15-09-2017, 01:27 PM
The vortex tube also known as the Ranque-Hilsch vortex tube, is a mechanical device that separates a compressed gas into hot and cold currents. Air coming out of the "hot" end can reach temperatures of 200 ° C (392 ° F), and air coming out of the "cold end" can reach -50 ° C (-58 ° F). It has no moving parts.
The pressurized gas is injected tangentially into a turbulent chamber and accelerated at a high rotational speed. Because of the conical nozzle at the end of the tube, only the outer shell of the compressed gas at that end is allowed to escape. The rest of the gas is forced to return in an internal vortex of reduced diameter inside the external vortex.
The vortex tube was invented in 1931 by the French physicist Georges J. Ranque. The German physicist Rudolf Hilsch (de) improved the design and published an article widely read in 1947 about the device, which he called a Wirbelrohr (literally, spin tube). From 1952 to 1963, C. Darby Fulton, Jr. obtained four US patents related to the development of the vortex tube. In 1961, Fulton began to manufacture the vortex tube under the name of the company Fulton Cryogenics. Dr. Fulton sold the company to Vortec, Inc. The vortex tube was used to separate the blends of gas, oxygen and nitrogen, carbon dioxide and helium, carbon dioxide and air in 1967 by Linderstrom-Lang. Vortex tubes also seem to work with liquids to some extent, as Hsueh and Swenson demonstrate in a laboratory experiment where free body rotation occurs from the nucleus and a boundary layer on the wall. The air separates causing a cooler air flow coming out of the exhaust hoping to cool as a refrigerator. In 1988, R.T.Balmer applied liquid water as a working medium. It was found that when the inlet pressure is high, for example 20-50 bar, the heat energy separation process also exists in the incompressible vortex flow (liquids). Note that this separation is only due to heating; cooling is no longer observed since the cooling requires compressibility of the working fluid.
The pressurized gas is injected tangentially into a turbulent chamber and accelerated at a high rotational speed. Because of the conical nozzle at the end of the tube, only the outer shell of the compressed gas at that end is allowed to escape. The rest of the gas is forced to return in an internal vortex of reduced diameter inside the external vortex.
The vortex tube was invented in 1931 by the French physicist Georges J. Ranque. The German physicist Rudolf Hilsch (de) improved the design and published an article widely read in 1947 about the device, which he called a Wirbelrohr (literally, spin tube). From 1952 to 1963, C. Darby Fulton, Jr. obtained four US patents related to the development of the vortex tube. In 1961, Fulton began to manufacture the vortex tube under the name of the company Fulton Cryogenics. Dr. Fulton sold the company to Vortec, Inc. The vortex tube was used to separate the blends of gas, oxygen and nitrogen, carbon dioxide and helium, carbon dioxide and air in 1967 by Linderstrom-Lang. Vortex tubes also seem to work with liquids to some extent, as Hsueh and Swenson demonstrate in a laboratory experiment where free body rotation occurs from the nucleus and a boundary layer on the wall. The air separates causing a cooler air flow coming out of the exhaust hoping to cool as a refrigerator. In 1988, R.T.Balmer applied liquid water as a working medium. It was found that when the inlet pressure is high, for example 20-50 bar, the heat energy separation process also exists in the incompressible vortex flow (liquids). Note that this separation is only due to heating; cooling is no longer observed since the cooling requires compressibility of the working fluid.