The phenomenon of a fire tornado caught our attention recently after the BBC published footage of one in Brazil. While it may look like the fiery wrath of a god, the fluid dynamics of a fire tornado are relatively simple (see figure above). Still, they make for some pretty wild video.
Tag: vorticity
Spore-Spreading via Vortex
As it turns out, animals aren’t the only ones to have figured out the usefulness of vortex rings. A team of physicists and biologists have captured peat moss using vortex rings to project their spores to a height where the wind will catch and carry them further afield. #
Dolphins Making Bubble Rings
Marine animals know more about fluid dynamics than we might think. Dolphins make games out of blowing vortex rings (a.k.a. bubble rings) and tossing them around. You can try, too, next time you’re at the pool!
Vortex Cannon
Ever wonder if the Big Bad Wolf could really blow those pigs’ houses down? If he’d gone with a vortex cannon, maybe he’d have a chance.
