GB2385115A

GB2385115A - A vortex generator

Info

Publication number: GB2385115A
Application number: GB0128358A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter John Gee; Phillip John Lovatt; Christopher Ronald Prince; Rodney Carter
Original assignee: MOLINAR Ltd
Current assignee: MOLINAR Ltd
Priority date: 2001-11-27
Filing date: 2001-11-27
Publication date: 2003-08-13
Anticipated expiration: 2021-11-27
Also published as: GB2385115B; GB0128358D0

Abstract

The stream of cold gas and/or relatively warm gas generated by a vortex generator may be used in a number of applications. In one embodiment, the conduit (2) of a liquid dispensing nozzle is provided with a gas inlet for delivering a gas to a vortex generator (6) for the generation of a stream of cold gas and a stream of relatively warm gas and has means for directing the cold stream of gas on to at least part of the conduit. The cold gas is directed into a sleeve (8) that surrounds a finned area (10) of the conduit (2). In another embodiment (Fig 3, not shown), a jacket is provided for surrounding a vessel, the jacket comprising a sheath, a gas inlet for delivering gas to a vortex generator for the generation of a cold gas stream and a relatively warm gas stream and means for passing the cold gas stream and/or the warm gas stream through the sheath to affect cooling or heating of the vessel respectively.

Description

Title: Novel applications for the use of hot and/or cold gas streams produced by a vortex generator.

DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to novel applications for the use of a hot and/or cold gas stream produced by a vortex generator.

The use of a vortex tube to provide a source of cool air is well documented in the art. Compressed air is fed into a tube where it is allowed to expand thereby creating a centrifugal field which results in the air separating out into a warm stream situated around the periphery part of the tube with a cool core of air forming in the middle of the tube. The cooled air flows in the opposite direction to the air at the periphery of the tube that becomes heated.

It is an object of the present invention to provide novel applications for the use of the cold and/or hot gas stream generated by a vortex generator.

Accordingly, a first aspect of the present invention provides a liquid dispensing nozzle comprising a conduit for the delivery of a liquid to a vessel, a gas inlet for delivering a gas to a vortex generator for the generation of a stream of cold and a stream of relatively warm gas and means for directing the cold stream of gas on to at least part of the conduit.

A second aspect of the present invention provides a method for the recovery of vapour from a volatile liquid during delivery of the liquid to a vessel, the method comprising delivering the liquid into the vessel, delivering gas to a vortex generator for generating a stream of cold gas and a stream of relatively warm gas and directing the cold stream of gas onto at least part of the liquid as it is delivered to the vessel.

Preferably, the gas that is delivered to the vortex generator for the creation of a stream of cold and a stream of relatively warm gas is air or nitrogen.

Preferably, the conduit of the liquid dispensing nozzle has a bend therein, the bend defining a lower part and an upper part of the nozzle. Preferably, the upper part of the nozzle receives the stream of cold gas. More preferably, this part of the nozzle is finned. A sleeve or sheaf may be provided around the finned area. More preferably, the upper part of the nozzle is provided with a vent for releasing the cold gas once it has travelled across the finned area.

The nozzle is preferably provided with an operating trigger to commence and shut off the delivery of liquid through the conduit. Preferably, a vent is provided to the rear of the operating trigger to expel the warmer air created by the vortex generator.

The nozzle is preferably provided with a switch to activate the flow of gas, such as nitrogen or air, to the vortex generator. More preferably still, the switch is incorporated in the operating trigger.

The nozzle is preferably configured to provide means for creating at least one zone of negative pressure due to the movement of liquid therethrough and has at least one aperture in the region that the negative pressure is created. Preferably, the zone of negative pressure is created in the lower part of the nozzle. For example, the nozzle may be provided with diverting means and at least one aperture through the side of the nozzle in the region of the diverting means for drawing vapour into the nozzle by means of the negative pressure created by the flow of liquid around the diverting means.

A third aspect of the present invention provides a jacket for the transfer of heat to or from a vessel surrounded by said jacket, the jacket comprising a sheath for surrounding a vessel, a gas inlet for delivering gas to a vortex generator for the

generation of a stream of cold gas and a stream of relatively warm gas, and means for passing the cold gas stream or warm gas stream through the sheath to affect cooling or heating of the vessel respectively.

A fourth aspect of the present invention provides a method of transferring heat to or from a vessel comprising the steps of surrounding the vessel with a jacket, delivering a gas to a vortex generator to generate a stream of cold and a stream of relatively warm gas and passing the cold gas stream or warm gas stream through the jacket.

