At what depth will underwater flares still burn?
So I know that fire can burn underwater with an oxidizer and a combustible substance — that’s all I get when I try to google this topic. My question is: At what depth will underwater flares still work? Will depth and pressure have any effect? Would a flare still work at the bottom of the ocean? Thank you to whoever takes the time to respond.
It depends. It should burn as long as the oxidizer and fuel are in contact and enough heat is provided to ignite it. The primary challenge might be the heat you’ll need for ignition. For effects of temperature and pressure, you’ll need to consider the phase changes of the oxidizer and fuel compounds used, how it affects their thermal properties as well. For depths like Mariana Trench (108 Mpa and 1 °C), I think an underwater flare would probably work if you provide enough heat to ignite it in the first place.