),)

Where ρ - air density, p- absolute pressure, R- universal gas constant for dry air (287.058 J ⁄ (kg K)) And T is the absolute temperature in Kelvin.

The volume of an average flashlight is approximately 0.25 m³. At a standard atmospheric pressure of 101.325 kPa and an air temperature of 20 °C, the density of atmospheric air is 1.2041 kg⁄m³. It follows that the mass of air in a flashlight with a volume of 0.25 m³ will be about 300 grams.

When the air inside the lantern is heated to a temperature of 100 °C, its density will decrease and will be 0.946 kg⁄m³. With this density, the mass of air inside the flashlight will no longer be 300 g, but 236 g. The mass of the structure of an average Chinese lantern is about 50 g. flashlight is 14 g less than the mass of air occupying the same volume. This difference corresponds to the lifting force acting on the flashlight.

According to the law of Archimedes, a body immersed in a liquid (or gas) is subjected to a buoyant force equal to the weight of the liquid (or gas) displaced by this body, F A = ​​ρ g V (\displaystyle F_(A)=\rho gV), Where ρ (\displaystyle \rho ) is the density of the liquid (gas), g(\displaystyle(g))- acceleration free fall , and V (\displaystyle V) is the volume of the submerged body.

For a flashlight, buoyant force = 1.20kg⁄m³ × 9.8m/s² × 0.25m³ = 2.94 N. Force of gravity acting on the flashlight = 0.286kg × 9.8m/s² = 2.80 N .

The behavior of a flashlight depends on the ratio between the modules of force gravity F T (\displaystyle F_(T)) and the forces of Archimedes F A (\displaystyle F_(A)) that act on this body. The flashlight will start to rise into the sky if the condition is met F T< F A {\displaystyle F_{T} . In our case, this condition is met, since 2.80 N< 2,94 Н.

Some characteristics

The weight of an average Chinese lantern is 50-100 g. The lifting height is usually in the range of 200-500 meters, the fuel burning time in the burner is 15-20 minutes. The sizes of flashlights vary from 70*28 cm to 170*50 cm (height*diameter of the bottom ring).

Operational safety

When launching sky lanterns, certain safety requirements must be observed.

For example, they cannot be launched in the immediate vicinity of airports and fire hazardous structures, including in cities, settlements, near forests. To avoid fires, do not use flashlights in windy weather.

Launching sky lanterns is prohibited in many states. A metal frame from fallen lanterns leads to the death of livestock, which eats the wire along with hay, dogs on a walk injure their paws with this wire. Candles that do not have time to go out before landing set fire to thatched roofs and even destroy entire fields. There are known cases of power plant failure and a fire in a residential building, which led to the death of people.

For the mass launch of flashlights on the territory of Russia, in accordance with the Air Code, permission from the authorities of the air traffic organization is required, due to the possible danger to aviation flights.

Mass launches require approval from local authorities, like other mass events. Such actions can create copious amounts of garbage scattered over a wide area.

The so-called sky lanterns came to us from China. They look like structures made of paper or fabric on the thinnest wooden frame. The device works in the same way as a hot air balloon and it is very loved in the east.

For the first time, these lanterns were mentioned in ancient chronicles - it was said that the general Zhuge Liang (180-234 AD) used these things in order to intimidate the troops of his enemies.

An oil lamp was attached under a rather large paper bag. Along the way, the bag filled with hot air and took off. The enemies were simply horrified, believing that Zhuge Liang was using the help of the gods.

But, nevertheless, such a device was registered even before Zhuge Liang - Joseph Needham says that such paper balls moving due to hot air were known as early as the 3rd century BC. BC uh.. A
Needham was a fairly great scholar and researcher of ancient Chinese culture, so we have no reason not to trust him.

In addition to intimidating enemies, Chinese lanterns had another useful function - they were used to send signals between Chinese army units and their command. After some time, the launch of lanterns also acquired a certain religious meaning.

The mass launch of these devices in Europe became noticeable in 2006. In 2004, five thousand sky lanterns were launched in Thailand, in 2005 they were launched in memory of earthquake victims. We bought sky lanterns in bulk. The spectacle was extraordinary - many photographers became famous for their pictures, which they took on those bright nights.

The structure on which the bag rests is a wooden frame made mostly of bamboo. A burner is fixed at the bottom; a thin wire is used for fastening. The package is most often made of porous paper or cotton fabric impregnated with wax. For the burner, they are often used from polymers. Well, paper, of course, is impregnated with special compounds that do not allow it to catch fire.

Sky lanterns weigh about 50-100 grams, and rise to a height of up to half a kilometer. Fuel burns up to twenty minutes.

Flashlights should not be launched near airports or structures that are fire hazardous. If there is severe wind blowing outside, it is also worth delaying the launch - all because of the same fire safety considerations.