Thermal lance
Encyclopedia
A thermal lance, thermic lance, oxygen lance, or burning bar is a tool
that burns iron
in the presence of pressurized oxygen
to create very high temperatures for cutting. It consists of a long iron tube packed with iron rods, sometimes mixed with aluminium
or magnesium
rods to increase the heat output. One end of the tube is placed in a holder and oxygen is fed through the tube.
The far end of the tube is pre-heated and lit by an oxyacetylene
torch. An intense stream of burning iron is produced at the lit end and can be used to cut rapidly through thick materials including steel
and concrete
. The tube is consumed, so every few minutes the operator shuts off the oxygen, discards the remaining stub of a lance tube and starts using a new one.
The temperature at which a thermal lance burns varies depending the environment. Kosanke gives the maximum temperature to be 4770 K (8,126.3 °F), while Haorong calculates it to be 3000 K (4,940.3 °F).
Nick Wells (played by Robert De Niro
) uses a thermal lance to cut a hole in the top of a safe, to avoid the safe's glass relocker
device.
MythBusters
tested the capabilities of the thermal lance and discovered opening a modern safe with a thermal lance takes far longer than depicted in popular accounts. The intense heat also destroyed the items inside the vault. The MythBusters concluded that using a thermal lance for safe-cracking
is plausible, but impractical.
There are examples in science fiction
of "thermic lance" or "thermal lance" being used to mean a type of fictional energy weapon or melee weapon
(for example at this link, with image, in the Fallout: New Vegas
videogame scenario).
Tool
A tool is a device that can be used to produce an item or achieve a task, but that is not consumed in the process. Informally the word is also used to describe a procedure or process with a specific purpose. Tools that are used in particular fields or activities may have different designations such...
that burns iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
in the presence of pressurized oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
to create very high temperatures for cutting. It consists of a long iron tube packed with iron rods, sometimes mixed with aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
or magnesium
Magnesium
Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg, atomic number 12, and common oxidation number +2. It is an alkaline earth metal and the eighth most abundant element in the Earth's crust and ninth in the known universe as a whole...
rods to increase the heat output. One end of the tube is placed in a holder and oxygen is fed through the tube.
The far end of the tube is pre-heated and lit by an oxyacetylene
Oxy-fuel welding and cutting
Oxy-fuel welding and oxy-fuel cutting are processes that use fuel gases and oxygen to weld and cut metals, respectively. French engineers Edmond Fouché and Charles Picard became the first to develop oxygen-acetylene welding in 1903...
torch. An intense stream of burning iron is produced at the lit end and can be used to cut rapidly through thick materials including steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
and concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
. The tube is consumed, so every few minutes the operator shuts off the oxygen, discards the remaining stub of a lance tube and starts using a new one.
The temperature at which a thermal lance burns varies depending the environment. Kosanke gives the maximum temperature to be 4770 K (8,126.3 °F), while Haorong calculates it to be 3000 K (4,940.3 °F).
Popular misconceptions
Popular depictions of thermal lances sometimes exaggerate their capabilities. In the movie The ScoreThe Score (film)
The Score is a 2001 crime thriller directed by Frank Oz and starring Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, Angela Bassett and Marlon Brando.It was the final film performance for Brando and the only time he and De Niro appeared in a film together The Score is a 2001 crime thriller directed by Frank Oz and...
Nick Wells (played by Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro, Jr. is an American actor, director and producer. His first major film roles were in Bang the Drum Slowly and Mean Streets, both in 1973...
) uses a thermal lance to cut a hole in the top of a safe, to avoid the safe's glass relocker
Relocker
A relocker is one of various mechanisms intended to keep a safe or vault locked in a burglary attempt.There are two basic classes of relockers:* Relock trigger , an internal relocker built into the primary lock...
device.
MythBusters
MythBusters
MythBusters is a science entertainment TV program created and produced by Beyond Television Productions for the Discovery Channel. The series is screened by numerous international broadcasters, including Discovery Channel Australia, Discovery Channel Latin America, Discovery Channel Canada, Quest...
tested the capabilities of the thermal lance and discovered opening a modern safe with a thermal lance takes far longer than depicted in popular accounts. The intense heat also destroyed the items inside the vault. The MythBusters concluded that using a thermal lance for safe-cracking
Safe-cracking
Safe-cracking is the process of opening a safe without either the combination or key. It may also refer to a computer hacker's attempts to break into a secured computer system, in which case it may be shortened to "cracking" or black hat hacking....
is plausible, but impractical.
There are examples in science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
of "thermic lance" or "thermal lance" being used to mean a type of fictional energy weapon or melee weapon
Mêlée weapon
A melee weapon is any weapon that does not involve a projectile — that is, both the user and target of the weapon are in contact with it simultaneously in normal use...
(for example at this link, with image, in the Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout: New Vegas is a first person action role-playing video game in the Fallout series developed by Obsidian Entertainment, and published by Bethesda Softworks. The game is based in a post-apocalyptic environment in and around Las Vegas, Nevada...
videogame scenario).