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Phan Đình Phương and His Automatic Fire Extinguishing Model |
This “self-taught” scientist is the author of over 30 patents that have benefited the state by hundreds of billions of Vietnamese dong. However, alongside this impressive scientific background is a “debt record” that is equally extensive…
Inventions Like… Poetry
Graduating from Hanoi University of Science and Technology in 1972, Phan Đình Phương enlisted in the military, following in the footsteps of thousands of young people at the time who were “marching along the Truong Son to save the country.”
In military uniform, in 1975, Phương and his comrade Quách Thuỵ Môn used domestic gasoline to replace American fuel for the HU-1H helicopter captured by their forces from Đà Lạt, enabling it to take off and participate in the campaign to liberate the South.
It seems that fate had intertwined with his life since then. After completing his military service, Phương returned to the oil industry and began to embark on the path of invention, although no one assigned him to do so.
This seemingly “half-hearted” job resulted in dozens of products that astonished colleagues with their professionalism and utility.
Phan Đình Phương often starts his machine inventions in a manner reminiscent of… poetry. He observes, imagines, and dreams…
On one occasion, while watching gasoline vapor shimmer just above the ground, Phương suddenly had the idea to “capture” it. Allowing gasoline vapor to dissipate would be wasteful and dangerous as it could lead to fires. However, recapturing the vapor was as challenging as trying to hold the wind; no one had managed to do it before. Working eight hours a day at the office, Phương dedicated his remaining time to finding ways to “subdue” the gasoline vapor.
To concentrate better, this “self-taught” researcher spent eight years living and breathing this pursuit, which seemed fanciful. But one day, he successfully “captured” the vapor.
“The project tells of so many days,” Phan Đình Phương recounted in verse: “Capturing gasoline vapor in the void of space; Like the unbelievable, the void, the foolish madness; Just like a devout sheep; Following the scientific faith of the past.”
And “On January 2, ’92, excitement filled the air; In the bright noon sun, astonished: gasoline condensed into a flowing stream; From the void, tanks were overflowing; Too joyful, tears blurred my sight.”
The machine invented by Phan Đình Phương recaptured a quantity of gasoline that would normally evaporate into the atmosphere as a matter of course. If applied nationwide, this machine could save the country tens of billions of dong since Vietnam consumes about 3 to 4 million tons of gasoline annually, and a significant portion of that evaporates.
Word of his invention spread, and the director of the Quảng Ngãi sugar factory personally visited Phan Đình Phương to invite him to recover CO2 gas, a task that also seemed trivial.
This time, however, after just a few days, Phương managed to make the CO2 gas “enter” the tank. This gas would be compressed into carbonated water bottles, saving the factory a significant amount of money. But what made Phương happier than anything was hearing the workers say: “Whenever your machine isn’t running, the CO2 gas makes us tired, and our meals don’t taste good.”
Working in the oil company and haunted by the specter of fires, Phương often gazed at the flames, imagining a fire-extinguishing machine of his own. Guided by his imagination, he set to work on his invention.
Not long after, a multifunctional automatic fire extinguisher was born, featuring capabilities that had never been seen before in the world. Current fire extinguishers use engines or electric pumps to push water onto flames, which is a slow process; from the moment a fire alarm is triggered to when water is sprayed can take up to 180 seconds while still meeting international standards!
Meanwhile, the speed of flames can reach several tens of meters per second, meaning that the fire would spread beyond the reach of water hoses. Phan Đình Phương’s fire extinguisher can spray water immediately upon receiving a fire alarm, while also selecting the appropriate extinguishing agent for each type of fire…
This invention caught the attention of professionals and quickly gained support from the Fire Prevention and Fighting Police Department, Fire Prevention and Fighting University, Da Nang Fire Prevention and Fighting Police Department, and the Da Nang Union of Science and Technology Associations, who volunteered to be sponsors. In 2003, this machine was exhibited at the international fire prevention and fighting exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City, alongside over 70 professional firefighting companies from around the world.
This machine left both viewers and professionals “impressed and convinced” with its ability to quickly extinguish gasoline and wood fires using solutions that utilized CO2 to push water, foam, and fire extinguishing powder… This invention received a “perfect score” of 5 As from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and was recognized as “having global novelty.”
