Hellacsope Fundraiser, 2014
Hellascope is a pioneering flame installation with dynamic colors, delivered in a mesmerizing tunnel, controlled by the participant. Carefully controlled alcohol/salt mixtures from fuel injectors allow for a wide palette of flame. Three frames nest visually, creating an animated bore of fire.
The Hellascope installation encourages any and all participants to create arbitrary color fire animations within the scope of its confines. They can share those effects with anyone in the area, and Hellascope will replay the best effects for those that visit the installation later on. What could be better than encouraging everyone to play with fire? (yes, of course; encouraging them to play and create with colored fire)
Whether it’s making complex patterns to flow across the structure, or rapidly changing fuels to make a candy cane stripe of fire, we think there will be something for everyone.
Hellascope received support from INW in the form of a grant to showcase Hellascope at Critical NW in 2014.
Working on Hellascope at the shop, creating colored flame, 2014
We achieve colored flame using a clear base of ethanol fuel infused with salts in solution. We use automotive fuel injectors as they are commodity parts that are cheap and reliable. These injectors provide highly accurate aerosolized bursts of fuel with millisecond accuracy. Using three injectors per node we are able to mix fuel streams to create a large variety of colors.
Hellascope Fundraiser, 2014
At the front of Hellascope is the flame design console. The participant expresses the firing and color patterns using a series of buttons. Each pause by the user plays back the current pattern and encourages them to dig deeper. As they layer on longer patterns the system begins to awaken with colored fire. When interesting patterns are discovered the participant gets a surprise explosion from the back poofer and the audience screams as the flames race towards the audience.
Hellascope Fundraiser and poofer demostration, 2014
The Console, Hellascope Fundraiser, 2014
The Console, Front View, Hellascope Fundraiser, 2014