The method and apparatus may be such as to be able to transfer heat to or from the vessel only or may be such as to provide either dependent upon the requirements of the end user.

The jacket may be any suitable size and shape depending upon the size and shape of the vessel that it is to surround. Preferably, the sheath is in the form of a cylindrical sleeve. More preferably, the jacket comprises a sheath and a base part, the base part containing the vortex generator and gas inlet and the sheath having means for receiving the cold gas stream and/or hot gas stream generated by the vortex generator. Preferably the base part is detachable from the sheath. The sheath is preferably provided with a vent for release of the gas. More preferably, the vent is provided with a silencer.

Preferably, the sheath is made of PTFE.

The jacket is preferably provided with means for controlling its temperature. For example, a control valve may be provided to control the rate of entry of the gas into the vortex generator.

In an alternative embodiment, the gas inlet for supplying gas to the vortex generator delivers gas from the vessel held within the jacket to the generator for the generation of a stream of cold and a stream of relatively warm gas. This could be

utilised, for example, when the pressure of gas contained within the vessel has to be down regulated thereby enabling the gas to be used to heat or cool the vessel prior to its release from the system.

For a better understanding of the present invention and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect reference will now be made by way of example only to accompanying drawings in which :- Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional diagram of a fuel-dispensing nozzle provided with a vortex generator according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an operating trigger for the fuel-dispensing nozzle shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is schematic diagram of a cylinder and jacket provided with a vortex generator according to a second embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view through the base of the system shown in Figure 3; Figures 5a and 5b are exploded views of the vortex generator shown in Figure 4; and Figure 6 is a perspective view of the jacket and base of the system shown in Figure 3.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, a fuel-dispensing nozzle having a vapour recovery system according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown. The nozzle comprises a metal conduit 2 having a bend therein for directing fuel from a petrol pump (not shown) into a vehicle tank via a hose 4. Delivery of liquid from the pump is activated by means of an operating trigger 20. The upper part of the nozzle is provided with a vortex generator 6 that creates a stream of cold gas, such

as nitrogen or air, and a stream of relatively warm gas. The cold gas is directed into a sleeve 8 that surrounds a finned area 10 of the conduit 2 and the cold gas is then passed from the nozzle through vent 12. The warm air created by the vortex generator is expelled from the system through a vent 14 provided to the rear of the operating trigger.

In this manner, any vapour that escapes from the car tank up the nozzle is cooled by means of the cold air that is passed over the finned area 10. This causes the vapour to condense and return to the vehicle tank in the liquid supplied through dispensing nozzle.

The system also includes a limit switch 16 that is incorporated into the operating trigger whereby the flow of gas to the vortex generator is commenced upon activation of the trigger.

The nozzle may also be constructed such as to provide a venturi effect whereby a zone of negative pressure is created towards the free end of the nozzle by movement of the liquid therethrough to cause any vapour to be sucked into the flow of liquid and be returned to the tank, as described in the Applicant's pending international patent application No. PCT/GBOl/05053. The vacuum created by the venturi pulls vapour up the nozzle and the cool gas supplied by the vortex generator causes condensation of the vapour such that it returns to the tank.

Figures 3 to 6 of the accompanying drawings illustrate an alternative application for the hot and/or cold stream of gas that is created by a vortex generator. The apparatus comprises a vessel 30, for example in the form of a cylinder, that is surrounded by a jacket 32. A vortex generator 34 is provided in the base 35 of the jacket and air or other gas is supplied thereto via an inlet 36. The hot or cold stream of gas that is created by the

vortex generator is then supplied to the jacket and vented from the system through a vent 9 38 that is provided with a silencer 40.

The streams of cold or warm gas generated by the vortex generator can be supplied to the jacket depending upon whether the end user wishes to heat or cool the vessel. The cool or warm gas is provided in a uniform manner around the vessel. The jacket may be configured such that it can be attached to the base that is provided with the vortex generator. In this manner, jackets of varying sizes can be provided for surrounding vessels of different capacities. It is preferable to provide a jacket that is constructed of a material that is temperature insulating and chemically resistant, for example PTFE.

The temperature provided by the system may be controlled by a control valve controlling the flow of gas to the vortex generator or may be automated with a temperature controller entailing a pneumatic valve to supply the gas/air.

Furthermore, the gas for passing to the vortex generator for the creation of a stream of hot and a stream of cold gas for heating or cooling the vessel may be from the vessel itself rather than a separate supply of air or nitrogen. For example, a cylinder containing gas that has to be regulated down in pressure and thus involves the gas being expelled from the system could feed the waste gas through the vortex generator to provide warm or cool gas for delivery to the jacket surrounding the cylinder to heat or cool the cylinder respectively. The waste gas could then be expelled.

