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| quote: | Originally posted by Omega_M
LOL, never thought about this. But let me hazard a guess. 
Pressure exerted by a liquid at a point below the surface is proportional to the height of the liquid column above it. Partitioning keeps the liquid confined in a thin but tall column. This helps to maintain enough pressure in the left chamber to force the liquid out at a desired flow rate when the lighter button is depressed. After all, the flow rate will depend on the pressure difference. On the outside, you just have atmospheric pressure. You need some sort of a mechanism to built up a high enough pressure inside the lighter. If you remove the partition, the lighter may not be able to develop sufficient pressure (and hence pressure difference) when it is say 3/4th empty and will probably not force the liquid out at a rate that will sustain the flame. |
That's basically what I said. But look at the picture again - it doesn't need additional pressure from the mechanism, as there is a long tube extending all the way to the bottom. And we all know that lighters pretty much stop working when they are down to about 1/2 capacity, so I doubt any sort of pressure system would be for the sake of longevity. 
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There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
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Mine work until there's no fluid
