“The Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany is now home to more than just automobiles. The museum has been recognized by the Guinness Book of Records for creating the “strongest artificially generated tornado in the world.” The 34.4 meter high (that is 37.2 yards to those metrically challenged) vortex was not designed as an attraction, but to channel smoke out of the building in the event of a fire. The architecture wonderment that is the museum did not make use of any fire doors in the design (surely they would get in the way of the architect’s vision). In order to meet regulations, the building engineers had to determine a way to keep smoke from spreading beyond the fire level, the tornado is the resulting solution. The twister takes around seven minutes to materialize and is generated by 144 jets and 28 tons of air. The low pressure area at the center of the tornado works to create a jet stream that draws smoke out of the building’s corridors and funnels it upwards and out an exhaust vent on the roof. Check the gallery for photos of a carbon dioxide infused tornado demonstration.”
Read more at Autoblog (thanks, Chris)
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This is a nice post. But what makes them a historical artifact that requires them to put them on guiness world book of records.
pretty fantastiche
Wow…It actually looks kind of beautiful. Very impressive, and ingenious.
Does anybody else remember those toys called ‘pet tornados’ (like a whirlpool in a jar) ?
Cool. I want one here too, in my office, then I can pick up smoking again (it might put out annoying people via the window as well ofcourse, pretty convenient).
If you’d been there you’d ofcourse do tests .. what it will suck to the inside .. apart from smoke .. apparently not humans ..