Claims

1. A liquid dispensing nozzle comprising a conduit for the delivery of a liquid to a vessel, a gas inlet for delivering a gas to a vortex generator for the generation of a stream of cold gas and a stream of relatively warm gas and means for directing the cold stream of gas on to at least part of the conduit.

2. A liquid dispensing nozzle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the part of the nozzle that receives the stream of cold gas is finned.

3. A liquid dispensing nozzle as claimed in claim 3 wherein a sleeve or sheaf is provided around the finned area.

4. A liquid dispensing nozzle as claimed in claim 1,2 or 3 wherein the part of the nozzle that receives the cold gas stream is provided with a vent for releasing the cold gas.

5. A liquid dispensing nozzle as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the conduit has a bend therein, the bend defining a lower and an upper part of the nozzle.

6. A liquid dispensing nozzle as claimed in claim 5 wherein the upper part of the nozzle receives the stream of cold gas.

7. A liquid dispensing nozzle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the nozzle is provided with an operating trigger to commence and shut off the delivery of liquid through the conduit.

8. A liquid dispensing nozzle as claimed in claim 7 wherein a vent is provided to the rear of the operating trigger to expel the warmer gas created by the vortex generator.

9. A liquid dispensing nozzle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the nozzle is provided with a switch to activate the flow of gas.

10. A liquid dispensing nozzle as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8 wherein a switch to activate flow of the gas is incorporated into the operating trigger.

11. A liquid dispensing nozzle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the nozzle is configured to provide means for creating at least one zone of negative pressure due to the movement of liquid therethrough and has at least one aperture in the region that the negative pressure is created.

12. A liquid dispensing nozzle as claimed in claim 11 when dependent from claim 5 wherein the zone of negative pressure is created in the lower part of the nozzle.

13. A liquid dispensing nozzle as claimed in claim 11 or claim 12 wherein the nozzle is provided with diverting means and at least one aperture through the side of the nozzle in the region of the diverting means.

14. A method for the recovery of vapour from a volatile liquid during delivery of liquid to a vessel, the method comprising delivering the liquid into the vessel, delivering gas to a vortex generator for generating a stream of cold gas and a stream of relatively warm gas and directing the stream of cold gas onto at least part of the liquid as it is delivered to the vessel.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14 wherein the gas that is delivered to the vortex generator is air or nitrogen.

16. A liquid dispensing nozzle substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to Figure 1 and Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

17. A jacket for the transfer of heat to or from a vessel surrounded by said jacket, the jacket comprising a sheath for surrounding a vessel, a gas inlet for delivering gas to a

vortex generator for the generation of a stream of cold gas and a stream of relatively warm gas, and means for passing the cold gas stream or warm gas stream through the sheath to affect cooling or heating of the vessel respectively.

18. A jacket as claimed in claim 17 wherein either the warm gas stream or cold gas stream may be passed through the sheath depending upon the requirements of the end user.

19. A jacket as claimed in claim 17 or claim 18 wherein the sheath is in the form of a cylindrical sleeve.

20. A jacket as claimed in claim 17,18 or 19 wherein the jacket comprises a sheath and a base part, the base part containing the vortex generator and gas inlet and the sheath having means for receiving the cold gas stream and/or the relatively warm gas stream generated by the vortex generator.

21. A jacket as claimed in claim 20 wherein the base part is detachable from the sheath.

22. A jacket as claimed in any one of claims 17 to 21 wherein the sheath is provided with a vent.

23. A jacket as claimed in claim 22 wherein the vent is provided with a silencer.

24. A jacket as claimed in any one of claims 17 to 23 wherein the sheath is made of PTFE.

25. A jacket as claimed in any one of claims 17 to 24 further comprising means for controlling the temperature of the jacket.

26. A jacket as claimed in claim 25 wherein a control valve is provided to control the rate of entry of the gas into the vortex generator.

27. A jacket as claimed in any one of claims 17 to 26 wherein the gas inlet for supplying gas to the vortex generator delivers gas from the vessel held within the jacket to the generator for the generation of a stream of cold gas and a stream of relatively warm gas.

28. A method of transferring heat to or from a vessel comprising the steps of surrounding the vessel with a jacket, delivering a gas to a vortex generator to generate a stream of cold gas and a stream of relatively warm gas and passing the relatively warm gas stream or the cold gas stream through the jacket.

29. A method as claimed in claim 28 wherein the gas is delivered to the vortex generator from the vessel held within the jacket.

30. A jacket for surrounding a vessel substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to Figures 3 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.