DIY Vortex Burn Barrel: Does it Really Make a Fire Tornado?

I'm going to show you how I made a vortex burn barrel, but does it really make a fire tornado that resembles anything close to what we would see in nature? When most of us see the word vortex, I think we imagine something with the likeness of a tornado. However, very specific conditions are needed to produce a rapidly rotating column of air. For that reason alone, without external forces applied, I do not think it's possible to achieve anything more than a gentle rotation. We are going to find out together. I did not use anything other than cardboard for my fuel source.

Even if it does not make the impressive fire tornado everyone imagines, the air slots will improve the burn efficiency.

And if you've seen other videos like this with a flame rocketing out of the barrel, odds are they increased airflow with a blower of sorts, or they burned something highly flammable, or combustible, like a liquid fuel producing intense combustion and heat to create a rapid updraft of air needed for faster rotation.

I include the details of how I made mine, so if you want to try it yourself, feel free to follow along. Something different I did from other barrels you will see on YouTube is cutting out both ends of the barrel. Will this negatively affect the vortex, or reduce the efficiency? We will see. One thing is for sure, with no damp ash sitting in the barrel after a rain, the barrels do not rust out nearly as fast. Let me know if you try a similar build and if you have better or different results.


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