First there were gas lighters that used fairly big, now obsolete types of zinc carbon batteries for heating an incandescent filament. They didn't produce a flame, so they were usually used for lighting gas cookers and "Kosangas" type portable heaters. The gas lighters and cigarette lighters we have now incorporate a piezoelectric cell, operated by pressure suddenly applied to the cell when a trigger was squeezed. This creates a high voltage spark that ignites gas stored in the lighter. I wasn't aware of these new types of lighters though. Plasma lighters don't need gas and instead produce a plasma between the electrodes (an arc) for lighting things. Sort of like a Taser, but the electrodes are closer together so the arc is hotter. It reminds me of when I had an old induction coil out of car and use to set pieces of timber on fire with the arc. With the lights switched off, the purple glow of corona discharges at sharp points was interesting too. Corona discharge is a phenomenon that can be seen on very high voltage power lines in humid conditions or pointed objects during thunderstorms (known as St. Elmo's Fire). It's effectively a "leak" of electrons through the air at points of high electric field strength. However the leak isn't sufficient to cause a full breakdown of the air and the formation of an arc. Electrical equipment that operates at high voltage is designed to reduce the number of points and sharp edges on conductors which may cause corona effects. Corona can potentially lead to arcing or other damage. It also generates EMI radio interference.
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| Corona discharage on a power line. Nitromethane, CC BY-SA 3.0 |