Expo 2020 FireSpire

The Water Feature at the Dubai Expo 2020 has, as its centerpiece, six towers that shoot sixteen feet tall colored balls of hydrogen fire.

The biggest project I worked on at WET Design was designing and developing the device that produced the flame effect for these towers from initial concept to operation in the field. This began with bench tests to select chemicals that would produce distinct and bright colors when burnt with Hydrogen and leveraging the company’s previous experience with smaller propane and natural gas flame devices for this new challenge. This meant I devise and conducted several tests to come up with a nozzle and system design that produced a flame of the desired shape, size, color, and noise level.

Once the full size effect was proven viable, I worked on designing the device so that it could be integrated into the feature. The device had to fit within the sculptural tower and I had to work with the facilities engineering team to integrate it to the supply of the various services required to run the effect — compressed air, nitrogen gas, hydrogen, water, salt solution (for flame coloring), and power. I was responsible for the design of the internally manufactured parts, creating engineering drawings, piping and instrumentation diagram, assembly instructions, and working with vendors to source purchased parts — ensuring the whole system complied with the necessary certifications for a flame effect before an audience per NFPA and ASME standards.

The system had to undergo field testing — pressure proof, leak and flame tests — supervised and approved by a third party certifier to ensure the device can operate safely before an audience. Along with writing and providing the certifying third party with the required documentation on the system components, tests and maintenance procedures, I supported the field technicians through the project’s commissioning and operations.

The FireSpires must be integrated with the rest of the Water Feature’s show. To accomplish this, the device must work in a repeatable and predictable manner with sensors integrated into the feature’s controls system that help monitor and operate the device automatically and allows the choreographer to time the flame effects with the music, water, fog, lights and projection in the feature.