What is an electronic cigarette? What types are there and what does it consist of?

Once I saw a colleague's electronic cigarette. My attention was particularly drawn to the characteristic gurgling sound produced by inhalation.

• Well, it turns out that an electronic cigarette is a pocket bulb? I asked.

• Well ... well, actually yes, ”he replied after a moment's thought.

The question is too long to answer in detail. I'll try briefly.

An electronic cigarette is a device for evaporating a special liquid that contains (not necessarily all at once and in different proportions) glycerin, propylene glycol, nicotine, water and food flavorings.

Consider ES as a monolithic part is possible only in the budget sector itself; any devices, even an entry-level one, consist of two parts - an evaporator and a battery pack. They are connected by a well-established "plug" of 510 format. You can compare it with attaching lenses to DSLR cameras - the evaporator is screwed into the battery block and the contacts are closed.

Modern evaporators (atomizers, RTA) are mainly divided into two types - tanks and drips. The tank, as the name implies, contains a 3-5 ml capacity for liquid that falls through small holes on the wick into the evaporation chamber. Evaporators in many models are provided as maintenance-free (after a while, a new head is simply bought and put in place of the old one, without replacing the entire tank), and serviced - you can replace the spiral and wick yourself, which is very economical, but requires little skill and time. The second type of atomizer is the RDA. They do not have a liquid tank, and the entire body is actually an evaporation chamber. Minus - it is necessary to bury every 3-5 puffs. Plus - much easier maintenance due to the larger base for the spirals, as well as in many cases thicker and richer steam, sometimes tastier on certain models.
The battery pack is a device for supplying current to the evaporator. There is also the main division into two types. The first is mods. The devices are equipped with an electronic board that protects against an incorrectly inserted battery, its overdischarge or short circuit to the evaporators. It is also possible to control the supplied power, and in the last six months and temperature. The second type is mech mods (mechanics). They have no electronics (maximum voltmeter). It will not be so easy to adjust the power, an incorrectly inserted battery can short-circuit, and an improperly wound spiral can lead to a short circuit. However, the main plus is reliability. Because inside there is nothing but a seat for a battery and a simple button, then a mech mod made of good metal is as difficult to break as a metal blank.

In fact, there are many more types - outdated, overly exotic, new and experimental , however, the above definitions cover the vast majority of the market.