Vortex tube how does it work

The remaining air is forced back inside itself in the reverse direction through the center of the incoming air stream to create a stream of cold air at the cold end. The outside stream of air becomes hot and exhausts at the hot end of the tube. The heat of the slower-moving air directed at the cold end is shifted to the fast-moving incoming air, creating super-cooled air.

The colder air flows through the center of the generator and exits through the cold air exhaust. Different experimental methodologies have been used to confirm the flow behaviour inside a Vortex Tube and addresses the mechanism for the generation of cold and hot streams. The governing factor to determine temperature is attributed to the stagnation and mixture of flow structure.

NOTE: The Vortex temperatures and capacities can vary by adjusting the hot end plug at the hot end of the tube and by using different generators. The good news is that Vortex Tube behaviour is predictable and controllable. The Vortex Tubes have an adjustable valve at the hot end which controls the volume of the air flow and the temperature exiting at the cold end.

The recommended guideline is: the less cold air released, the colder the air will become. The control knob adjusts the cold fraction, which is also a function of the type of vortex generator that is in the tube. There could be a high industrial applications or low cold fraction generator.

They also have greater air flow, yet they do not give the lowest possible temperatures. Therefore, colder air is released with less volume. The hot air is vented to the atmosphere above the Vortex Tube through a muffler to reduce noise optional.

For Vortex Tube operated cabinet enclosure coolers Panel Coolers , cold air in the control panel or cabinet is vented below the Vortex Tube. The cold air enters the panel through the cold distribution hose. Holes are punched into the hose kit to deliver the cold air evenly inside the panel where required. An optional muffler, in the cabinet, is added to reduce noise of exhausting air.

Once sealed, the outside air is never allowed to enter the control panel. The flow rate and temperature in a Vortex Tube are interdependent. To set the Vortex Tube to the desired temperature simply insert a thermometer at the cold end and adjust the hot end valve. The optimum cooling effect is achieved when the difference from the inlet air temperature and the cold air drops is 50 o F 28 o C. A percentage of the hot, high speed air is permitted to exit at the valve. The remainder of the now slower air stream is forced to counterflow up through the center of the high speed air stream in a second vortex.

Does a Vortex Tube Work with Liquids? Published by Web design at June 8, Categories Other. View Product. Related posts. Read more. With a Vortex Tube, we apply a high pressure, compressed air stream to a plenum chamber that contains a turbine-looking part that we call a generator to regulate flow and spin the air to create two separate streams.

One hot and one cold. Below is an animation of how a Vortex Tube works:. The generator is a critical feature within a vortex tube that not only regulates flow and creates the vortex spinning action, it also aligns the inner vortex to allow its escape from the hot end of the vortex tube. Note the center hole on the photo below. Once the compressed air has processed through the generator, we have two spinning streams, the outer vortex and the inner vortex as mentioned above.

As the spinning air reaches the end of the hot tube a portion of the air escapes past the control valve; and the remaining air is forced back through the center of the outer vortex. If we look at the inner vortex, this is where it gets interesting. As the air turns back into the center, two things occur.