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Vortex Cannons

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Uploaded by on Jan 6, 2008

Four different builds of a vortex cannon (smoke-ring launcher) for a Make Magazine article.

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Science & Technology

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Uploader Comments (EdwinWiseOne)

  • what is a boom stick?

  • @marinskater A boomstick is a different project, which is basically a shuttle-quick-release valve which creates an explosive decompression of a chamber. Boom!

  • Would it be any better to make it more conical? where the ring spawns and is expanded out by the surface of the cone?

  • @Andyterranbase1 I don't know if it would help or hurt; coning out will tend to make a low pressure area, which may make the ring expand more.

  • Unfortunately the cost of supplies goes up rather steeply as the diameter increases. The two variables you have are pressure and volume of air, and you can't get too compressed or you run the risk of exploding your mechanism and/or also getting too chaotic of an air flow. A bigger system will move more air, but will cost a lot more... the one this size cost over $100 if I recall correctly (which I may not, it's been a while; but typically my PVC doo-hickies are $50 to $100 or so).

  • which one goes the furthest... my science project has to blow a candle from 8 meters away

  • The boomstick version has the most force, but the garbage can version is an easier build, and with a small hole for a small, focused vortex... you may have _some_ hope.

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  • I want the woofer variety. That would make a good machine vortex cannon. :)

  • so it turns out i know someone who knows someone who has two air cannons that crank out 300 psi. would i be able to turn them into vortex cannons?

  • @EdwinWiseOne thanks 

  • I'm doing a project with the boomstick cannon, and if i could make it more powerful, how would i or extend its range? i want to make it worth the cost, which seems like it might be kind of steep, what kind of price should i expect? sorry for all the questions :/

  • and than the smoke alam goes off

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