Air vortex cannon
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The air vortex cannon, sold commercially as the air bazooka or airzooka is a short, wide plastic tube with a slight taper and a plastic diaphragm at the larger end. The diaphragm is attached to elastic strips which allow it to be extended and released with a sudden rush forcing a quantity of air out of the smaller end at speed. The design facilitates the formation of an air vortex which travels some distance and retains its energy sufficiently to cause a noticeable disturbance when it strikes a person or object.
Its simple construction easily allows home made versions to be built.[1][2][3]
History
The vortex effect has been observed since antiquity.[citation needed] Toys based on the effect have been described as home-made projects since at least the 1970s.[3]
The Airzooka was invented by Brian S. Jordan who had the idea as a boy but was only able to develop it to a saleable toy in adulthood. The production toy has a diameter of 12 inches and can project a vortex able to ruffle hair, disturb papers or blow out candles at a distance of up to twenty feet. A feature of the Airzooka is a loose non-eleastic polythene membrane, tensioned by a bungee cord, rather than the previous elastic membranes. This allows a much greater volume of air to be displaced.
The worlds biggest Air vortex cannon was built in March 2008 by students of physics professor Dan Dahlberg at the University of Minnesota with diameter of 9 feet and a displacement volume of 2873 gallons. Its effective range was 100 feet.[4][5]
It has been taken up by theme parks such as Universal Studios and visitor attractions to add a spooky touch to visitors in "haunted houses".[1]
How it works
It is one common commercial example of vortex ring toys. A quantity of air is expelled from the toy in such a way as to create a doughnut-shaped vortex ring. The core region of the vortex ring always consists of the same air travelling away from the cannon. The doughnut region travels with the core but acts as a rotating buffer between the core and the still surrounding air. Just as a rotating wheel lessens friction with the ground, the doughnut vortex lessens friction between the core and the surrounding still air. The core puff of air thus travels much further and retains its speed much better than a jet of air with no vortex.[2]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 How to make an air bazooka ,July 11, 2006, Accessed Jan 2011
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Physics in a Toroidal Vortex: Air Cannon Physics Central, American Physical Society . Accessed January 2011.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Script error
- ↑ Erbert and Gerberts Candle Cannon at Youtube. Accessed 9 Jan 2011
- ↑ World's Largest Air Vortex Cannon Blows Out Birthday Candles From 180 Feet at geekology.com. Accessed January 2011
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