Mayhem
Nov 26th 2007, 10:45 AM
It's done!!!... essentially. Just some toucing up on the exterior, but the nuts and bolts are done and we have vortex!
The flash from the camera makes it look brighter than it really is to the eye. The inner chamber is so dark, you can barely see anything.
Also, the only real change I need to make is the lighting. Right now it's lit from the bottom via the humidifer, but I want to light it from the top so you can get a clearer look at the vortex. That is why the last picture of the machine it work may not be all that impressive.
It's 4 feet tall and almost 2 feet in diamter.
http://photos-454.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v159/244/1/410454/n410454_34623278_8590.jpg
This is the 1 1/4 inch tube down the inner side recirculating the air back into the chamber horizontally
http://photos-454.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v159/244/1/410454/n410454_34623279_8869.jpg
Inside in the top compartment. It was a real pain getting an airtight connection from the blower to the tube. But the wiring was fun. Everything is plugged in at the top, even the humidifier, which is actually on the bottom. I also attached a dimmer switch in between the blower and the power, so I can change the speed at which the air is moving and see its effect on the vortex.
http://photos-454.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v159/244/1/410454/n410454_34623280_9146.jpg
The back of the machine... it's dressed so the wires are running through the aluminum support. That way, there is only a power cord coming out the very bottom. It had to be neat or my wife would not let me keep it out in public.
http://photos-454.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v159/244/1/410454/n410454_34623281_9415.jpg
The machine running. Between the glare from the flash, and lack of light at the top, you can't get the feel, but there is a vortex the whole way. You can certainly see the bottom part though.
All told, it took me close to two months and between $150 and $200. But it was a great project, tons of fun, and now I have something to really excite the kids at all the school visits.
Thanks to everyone who added their input. Once I fix the lighting issues I will try to get a video online.
The flash from the camera makes it look brighter than it really is to the eye. The inner chamber is so dark, you can barely see anything.
Also, the only real change I need to make is the lighting. Right now it's lit from the bottom via the humidifer, but I want to light it from the top so you can get a clearer look at the vortex. That is why the last picture of the machine it work may not be all that impressive.
It's 4 feet tall and almost 2 feet in diamter.
http://photos-454.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v159/244/1/410454/n410454_34623278_8590.jpg
This is the 1 1/4 inch tube down the inner side recirculating the air back into the chamber horizontally
http://photos-454.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v159/244/1/410454/n410454_34623279_8869.jpg
Inside in the top compartment. It was a real pain getting an airtight connection from the blower to the tube. But the wiring was fun. Everything is plugged in at the top, even the humidifier, which is actually on the bottom. I also attached a dimmer switch in between the blower and the power, so I can change the speed at which the air is moving and see its effect on the vortex.
http://photos-454.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v159/244/1/410454/n410454_34623280_9146.jpg
The back of the machine... it's dressed so the wires are running through the aluminum support. That way, there is only a power cord coming out the very bottom. It had to be neat or my wife would not let me keep it out in public.
http://photos-454.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v159/244/1/410454/n410454_34623281_9415.jpg
The machine running. Between the glare from the flash, and lack of light at the top, you can't get the feel, but there is a vortex the whole way. You can certainly see the bottom part though.
All told, it took me close to two months and between $150 and $200. But it was a great project, tons of fun, and now I have something to really excite the kids at all the school visits.
Thanks to everyone who added their input. Once I fix the lighting issues I will try to get a video online.