In 2005, the United States Patent and Trademark Office granted a patent for the automatic fire extinguisher. This patent was numbered 00001, making Phan Đình Phương the first Vietnamese individual to receive this honor.
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The Vacuum Machine from An Sinh Company |
Since his school days, the image of the “night janitor sweeping the streets” in the poem “The Sound of the Bamboo Broom” by poet Tố Hữu has haunted Phan Đình Phương. How can we ensure that the janitor no longer has to sweep? The poem “The Sound of the Bamboo Broom” has already “hinted” at it, urging him to seek the answer. Thus, the automatic garbage collection machine was born.
This machine utilizes aerodynamic principles to create a suction effect for garbage as the vehicle glides along. Hence, the higher the speed, the stronger the wind and the cleaner the environment. This is something no other machine has achieved. The machine can be manufactured in a small size, easily pushed by hand when cleaning sidewalks, markets, or light homes, much like pushing a stroller to take a baby for a walk.
Moreover, it can collect various materials such as rice, coffee, corn, and cassava. With the advent of this machine, it is highly likely that in the not-so-distant future, the image of “the sound of the bamboo broom rustling under the tamarind trees” will be a thing of the past.
30 Patents, Yet a “Millionaire Without Money”
People thought that the creator of 30 patents would naturally become a millionaire, but throughout his scientific research journey, Phương has always been a “millionaire without money.”
Not only that, but he often finds himself in debt to banks and long-time customers of the pawn shop.
Whenever he comes up with an invention idea, he always lacks the funds to realize it. So instead of waiting for “support,” he mortgaged the small family house’s land use rights at the bank. Some people thought he was out of his mind for mortgaging his house to invent a machine from… imagination. Who ordered it from him? What if he fails?
Phương smiles brightly at my question: “Life demands it from me. Someone once said that if life has needs, it will drive scientific development more than 10 universities. As for failure? I have never embarked on something knowing it would fail. Failure only exists in imagination. When I start inventing something, I eliminate all causes of failure to ensure my success.”
It seems that the more successful inventions he has, the longer his house’s land use rights remain at the bank!? He has a motorcycle for commuting, but it sometimes ends up at the pawn shop. The constant awareness of debt is such that in his scientific resume, there is an article about the mortgage that Phương cut out for “research.”
There are times he had to borrow heavily, up to hundreds of millions of dong, and when the due date arrives and he cannot pay, he just apologizes to the creditor and continues… borrowing to earn money to repay. Over 30 inventions and still poor. Poor but still passionate about inventing. This passion for invention has turned him into a debtor; when will this vicious cycle end?
Working for His Son
Recently, Phan Đình Phương made a decision that few could understand when he resigned as Deputy Technical Director of Petrolimex Gas Company in Da Nang to “join” as an employee at An Sinh Company, where the director is his own son.
He explains his decision: “If a job benefits many people, I will do it. I want to have more time for research and invention. An Sinh Company, with its goal of ensuring environmental safety, is a lifelong pursuit of mine.”
At just in 9th grade, Phan Trọng Nghĩa – the current Director of An Sinh Company – participated with his father in their first scientific research project, recovering CO2 emissions from the production line of Quảng Ngãi sugar factory.
From then on, scientific research became a passion that he could not resist. Even after choosing the path of studying law and becoming a lawyer, Nghĩa still gave it up to delve into invention, applications, and the establishment of An Sinh Company.
With his son as the director and himself as an employee, on the work assignment board, the son calls the father “uncle,” and at home, they sometimes debate over dinner.
In a hurry to return to Da Nang to deal with storm number 7, Nghĩa still made an effort to stay with me: “Since I established the company, I have developed insomnia because I have to think so much. There are nights I toss and turn, going in and out, and I see my father doing the same. So father and son end up debating over a single topic: how to develop An Sinh. The company is doing well and has received attention from Da Nang city, but due to limited capital and human resources, there are still many challenges ahead….”
I had a street-side meal in Hanoi at Trần Quý Cáp station with Phan Đình Phương. While eating, he didn’t talk about machines but read poetry and looked out onto the street. His eyes seemed dreamy as if he were imagining, perhaps giving birth to yet another invention idea. And then, it would be back to borrowing money, back to pawn shops? I find it strange and feel sad for the endless cycle that he is still caught in. It is also odd that despite having over 30 patents, Phan Đình Phương has never received a certificate of recognition until retirement!?
Phùng Nguyên
