Answers
With the upcoming Zippo Blu windproof butane lighter, it is a wonder, how does windproof butane lighter works?
a windproof lighter (zippo was the first to develop one) allows the flame to be partially blocked from the wind by the framework of a material which has holes around the wick which blocks most of the wind, but allows sufficient flow to make sure the flame is created and remains aerated so as to provide oxygen for the burning process. butane lighters block all air around the opening to allow the gas to escape and be lit by the sparks, but the amount of gas required to be released must be sufficient to not be so dissipated as to not remain burning. the main problem with butane is its propensity to allow the flame to move with the wind once lit which often creates a flame direction which can cause the holder to be burned.
I have 2 rather fancy refillable butane lighters (one is a cigar type torch lighter and the other an "outdoorsy" windproof lighter) neither of which will work when I get above 10,000ft (3050 m). Both work rather reliably at about 7000ft (2134 m) and even better at sea level. I use high quality butane, but neither lighter seems to work at 10K, even if I adjust the amount of fuel the lighter gets. I'm curious of the science that makes it work at low altitude, but not at high altitude.
My thoughts also go to the amount of O2 at that level, but a cheap BIC brand butane lighter works fine (not a torch, but butane none the less). So I would think that being able to adjust the fuel should make that compensation, right?
The obvious first approximation is that since the relative amount of O2 available at 10,000 ft is sufficiently low that the butane gas-oxygen gas ratio is not one that is flammable.
It turns out that for some flammable gases to burn, the ratio of the fuel to O2 must be within a certain range.
Take a look at this article. It may be more info than you need but it goes into detail about this flammability range.
