 |
Hilsch Vortex Tube
A T-shaped device that admits air under pressure and outputs hot air from side and cold from the other. (Read the full article)
| "That's a great story! It's a very practical device; I think the only reason that it doesn't come into wider use is that CFC-based refrigeration is cheaper in terms of energy. Certainly a Hilsch vortex tube is easier to maintain - it has no moving parts. Read more about the theory at Vortex Tube Theory." (Bill Christensen 4/28/2004 2:49:54 AM ) |
| "I'm a semi retired welder on easy street, but a few years ago I worked in factory. We were slow in the weld shop and I went to run a computer controled punch...It was in Calif.. and hot! The controler kept overheatin and the maintance dept brought over a device that pluged into an air line.. just 8 inches long and shaped like a pipe. Hot air came out the back and colder air came out the front and solved my problem..." (donaldgrim@comcast.com 4/28/2004 2:49:54 AM ) |
| "Over twenty years ago as a young lab engineer, I experimented with this type of vortex tube. We were looking for altenrative methods to temper glass. While researching this tube, I discovered that they were used on trains. Electricty on trains is expensive, vibration is constant, bu compressed air is plentiful. They used the vortex tube in the water coolers to provide cold water for drinking." (T. Wilson 1/23/2005 8:54:48 AM ) |
| "hi cool site could do with some gif's" (Ganapthy 2/1/2005 11:19:59 PM ) |
| "by modification any changes any in vortex tube" ( 1/22/2009 9:19:12 PM ) |
| "I have studied the Ranque-Hilsch tube for years and have discovered the underlying mechanism which permits the transfer of energy from any velocity to any polarized velocity. If anyone is interested, ask for The GAMBLE THEORY OF ENERGY TRANSFER IN A RANQUE-HILSCH VORTEX TUBE, and I will be pleased to tell you. I have confirming data derived from many tests. jgg" (John G.Gamble 7/7/2009 10:56:56 PM ) |
| "I looked closely at the Hilsch Tube, and cracked its Thermodynamics code. Its simple.
Overall its only as efficient as Joule Thompson expansion. (H=constant); but the cold leg follows a constant Enthalpy (s=constant) expansion!
From this I concluded that the gas Carbon dioxide is terrible to use to run a Hilsch Tube. (Gamma = only 1.14 as I remember.) So therefore the high Carbon Dioxide content of the atmospher of Venus would not work too well.
Using dry Air is better; roughly twice (X2) as good.
Theoretically, you want to run the Hisch Tube with Argon (or Helium, or one of the other mono-atomic, inert gases on the Periodic Chart). I calculated that I would reach a minimum temperature of -330oF for the cold core/+450oF for the temperature of the inside shell wall!
Bruce Zerr" (Bruce Zerr 8/29/2009 7:14:05 PM ) |
| "Earlier this week I had an appointment with a potential customer, an installation company which mounts compressors unto trucks. These compressors produce approx. 800 m3/hour @ 2,0 bar gauge. This compressed air is used to discharge bulk trailers (cement, cattle feed, plastics the like) – pneumatic conveying. Especially when temperature and moist sensitive products are pneumatically conveyed, the compressed air needs to be cooled down to approx. 35 degrees C.
Cooling is done by means of standard air/ air heat exchangers. The moist condensates, which deteriorate the product (in this case milk powder).
I made some calculations and expect that a Vortex tube (heat pipe inside diameter 3”) would help to bring the temperature even further down, while drying the cool air simultaneously.
What do you reckon, will this work? One of the unknown factors is how the function of the vortex tube changes when discharging a bulk trailer.
When a bulk trailer is discharged, the driver connects the compressor via flexible hoses to the bulk tank. So it starts of with zero pressure (gauge). In few minutes the pressure starts to build up inside the tank, until approx. 1,5 bar is reached. Then the driver opens the valve at the rear of the bulk tank in order to pneumatically convey the product to a silo. Than the pressure varies between 1,5 – 1,8 bar gauge.
I know that if backpressure is applied to the cool side of a vortex tube the cooling effect fades. But what if the throttle valve at the hot side of the vortex tube is closed, would this compensate for the back pressure at the cold side? My intention is to build a vortex tube to accommodate for the 800 m3/hour and start some test runs.
Any suggestions on the sizing of the inlet? I intend to use the opposing jet design (easier to produce) with bores of ø 20 millimetres, and a diaphragm with bore ø 35 mill.
" (André Fikkers 9/11/2009 12:46:18 AM ) |
| "dear mr. john gamble , I would like to get informations about his theory of energy transfer in a vortex tube , what do you mean for " polarized velocity"?
thank you very much
paulo emanuel" (pauloeof@gmail.com 4/4/2010 7:11:42 AM ) |
| "Nex Flow™ Air Products Corp. is a manufacturer of compressed air-operated products made to improve plant efficiency, improve energy efficiency, improve quality and enhance the environment. Our product line includes air blow-off products that reduce air noise levels and compressed air use, and vortex tubes technology using vortex tubes for spot cooling, control panel cooling, tool cooling and other unique applications. It also includes air operated conveying products and static control technology.
http://www.nexflowair.com/" (Branden 6/28/2010 12:07:20 AM ) |
| "Ah, but I have improved on the standard vortex tube. Most of the heat is generated by friction to the inner wall of the vortex tube. There are design changes that can change this, and I have been able to drop the high side outlet temperature to equal the inlet. By using the cold side to coll the inlet, I am able to further drop the cold side outlet. So the final outlet of the cold side is -30F with a 70F inlet and a 75F high side outlet. And then there is the havoc one can place on the different elemental gases I have had sucess with. All I can say is that the community who understand this device, have missed the big picture and overlooked it true potential.
vance.turner@sbcglobal.net
408-431-5595" (Vance Turner 5/23/2011 11:57:45 PM ) |
More info on Hilsch Vortex Tube
Leave a comment:
Tediously, spammers have returned. So, send me your comments to bill at the site name (be sure to mention the page) and I'll post them. Thanks!
Current News Articles
Miss Alabama Beauty Contest Offers Different Standards
'...they moved with the ease of dandelion puffs.'
Has Musk Given Up On Full Self Driving (FSD)?
'...some bored drone pusher in a remote driving centre...'
Prufrock-3 'The Monster' Ready To Launch
Just go for it.
Drones In Vast Airborne Grids
'These pods were programmed to hang in space in a hexagonal grid pattern...'
Starship Special Edition For Lunar Shuttle
Love those special edition spaceships.
Capturing Asteroids With Nets
'...the meteor caught and halted just as a small boy catches a swift ball in his cap.'
Project Hyperion - Generation Ship Designers Needed!
'We have decided that it shall be but one ship... it must contain everything needed to take us through the generations.'
AI Welfare Position At Anthropic Filled By Human
'You’re the robopsychologist of the plant, so you’re to study the robot itself...'
Marslink Proposed By SpaceX
'It was the heart of the Solar System's communication line...'
Simple Way To Defeat AI Face Recognition
'... designed to foil facial recognition systems.'
Wood-Panelled LignoSat Launched
'The Consul remembered his first glimpse of the kilometer-long treeship...'
Laser-Beam Welding In Orbital Factories
'His contract with Space Industries required him to work summers in their orbital factory.'
