How do E-cigs work?
Article by Tim Lodge
Firstly we need to understand what an e-cig does to produce “smoke” or more correctly vapour. In the simplest terms an e-cig heats a liquid enough to turn it into a vapour, this vapour is then breathed in by the user. But how does an e-cig do this?
Well an e-cig consists of three parts; a battery, a vaporiser and a cartridge. Now there are two basic types of e-cig an automatic e-cig and a manual e-cig, the difference between the two is that the automatic e-cig is activated when air passes through it whereas an automatic e-cig is activated by pressing a button. Now lets look at what each part of the e-cig does:
Cartridge – this is where the e-juice, the liquid that is smoked and generally contains nicotine, is stored. On most e-cigs it also doubles as the mouth piece. Generally this part contains a spongy like material which is soaked in e juice, this then comes into contact with the vaporiser.
Vaporiser, also known as atomiser – this is the part which heats the e-juice up to turn it into a vapour. This part consists of a simple filament which turns the electrical current from the battery into heat, which in turn heats the e-juice.
Battery – this consists of a lithium-ion rechargeable battery, which as we discussed early can be “turned on” by a button or in automatic e-cigs by an electronic airflow sensor.
This is how the basic e-cig works, however we should also consider how different e-cigs charge the battery unit. There are two basic forms of this:
Direct charge to the battery – this is normally from a USB plug but can also be from a mains plug. Some e-cigs also don’t have a battery per se, instead they take the power directly from the usb plug or mains plug. This obviously has the benefit of not having to worry when the battery is going to run out but also limits when the e-cig can be used.
Battery pack – this is the other way in which to charge the battery. The battery pack generally consists of a small box, often looking similar the fag packet only a little larger and a little more solid, which consists of a battery and a battery charger. The box is then charged from a usb plug or the mains, once charge it can then charge the small batteries which are used in the e-cig. This has the benefit of being able to hole a much longer charge as it is a bigger battery, therefore meaning if you have two of the smaller batteries there should always be one charging and one charged which you can use.
So there we have the e-cig; a very simple device used to convert a liquid into a vapour, small enough to carry in your pocket and be used just like a regular cigarette without the harmful affects of cigarette smoke. Which brings us onto the next question are e cigs safe?
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Owner and creater of are e cigs safe a site aimed to help people who are thinking of trying e cigs to understand the healths benefits and risks.
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