US3786643A - Vortex tube - Google Patents

Vortex tube Download PDF

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Publication number
US3786643A
US3786643A US00320649A US3786643DA US3786643A US 3786643 A US3786643 A US 3786643A US 00320649 A US00320649 A US 00320649A US 3786643D A US3786643D A US 3786643DA US 3786643 A US3786643 A US 3786643A
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United States
Prior art keywords
air
passage
vortex
cap
chamber
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Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
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US00320649A
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English (en)
Inventor
R Anderson
W Andrist
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Owatonna Tool Co
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Owatonna Tool Co
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Publication date
Application filed by Owatonna Tool Co filed Critical Owatonna Tool Co
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Publication of US3786643A publication Critical patent/US3786643A/en
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    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
    • F25B9/00—Compression machines, plants or systems, in which the refrigerant is air or other gas of low boiling point
    • F25B9/02—Compression machines, plants or systems, in which the refrigerant is air or other gas of low boiling point using Joule-Thompson effect; using vortex effect
    • F25B9/04—Compression machines, plants or systems, in which the refrigerant is air or other gas of low boiling point using Joule-Thompson effect; using vortex effect using vortex effect

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT A vortex tube for converting pressure air to hot and cold air fractions and constructed of a body and cap assembled together with the cap and body forming a vortex chamber and a surrounding plenum chamber with a cold air passage extending outwardly from the cap and an elongate hot air passage extending outwardly of the body with the parts formed of plastic and shaped to provide a plug fit with each other and mounting an annular air filter screen therebetween and with a nozzle and valve unit threaded onto an end of the body providing for a plurality of control positions whereby either maximum cold air may be emitted from the unit or high temperature air can be emitted from the other end of the unit.
  • This invention pertains to vortex tubes and, more particularly, to a vortex tube usable in the automotive field as a device for cooling automatic chokes in the process of testing thereof.
  • Vortex tubes are well known in the art with the early developmentthereof being by Georges Ranque. As stated in a textbook entitled Refrigeration and Air Conditioning" byJordan and Priester, Copyright 1948 by Prentiss-Hall, the tube has been known as the Ranque tube, the I-Iilsch tube, or the vortex tube. Since that time, others have worked on developments of such vortex tubes. Typical of these additional developments are the Bramley U.S. Pat. No. 2,581,168, Fulton U.S. Pat. No. 3,173,273, and Fulton U.S. Pat. No. 3,208,229.
  • valve structure at the end thereof from which the hot gas is emitted including Tildon U.S. Pat. No. 3,074,243, l-lendel U.S.Pat. No. 2,893,214, and I-Iardebol et al. US. Pat. No. 2,955,432.
  • the vortex tube disclosed herein overcomes the problems and disadvantages of the prior art referred to above and enables the production of aninexpensive vortex tube having use in the automotive field as a choke tester wherein it is necessary to cool down an automatic chokeas-part' of the testing procedure and wherein the vortex; tube may selectively emit usable high temperature air from the opposite end thereof and with suitable fitting attachments.
  • a primary feature of the invention is to provide a vortex tube structure whereinthe structure is basically formed from a body and cap of plastic material which are shaped to provide an interfitting-plug relation and to define therebetween a vortex chamber and a surrounding plenum chamber with a series of air channels therebetween entering tangentially into the vortex chamber and with an annular air filter screen positioned in the plenum chamber and held in position by the ends thereof engaged in annular grooves in opposed faces of the cap and body.
  • An additional feature of the invention is to provide a vortex tube as defined in the preceding paragraph wherein the body has an elongate passage and with a nozzle and valve unit threadably fitted onto the body with a restricted air passage and a nonrestricted air passage and with the nozzle and valve unit being selectively positioned to either permit flow only through the restricted air passage when hot air is desired and, alternatively, to permit positioning of the unit in a variety of positions to permit relatively nonrestricted air flow through the nonrestricted passage when it is desired to have colder air emitted from the cold end of the vortex tube.
  • An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved vortex tube having the features set forth above and overcoming the problems and shortcomings of the prior art.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the vortex tube as usable as a choke tester
  • FIG. 2 is a vertical section, on an enlarged scale, taken generally along the line 2-2 in FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 3 is a vertical section taken generally along the line 3-3 in FIG. 2;
  • FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the nozzle and valve unit shown in association with an end of the body and with the nozzle and valve unit in a different position from that shown in FIG. 2.
  • the vortex tube is shown generally in FIG. 1 and has a body, indicated generally at 10, associated with a cap, indicated generally at 11.
  • the body 10 has a central recess 15 to receive a plug section 16 of the cap 11 in interfitting relation and with an O-ring l7 captured therebetween to seal the body and cap together and with the body and cap having abutting surfaces 18.
  • the body and cap are held in assembled relation by a series of attaching members 20.
