Fire Tornado — First Test

Okay... so, this is my little idea for for a fire tornado generator. I've seen ones on the web which have very simple turntables that just spin. Then they have a rotating column made of wire mesh, and as that spins it drags the air along with it and gets the air inside rotating, and then the flame builds up. I've also seen ones where they direct air in from blowers on the sides, and there's this wonderful one from some guys out in Maryland with twelve floor box fans spaced around around a tub full of it that makes a 20 or 30 foot high one. I'm hoping for something maybe this high. What I've got here is, there is a box fan underneath... and before I get going here I've got to raise this up on some blocks to let the air get under there. Um... the box fan underneath blowing up... there is a hole there with four little projections going in that support a glass candle holder base in there... which I will fill with some lighter fluid... or not fill it, but put some in. So there are holes around the perimeter... air comes up, and then there are little vanes pop-riveted around the inside here that direct it sideways as it flows towards the center to come out. And I'm hoping we can create a nice vortex. So, I've got it up on blocks, I've got a little lighter fluid in there, I've got this for trying to snuff it if it needs to be put out, some water if something starts to char around here, and over there there is a fire extinguisher. So... hopefully, if things go really bad, I'll open the garage door and we''ll rush it outside. Umm... so — let's get this... see if I can get this lit. Cardboard in there... let's see if that... yes, that's much better. Okay — So we've got a decent sized flame to start with. [Camera person] And the fan is on. It's looking... [Camera person] Little bit spinning — you can see it spinning. Little tornado-ish. Okay... What happens if I turn it up? Does that make it go higher or... [Camera person] Turn it out? I don't know if that actually helps. I think... lower is better. I think... [Camera person] It's really spinning at the bottom. Um-hmm. So it's been going for a while now. It's dying down, but just to show what the difference the bu- the uh...vortex makes, here it is without the fan — I just killed the fan. And that's all that happens without the vortex going. So it definitely makes a difference. And turning the fan back on, even at this late stage, gives us a vortex again.