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An air vortex cannon is a toy that releases doughnut-shaped air vortices — similar to smoke rings but larger, stronger and invisible. The vortices are able to ruffle hair, disturb papers or blow out candles after travelling several metres.
The design consists of a short and broad barrel with a slight taper, closed by a flexible diaphragm at the larger end. The diaphragm is internally attached to the barrel by elastic strips. The cannon is "armed" by pulling the diaphragm out, distending the elastic bands, and is "fired" by releasing the diaphragm. The diaphragm quickly pushes a quantity of air out of the open end, creating a vortex ring.
An air vortex cannon can be made easily at home,How to Make Vortex Cannons- Instructables
/ref> from just a cardboard box.The Vortex Cannon - Student Science
at YouTube. Accessed February 2013. A toy commercial version, with a barrel wide and useful range of is sold under the name Air bazooka or Airzooka. Air cannons are used in some amusement parks such as
The Zázraky Přírody - Air Vortex Cannon
at Youtube. Accessed 7 Sep 2013
Home made vortex cannon
using a cardboard box and a smoke machine from The
An air vortex cannon is a toy that releases doughnut-shaped air vortices — similar to smoke rings but larger, stronger and invisible. The vortices are able to ruffle hair, disturb papers or blow out candles after travelling several metres.
The design consists of a short and broad barrel with a slight taper, closed by a flexible diaphragm at the larger end. The diaphragm is internally attached to the barrel by elastic strips. The cannon is "armed" by pulling the diaphragm out, distending the elastic bands, and is "fired" by releasing the diaphragm. The diaphragm quickly pushes a quantity of air out of the open end, creating a vortex ring.
An air vortex cannon can be made easily at home,How to Make Vortex Cannons- Instructables/ref> from just a cardboard box.The Vortex Cannon - Student Science
at YouTube. Accessed February 2013. A toy commercial version, with a barrel wide and useful range of is sold under the name Air bazooka or Airzooka. Air cannons are used in some amusement parks such as
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...
to spook or surprise visitors.
The Wham-O
Wham-O Inc. is an American toy company based in Carson, California, United States. It is known for creating and marketing many popular toys for nearly 70 years, including the Hula hoop, Frisbee, Slip 'N Slide, Super Ball, Trac-Ball, Silly S ...
Air Blaster toy introduced in 1965 could blow out a candle at . The commercial Airzooka was developed by Brian S. Jordan who claims to have conceived it when still a boy. A feature of the Airzooka is a loose non-elastic polythene membrane, tensioned by a bungee cord Bungee cords equipped with metal hooks
A bungee cord (sometimes spelled bungle; also known as a shock cord) is an elastic cord composed of one or more elastic strands forming a core, usually covered in a woven cotton or polypropylene sheath. The ...
, rather than elastic membranes. This allows a much greater volume of air to be displaced.
A large air vortex cannon, with a wide barrel and a displacement volume of was built in March 2008 at the University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...
, and was able to blow out candles at .
In 2012 a large air vortex cannon was built for Czech television
Czech Television ( cs, Česká televize, italics=no ; abbreviation: ČT) is a public television broadcaster in the Czech Republic, broadcasting seven channels. Established after the Velvet Revolution in 1992, it is the successor to Czechoslov ...
show ''Zázraky přírody'' (English: ''Wonders of Nature''). It was capable of bringing down a wall of cardboard boxes from in what was claimed to be a world record.at Youtube. Accessed 7 Sep 2013
See also
*Bubble ring
A bubble ring, or toroidal bubble, is an underwater vortex ring where an air bubble occupies the core of the vortex, forming a ring shape. The ring of air as well as the nearby water spins poloidally as it travels through the water, much like a ...
* Vortex ring gun
The vortex ring gun is an experimental non-lethal weapon for crowd control that uses high-energy vortex rings of gas to knock down people or spray them with marking ink or other chemicals.
The concept was explored by the US Army starting in 199 ...
References
External links
Home made vortex cannon
using a cardboard box and a smoke machine from The
URN
An urn is a vase, often with a cover, with a typically narrowed neck above a rounded body and a footed pedestal. Describing a vessel as an "urn", as opposed to a vase or other terms, generally reflects its use rather than any particular shape or ...
Science Show.
{{Commons category, Air vortex ring toy
Toy weapons
Vortices