  • a vortex tube has a vortex chamber 21 surrounded by a plenum chamber 22 and with a series of air channels 23 extending between the vortex chamber 21 and the plenum chamber 22 and entering tangentially into the vortex chamber.
  • the body 10 has a central section 25 coacting with the plug section 16 of the cap 11 to define the vortex chamber therebetween and with the air channels 23 being formed by grooves in the face of the central section 25 of the body and completely defined by the end face of the plug section 16 of the cap.
  • an annular pervious filter screen 31 is positioned in the plenum chamber with the opposite ends thereof seated in an annular groove 32 in the body and an annular groove 33 in the cap.
  • the annular screen 31 can be inserted into the groove 32 in the body 10 and the cap then placed in final position to seat the opposite end of the annular filter screen 31 in the groove 33 of the cap.
  • the cap 11 has a cold air passage 40 with a slight taper formed in a tubular part 41 thereof and which is of a diameter less than the vortex chamber 21.
  • the body 10 has a lateral tubular extension 45 with a passage 46 which is of a diameter less than the vortex chamber 21 and of a diameter greater than the cold air passage 40.
  • a nozzle and valve unit, indicated generally at 50, is associated with the free end of the lateral tubular extension 45 of the body 10, and controls the operation of the vortex tube with regard to the temperature of the air fractions delivered from the vortex tube.
  • the nozzle and valve unit 50 is generally cup-shaped and has a transverse wall 51 with a restricted air passage 52 concentric with the air passage 46.
  • the end of the passage 52 has a metal insert 53 with an orifice 54 providing for restricted air flow therethrough.
  • the only air that can flow to the left, as viewed in FIG. 2 is the air which travels through the orifice 54. This results in relatively high temperature air being emitted therefrom, while air emitted from the cold air passage 40 is not of a significantly low temperature.
  • the nozzle and valve unit 50 is threadably mounted to the tubular extension 45 by threads, indicated at 55, and is in an inner limit position, as shown in FIG. 2, with the transverse wall 51 in engagement with an end of the tubular extension 45.
  • the nozzle and valve unit 50 may be rotated and, due to its threaded relation with the tubular extension 45, moved to one of several positions away from the inner limit position with one of these positions being shown in FIG. 4.
  • the transverse wall thereof is moved away from the end of the tubular extension 45 of the body whereby air flowing through the passage 46 can flow to a nonrestricted air passage 60 through a peripheral wall 61 of the nozzle and valve unit whereby air passing through the passage 46 is not at a maximum high temperature, but the cold air emitted from the cold air passage 40 may be at or near the maximum cold temperature.
  • the nozzle and valve unit has a heat sleeve 65 as a part thereof which surrounds the tubular part 45 of the body.
  • the body and the cap 11 are shaped for construction of molded plastic parts, as is the nozzle and valve unit 50.
  • the metal insert 53 is molded into the nozzle and valve unit whereby a long, small restricted passage may be provided.
  • a separate sleeve 65 is provided with external serrations to facilitate rotation of the nozzle and valve unit 50, with this sleeve being fitted onto the wall 61 which threadably fits onto the body part 45.
  • the sleeve 65 has an opening 66 aligned with the opening 60.
  • a vortex tube for separating compressed air into hot and cold fractions comprising, a body and a cap in assembled relation and having means to define a vortex chamber and a plenum chamber, a series of air channels extending between said plenum chamber and the vortex chamber and entering tangentially of said vortex chamber, said cap having a cold air passage extending from the vortex chamber to the exterior of said tube, said body having an elongate passage extending from the vortex chamber for the entire length thereof, and a nozzle and valve unit having a flow restricting orifice and an air exhaust passage, said unit being mounted on an end of said body for movement between one position causing all air flowing in said elongate passage to pass through said flow restricting orifice to any of a plurality of positions where air may flow through said air exhaust passage at a controlled rate greater than through said flow restricting orifice.
  • a vortex tube for separating compressed air into hot and cold fractions comprising, a body and a cap in assembled relation and having means to define a vortex chamber and a plenum chamber, a series of air channels extending between said plenum chamber and the vortex chamber and entering tangentially of said vortex chamber, said cap having a cold air passage extending from the vortex chamber to the exterior of said tube, said body having an elongate passage extending from the vortex chamber for the entire length thereof, said body having a central recess and said cap having a central plug section fitted into said recess, an air inlet in said body leading to said plenum chamber, and an annular air filter screen in said plenum chamber having one end seated in a groove in said body and the other end seated in a groove in the plug section of said cap.
  • a vortex tube as defined in claim 5 wherein said elongate body passage terminates at an end of the body, a cup-shaped nozzle and valve unit threaded onto an end of the body and having a transverse wall with a restricted flow passage concentric with said elongate body passage, and a non-restricted air exhaust passage in a perimetral wall of said unit, said unit having one position wherein said transverse wall engages the end of the body and blocks air flow to said non-restricted air exhaust passages and a plurality of other positions controlling air flow to said latter passage.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Filtering Of Dispersed Particles In Gases (AREA)
  • Air-Flow Control Members (AREA)
  • Duct Arrangements (AREA)
US00320649A 1973-01-02 1973-01-02 Vortex tube Expired - Lifetime US3786643A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US32064973A 1973-01-02 1973-01-02

