What is Vortex tube: Definition and 19 Discussions

The vortex tube, also known as the Ranque-Hilsch vortex tube, is a mechanical device that separates a compressed gas into hot and cold streams. The gas emerging from the "hot" end can reach temperatures of 200 °C (392 °F), and the gas emerging from the "cold end" can reach −50 °C (−58 °F). It has no moving parts.
Pressurised gas is injected tangentially into a swirl chamber and accelerated to a high rate of rotation. Due to the conical nozzle at the end of the tube, only the outer shell of the compressed gas is allowed to escape at that end. The remainder of the gas is forced to return in an inner vortex of reduced diameter within the outer vortex.

View More On Wikipedia.org
  1. S

    I What is the most efficient way to cool air using a Vortex Tube (Ranque-Hilsch)?

    Ref: https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/44/2015/12/VortexTubeOptimizationTheory.pdf The above paper says that the initial separation of hot and cold air is complete once the flow is partly deflected backwards at the left hand side (HOT) end. See Fig. 1 in the paper. It also says that the...
  2. R

    Explaining how a Vortex Tube works

    I have an interesting(IMHO) approach to explaining how the vortex tube works. There are a few explanations on wiki, but not a simple and convincing final one. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vortex_tube Normally a vortex tube, that runs well, howls very loud. It is a kind of aerodynamically...
  3. M

    When the COP of refrigerator is greater or less than 1?

    I still confuse about COP of refrigerator. When i read some journal, it is said that COP of VCRS can be greater than 1 (usually 2 - 4). But, why the COP other than VCRS usally lower than 1? like vortex tube, vapour absorption refrigeration system, etc. Actually, now i am doing a research about...
  4. T

    Some points about a vortex tube

    in this link here you can see the hot exhaust temperature and cold exhaust temperature at different ratio (hot to cold) with input air/gas at different pressure level. I want to discuss the top here i.e. the data where the input air/gas is at 20 PSIG pressure. You can see that with a 80:20 ratio...
  5. T

    Angular velocity inside a vortex tube

    I hope many here know about vortex tube and its application. I myself have done some study but were unable to find one answer. If we know the speed of the inlet fluid, then how can the angular velocity of the fluid during its rotational motion can be determined.
  6. B

    What Are Some Interesting Applications of Forced Vortex Thermodynamics?

    Greeting Everyone, My name is Bruce Zerr. I have a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering. I just completed (May, 2017) my second degree in B.S. Business Administration - Finance. I love talking/explaining the Thermodynamics of the Forced Vortex - as it applies to: 1) the Vortex Tube, 2)...
  7. P

    Saturated steam inside a vortex tube

    We all are more or less familiar with the performance of vortex tubes regarding how they can make hot and cold flow by pressurised and/or air/gas at high speed. What I am wondering is the performance of saturated steam inside vortex tube. As for example, suppose we are using saturated steam at...
  8. P

    Can Cold Air Be 100% Humid in a Vortex Tube?

    I hope most here are familiar with vortex tube i.e. Ranque-Hilsch tube. I just want to guess if humid air used. We can get some idea about functionality of vortex tube from this http://www.airtx.com/how-does-a-vortex-tube-work.htm. Now take the example for the lowest pressure level mentioned in...
  9. E

    Can a vortex tube be reversed?

    If atmospheric pressure hot and cold air are sent into the opposing sides of a vortex tube (the ports normally used for gas outlet), will compressed air be generated/released from the hole/port normally used for gas input? The reverse of the system above (cold and hot air enter from opposing...
  10. R

    Miniature Vortex Tube Design Question

    Need help with an application I am thinking of. In this application just 10 cubic inches per second of cold air is needed, that too for 2-5 seconds only. Also, not a lot of cooling/heating capacity is needed, just 30C of air cooling should be sufficient. How would we construct such a device? I...
  11. I

    Anyone here know how a ranque hilsch vortex tube works?

    if you have a reference for someone with a semester of thermo (as opposed to a grad student with 3 semesters), a link would be appreciated . meanwhile, a quick question: temperature, as determined by one of its factors for gases, translational kinetic energy, follows a Planck distribution. but...
  12. M

    Vortex Tube for cabinet cooling

    Hi, I'm a mechatronics student and I am currently working on a project on the effectiveness of a vortex tube to cool a cabinet. The cabinet has a thermostat inside and if the temperature exceeds a threshold, an air compressor is turned on, causing the vortex tube to cool the cabinet. The cabinet...
  13. N

    Things about vortex tube :P

    this is written in wiki: "There are different explanations for the effect and there is debate on which explanation is best or correct. What is usually agreed upon is that the air in the tube experiences mostly "solid body rotation", which simply means the rotation rate (angular velocity) of...
  14. E

    Can a Vortex Tube be Made Larger for Cooling Purposes?

    Alright guys here is the deal, i have had a vortex cooling system on my mind for a while and started wondering could it be made larger, with more air flowing through it, but with less PSI and still cool at least somewhat? i was thinking of making a larger one and attaching it to a high...
  15. V

    Analyzing Control Volume Energy & Entropy in a Vortex Tube

    Homework Statement Prior to completing an experiment in which the objective was to analyze control volume energy and entropy in a vortex tube in the Thermal and Fluid Science Laboratory course I am taking, I was required to solve the following two thermodynamics problems: 1. A vortex tube...
  16. M

    Understanding the Vortex Tube and How It Cools Air

    i know vortex tube is an element used to cool the air by changing pressure i d like to know how does it work exactly ??
  17. N

    Vortex tube: effect of cooling

    To anyone familiar with the Ranque-Hilsch vortex tube: Say if the cooled air is allowed to pass over the vortex section of this tube, what would happen? Would the effect of cooling be the destruction of the vortex? or would it act to further decrease the temperature of the cold exhaust?
  18. P

    Vortex tube application question

    I recently invented a new application for vortex tube. The application requires a very minimal flow of air at freezing temperature. I wonder if it's possible to design a vortex tube at a very small size if only a very tiny air flow is required? Is flow rate proportional to physical size...
  19. M

    Vortex Tube Design: Info and Q&A

    have anybody heared about the vortex tube?its an air cooler tube without any moving parts,and there is a link where u can get a little info about it http://www.visi.com/~darus/hilsch/ my ques: 1-could the nozzle be straigh?(const cross section? 2-which materila i should use to design this...
Back
Top