What if you could put out a fire with nothing but sound? No water, no foam, no chemical powder, just a speaker and a well-tuned wave of air. That is the idea behind Vortex Tech, a portable acoustic fire extinguisher built by Mexican student Ángela Karime Venegas Hernández. The prototype has just earned her a gold medal at the International Science and Invention Fair (ISIF) 2026 in Indonesia.
Who Is Ángela Karime Venegas Hernández?
Ángela is a high school student in the electronics program at CETIS 78 in Altamira, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Her project began with a small question: could she put out a candle flame using only sound, without blowing on it, splashing water or touching it?
That curiosity turned into about a year of work. With her teacher, José Arturo Hernández Muñoz, she swapped materials, reshaped the acoustic structure and refined the design through five prototype versions. Media reports also say the idea was partly inspired by a video of a U.S. DARPA sonic cannon putting out a flame.
How Does Vortex Tech Work?
Vortex Tech is built from simple, affordable parts:
- a 12-volt battery
- a frequency generator
- a power amplifier
- a speaker
The device emits a low-frequency sound of around 30 Hz, roughly 30 pulses per second. As the pulses pass through a small opening at the outlet, they form vortex rings in the air. These rings disturb the airflow around the fire and push away the oxygen the flame needs to keep burning.
According to Ángela and the media reports on her project:
- It has been through more than 100 tests.
- It has put out fires involving wood, flammable liquids, electrical equipment and kitchen grease.
- Extinguishing takes about 5 to 8 seconds.
- The effective range reported is about 2 meters.
- It leaves no residue and no pollution, and it is designed to be safe for people nearby.
These figures come from the inventor’s own testing as relayed by the press, not from independent lab verification.
Why a Sound-Based Fire Extinguisher Matters
Traditional extinguishers work well, but water, foam and dry powder can ruin what they are meant to protect. Ángela says Vortex Tech is not meant to replace them. It is meant for spaces where a mess would be costly, such as:
- laboratories
- offices
- museums
- classrooms
- rooms full of electronics
From Local Fair to International Gold
Vortex Tech has climbed steadily through competitions:
- ExpoCiencias Tamaulipas 2025: first place in the high school category.
- National stage: a silver medal among roughly 270 projects.
- ISIF 2026 (Jakarta, Indonesia, October 13 to 18): a gold medal in the Technology category at the Secondary level, with participants from 25 countries.
- IYSA Semi Grand Award: a special prize that gives her the chance to join the online I2ASPO 2026 event.
She has said she did not expect to get this far in her first time competing.
Is Acoustic Fire Suppression a New Idea?
No, and that context makes the story more interesting, not less. Scientists have known for over a century that sound can affect flames. A 2025 review in the journal Fire notes that low-frequency sound can cause airflow turbulence that destabilizes combustion, with experiments pointing to frequencies in roughly the 40 to 80 Hz range. The same research suggests these systems suit early-stage fires and do not work on fires that have burned into solid material.
What sets Ángela’s work apart is the package: a low-cost, portable, battery-powered device built by a teenager from accessible parts and tested repeatedly.
Limitations and What Comes Next
Vortex Tech is still a prototype. So far it has put out controlled flames and small fires. Real-world fires vary widely in fuel, temperature, size and ventilation, so more development would be needed before it could serve as dependable fire protection. And because the effect depends on specific low frequencies, simply making loud noise near a fire will not work.
Ángela’s next steps include:
- Seeking a patent for the invention.
- Building a second prototype that detects a flame and activates the acoustic system automatically.
Why This Story Matters for Young Innovators
Vortex Tech shows how a small, curious question can grow into an award-winning invention. It started with a candle, a teacher’s support and persistent testing, and it has now reached an international stage. For students and makers everywhere, it is a reminder that useful innovation does not need a big lab, just a good question and the patience to keep iterating.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Vortex Tech?
Vortex Tech, also called Acoustic Waves, is a portable acoustic fire-suppression prototype that uses low-frequency sound to put out small flames without water or chemicals.
Who invented Vortex Tech?
It was developed by Ángela Karime Venegas Hernández, a student at CETIS 78 in Altamira, Tamaulipas, Mexico, with guidance from her teacher José Arturo Hernández Muñoz.
Can sound really put out a fire?
Under the right conditions, yes. Low-frequency sound waves can disturb airflow and destabilize combustion, mainly for small, early-stage fires. It does not work on every type or size of fire.
What award did Vortex Tech win?
It won gold in the Technology category (Secondary level) at ISIF 2026 in Indonesia, plus the IYSA Semi Grand Award.
Will it replace regular fire extinguishers?
No. The inventor describes it as a complement for places where water or powder could cause damage.
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