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.

Check out the video of Mercedes' artificial tornado after the jump.

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Gallery: Mercedes-Benz Museum Tornado

Continue reading Mercedes-Benz Museum contains world record artificial tornado

Mercedes-Benz Museum contains world record artificial tornado originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Oct 2007 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.