Mexican student develops acoustic fire extinguisher

Ángela Karime Hernández Venegas, a 16-year-old student from Altamira, Tamaulipas, has developed an experimental acoustic fire extinguisher named Vortex Tech. The device uses low-frequency sound waves to extinguish small flames without the use of water, foam, or chemical substances.

Developed over the course of a year at the Centro de Estudios Tecnológicos Industrial y de Servicios (CETis) 78 under the guidance of professor Arturo Hernández Muñoz, the prototype utilizes a 12-volt battery, a frequency generator, an amplifier, and a high-response speaker. The system emits 30 hertz sounds that create air vortex rings, which are directed at the base of a flame to disrupt the conditions necessary for combustion.

The project has undergone more than 100 experimental tests, successfully extinguishing flames from various materials including wood, flammable liquids, and cooking fats. The device recently won a gold medal at the International Science and Invention Fair held in Indonesia.