Creating a liquid-based cigarette replacement that produced vapor rather than smoke was an idea that was on inventors’ minds for many decades before the first vapes appeared on the market in the late 2000s. The product that came to be known as the electronic cigarette or “e-cigarette” was unsuccessfully attempted many times over the years, but the advent of small and powerful lithium-ion batteries finally made it possible.
The most popular vapes are well known for delivering pure satisfaction and enjoyment in a package that’s easy to use and doesn’t require an extensive instruction manual. While modern vapes are known for their simplicity, though, what’s going on under the hood isn’t actually that simple at all. A modern vape requires complex circuitry and programming for safe and reliable operation. It needs a system that holds liquid in its place and prevents leaking but still provides a path for air and vapor. Most importantly, it needs to last long enough that you can always expect it to be ready to use when you need it. Making all of those things happen has required some pretty impressive engineering – and in this guide, we’re going to explain how it all happens.
So, what’s actually in a vape, and how does a vape work? Read on to discover what happens when you puff on your favorite vape.
What’s Inside a Vape?
Let’s start by talking about the components that are inside a vape, and then we’ll continue by explaining how they all work together. Although tank- or pod-based vape kits work a bit differently from disposable vapes, all types of vapes have essentially the same internal components. Those are:
- Battery: The battery supplies the power that makes a vaping device work. The incredible power delivery of lithium-ion batteries is what makes it possible for a vaping device to deliver all-day satisfaction in such a small package. Without modern battery technology, vaping as we know it simply wouldn’t be possible.
- Logic board and integrated circuits: These are the components that allow you to control your vaping device and manage the flow of power from the battery to the atomizer coil. A vape's electronic components may include an airflow sensor that makes the device work when you puff on it, a temperature sensor that prevents the device from overheating, a battery monitoring circuit, a short circuit detector and more. These components work together seamlessly to ensure that your vape works on demand and is safe to use.
- E-liquid storage: Depending on your device’s design, it may store its e-liquid in a glass tank, a plastic pod or an absorbent wick. Whatever design your device uses, though, the function of this component is the same: It stores the device’s e-liquid supply and delivers vape juice to the atomizer coil in a controlled fashion without leaking.
- Atomizer coil: The atomizer coil is perhaps the most important aspect of how a vape works because it’s the component that heats the e-liquid and turns it to vapor. Made from a material with a relatively high electrical resistance, the atomizer coil heats up when electricity flows through it. The technology is somewhat similar to the way in which a toaster or space heater works. An atomizer coil usually also has a wick that draws e-liquid in from the tank or pod, keeping the coil refreshed with new vape juice as you use your device.
- E-liquid: Also known as vape juice, this is the substance that you inhale in vapor form when you vape. The ingredients of e-liquid typically include propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, food-grade flavors and nicotine. The flavors used in e-liquid are the same as those used in the food and beverage industries.
Now that you know what’s in a vape, let’s learn how it all comes together and find out how a vape works.
How the Battery in a Vape Works
Vapes use lithium-ion batteries, and the battery in a vape is much the same as what you’d find in any other portable electronic device. Some vapes use purpose-built lithium-ion cells soldered directly to their logic boards, and others use removable batteries. The 18650 cell – which is also commonly found in flashlights and in some electric vehicles – is the most popular type of removable vape battery. The 21700 and 20700 cell types are also common.
Lithium-ion batteries are very powerful, so it’s important to charge and use your device according to the instructions. The instruction manual for a vaping device will always include important safety information that you should heed.
A vape includes a circuit that monitors the battery’s voltage and lets you know when it’s time to recharge your device. Most vaping devices use USB ports for charging. If your vape has a removable battery, you can also charge the battery in an external lithium-ion charger.
How the Logic Board and Integrated Circuits in a Vape Work
The logic board and integrated circuits are responsible for managing the way your vaping device works. These may include components for activating the device, for changing its settings, for managing the battery and for monitoring key safety parameters. We’ll describe how those four aspects of your vape work.
- As we mentioned above, your vaping device may include a puff sensor that turns your vape on when air flows through it. This allows a vape to generate vapor when you puff on it. Many vapes also have buttons for manual activation.
- Many advanced vape mods and pod mods also have additional buttons that allow you to interface with a menu system and control your device’s functions. These functions may include the ability to control your device’s wattage, to reset an automatic puff counter, to switch between different vaping modes and to change the colors shown on the screen.
- Every vaping device has components that manage the battery by monitoring its voltage and controlling the charging process. When a battery’s voltage is too low, the device should stop working and tell you that you need to charge it. When you charge your device, it should automatically detect when the battery has reached its target voltage and stop the charging process.
- Every modern vape also has a safety circuit that checks various parameters to ensure that the device is safe to use. These parameters may include factors such as the resistance of the connected atomizer coil and the device’s internal temperature. These safety checks are automatic and virtually instantaneous, and they happen every time you use your vape.
How a Vape Tank or Pod Works
A vape tank or pod is a plastic or glass chamber that stores your device’s e-liquid and manages airflow. The tank or pod has a metal connection at the bottom for interfacing with your device, a mouthpiece at the top and vent openings somewhere in between to allow air to flow through the system. Inside the e-liquid chamber, a vape tank or pod has several silicone gaskets that help to prevent leaks.
How a Vape Coil Works
As we mentioned at the top of this article, the atomizer coil might be the most important component in a vaping device because it’s the component that generates vapor. The design of the atomizer coil determines how much vapor your device produces when you puff on it, and it’s also largely responsible for your vape’s flavor quality.
An atomizer coil consists of three components.
- If the coil is replaceable, it has an electrical contact at the bottom that allows it to interface with the base of your tank or with your vaping device. Refillable vapes almost always have replaceable coils; disposable vapes don’t. In a disposable vape, the coil is permanently soldered in place.
- The most important component of an atomizer coil is the heating surface, which is the metal component that heats up when power passes through it. In the early days of vaping, the heating surface in an atomizer coil was made from a strip of wire twisted into the shape of a coil – which is why we use the term “coil” to describe this part of a vape. Today, though, it’s more common for atomizer coils to have mesh designs that produce bigger vapor clouds while drawing less power.
- An atomizer coil also usually has a wick. You can see the wick – which is typically made from organic cotton – through the holes on the side of the coil assembly. The wick manages the flow of e-liquid from the tank or pod to the coil, which we’ll explain in this article’s final section.
Putting It All Together: What Happens When You Use Your Vape
Now that we’ve explained what’s in a vape and described how the individual components work, it’s time to put it all together. Here’s what happens when you puff on your vape or press the fire button.
- The device’s safety circuit checks various parameters to confirm that the device is safe to use. In the past, the safety check caused a split-second delay before a vape would begin firing. In a modern vape, it’s almost instant. If something is wrong, the device doesn’t activate. Instead, it blinks or displays an error message.
- Power travels from the battery to the atomizer coil, causing the coil to heat up and turn the e-liquid to vapor. The ramp-up process would also introduce a slight delay in the past. Thanks to the advent of modern mesh coils, though, a coil gets hot almost instantly today.
- In the atomizer coil assembly, the wick absorbs e-liquid from the tank or pod and holds it next to the atomizer coil’s heating surface. When you vape, the e-liquid in the wick is turned to vapor, leaving the wick dry. The wick then absorbs more vape juice from the tank or pod, and the vape is ready for another puff after a few seconds.