Need some ideas please - Venting!!

[G17RDY]

Ok, so for my next project (it's a secret!!!) - I came up with a cool idea, which i am struggling to come up with a solution to.

So i am turning to the RPF for some ideas!!!

Ok, i have a 'device' which after 'using' i want a flap to lift up and for the 'device' to vent!!

I guess the best example i can think of, is like in the recent Ghostbusters game you had to 'vent' the pack before it over-heated!!

And no, its not a proton pack i am building!!

I'm thinking on using a servo which operates a flap and lifts it around one inch, i guess that is the easy part, but then how do i simulate the venting.
I would really like a Phssssssst noise, and some visable gas / smoke - (like dry ice mist) forcing out of the vent.

So, RPF please help me out here and throw a couple of ideas my way, i promise it will be worth it when you see what i plan to do!!!!

Thanks, all the best
Gordy

 

[Paradox]

Dimensions? Is this a hand-held item like a pistol or rifle, or is it a set piece? Some additional info might be helpful.

 

[Larry Young]

I'd love to put something like that at the top of my Nostromo helmet.

 

[darthinvictus]

12 gram co2 bottle with a 12 volt solenoid
Small and the force of the gas will open the door so you have fewer points of failure potential

 

[Sith_241]

You could probably pull it off with a CO2 canister and some clever application of fluid mechanics

 

[fuelish]

How about using the smoke generator from a model train or boat. They get pretty hot so you might have some trouble in a plastic construction unless it has some breathing room. Looks like they use a 12v supply. If your vent is sealed you could have it warming prior to venting and use a computer cooling fan to switch on and blow the smoke out when the vent pops open.

 

[DaddyfromNaboo]

You could also do the flaps with magnets and a spring mechanism. For real smoke or fog there are very small hazers available that are used on costumes and for stage shows. You might want to have a little chat with our member BOBA_DIE_WIX , he used some of those on a Boba Fett costume.

 

[exoray]

Size is the biggest factor and will narrow down the options, how much room do you have to work with? How big or heavy are the vents?

 

[G17RDY]

Some good ideas there chaps keep em coming:thumbsup

A few more details i guess, as it may make it easier to try and visualise what i want to achieve.

Ok, its a rifle / gun in the style of District 9!!

So (it won't be like this) but think of the arc gun, and after you pull the trigger, i then press a second button to lift a small hatch on the top, as which point it will give me a second or two vent - pssssshhhhhhtttt

I already have some really good ideas, but as always making these things a reality is always a different kettle of fish.

I should have the entire cross section of the main rifle body to play with, say around 2 - 3" sqaure, plus around 10" in length.......i hope.

 

[G17RDY]

Oh, and forgot to mention, if Co2 is the favorite option, which i think it is, the tank can then be external!!!

 

[DivineHeresy]

I'd love to put something like that at the top of my Nostromo helmet.

Haha....that's what I was thinking of, Larry.
Mind you, I'd still need a Nostromo helmet aswell, lol.

 

[TazMan2000]

My child has a Thomas the Tank Engine train set that uses normal tap water to great a puff of simulated steam. It pushed water out through some kind of filter and actually looks like steam, but its cold. A solenoid could be used to open the door and another to push the piston for the water, or with a bit on ingenuity you could use one for both (by using levers and springs).
The benefits of this is no dangerous CO2 cannisters, and no heaters and it can be engineered in a very small space...minus the water reservoir. With no CO2 emissions, its EPA compliant.

TazMan2000

 

[exoray]

Compressed air can... It could be automotive freon, paintball CO2, computer air duster, portable airbrush can... If inverted (valve side down) they will 'cloud out' since you want it to happen when you pull the trigger it's even easier as you could rig a manual valve from the trigger... Or get fancy and use an electronic solenoid... As long as the vents are not too heavy and the air is directed towards them it will blow them open just fine on it's own...

Logistics on the trigger ~> valve is the biggest issue and it's not even that big of a deal, a solenoid valve is simple and for small ones for this type of application can be found on Ebay for a few bucks... You can meter out the flow rate with a fixed manual valve before the trigger...

 

[exoray]

BTW if you go with CO2 you can probably get a real decent effect without inverting, just Google up 'CO2 jet' they are pretty simple to make...

 

[darthinvictus]

Pretty sure the epa is down on carbon MONoxide not DIoxide.
Am I wrong?

 

[exoray]

Pretty sure the epa is down on carbon MONoxide not DIoxide.
Am I wrong?

Nope you are right, CO2 is environmentally friendly, plants love it and can't live without it just don't displace your breathing air with it, BTW this is nearly impossible with a small portable tank even in a small sized room unless it's air tight...

 

[g05ty]

You could try to get hold of a paintball pistol and use the guts from that to create the pssst sound and the smoke possibly even linking it to a spring loaded vent you would just have to close it by hand afterwards.
If you dont mind the external bottle try a 12oz co2 bottle used on paintball guns its not too large but should hold enough for quite a few "ventings".

 

[womo68]

Tiny Fogger maybe? They're expensive but they pop up on ebay from time to time.

 

[TazMan2000]

Pretty sure the epa is down on carbon MONoxide not DIoxide.
Am I wrong?

Actually, I was making a joke...but...yes, you are slightly wrong. Carbon Dioxide is considered a greenhouse gas...which equals bad for the environment. So is carbon monoxide.

Don't get me wrong, I'm no environmental activist. I said from the start that this is all due to fluctuations in the Sun.

The main point I was trying to make, is an easy, low power solution, that would be extremely safe. Most pressurized air, even in small containers, usually has a warning, that says either DANGER or WARNING in big letters. Valves and hoses can fail, and that could mean that whatever is in front of them, could become a projectile.

I was trying to convey an idea...not make a political statement. :lol

Oh, and if you're going to go with the CO2, a tiny spring should be able to close the opened door whenever the pressure drops.

TazMan2000