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3786643A true US3786643A (en) 1974-01-22

Family

ID=23247339

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00320649A Expired - Lifetime US3786643A (en) 1973-01-02 1973-01-02 Vortex tube

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US3786643A (de)
JP (1) JPS4997945A (de)
CA (1) CA1014076A (de)
DE (1) DE2352149A1 (de)
GB (1) GB1387784A (de)

Cited By (18)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4240261A (en) * 1979-08-09 1980-12-23 Vortec Corporation Temperature-adjustable vortex tube assembly
FR2464449A1 (fr) * 1978-08-10 1981-03-06 Aparatos Aire Acondicion Systeme d'echange thermique
US4333754A (en) * 1979-06-27 1982-06-08 Vortec Corporation Anti-icing noise-suppressing vortex tube assembly
EP0209098A2 (de) * 1985-07-15 1987-01-21 ASTRL Corporation Klimaanlage
US5331817A (en) * 1993-05-28 1994-07-26 The Joseph Company Portable self-cooling and self-heating device for food and beverage containers
US5394703A (en) * 1993-05-28 1995-03-07 Microcold Technologies, Inc. Self-chilling food or beverage container
US5655384A (en) * 1995-05-24 1997-08-12 The Joseph Company Self-cooling container including liner member
WO1999063283A1 (en) * 1998-06-03 1999-12-09 The Secretary Of State For Defence Apparatus for cooling fluid
US20060005955A1 (en) * 2004-07-12 2006-01-12 Orr Troy J Heat exchanger apparatus and methods for controlling the temperature of a high purity, re-circulating liquid
US20060005954A1 (en) * 2004-07-12 2006-01-12 Orr Troy J Heat exchanger apparatus for a recirculation loop and related methods and systems
US20060150643A1 (en) * 2005-01-13 2006-07-13 Shaun Sullivan Refrigerator
US20080302108A1 (en) * 2007-06-06 2008-12-11 Sullivan Shaun E Energy transfer apparatus and methods
US20090057434A1 (en) * 2007-08-29 2009-03-05 Rafael MUSTAFAEV Fluid heater
US20090183858A1 (en) * 2005-06-24 2009-07-23 Williams Arthur R Venturi for Heat Transfer
US20090200005A1 (en) * 2008-02-09 2009-08-13 Sullivan Shaun E Energy transfer tube apparatus, systems, and methods
CN102614749A (zh) * 2011-01-26 2012-08-01 北京星旋世纪科技有限公司 涡旋式冷热气体分离装置
US20140150753A1 (en) * 2012-11-30 2014-06-05 Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc. Fuel recovery system
US20150118071A1 (en) * 2013-10-31 2015-04-30 Fu Ding Electronical Technology (Jiashan) Co.,Ltd. Vacuum generator

Families Citing this family (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4285701A (en) * 1975-01-23 1981-08-25 Schlenker R F Method for separating isotopes using a vortex tube
JPS6115466U (ja) * 1984-07-02 1986-01-29 株式会社 日本メデイツクス 熱交換器
DE4019242A1 (de) * 1990-06-15 1991-12-19 Petz Michael Dipl Ing Verfahren zur trocknung durch aenderung der beladungskapazitaet von luft o. dgl. (peflow-verfahren)
GB9310107D0 (en) 1993-05-17 1993-06-30 Minnesota Mining & Mfg Sanding and polishing systems
RU2177590C1 (ru) * 2001-03-30 2001-12-27 Азаров Анатолий Иванович Вихревой газоохладитель
CN109373627B (zh) * 2018-09-28 2021-05-04 内蒙古科技大学 一种热端管长度可调节的轴向排气涡流管

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3103104A (en) * 1962-09-11 1963-09-10 Cleveland Technical Ct Inc Portable gas conditioning apparatus
US3116344A (en) * 1960-08-19 1963-12-31 Shell Oil Co Vortex tube reactor and process for converting hydrocarbons therein
US3173273A (en) * 1962-11-27 1965-03-16 Charles D Fulton Vortex tube
US3277238A (en) * 1964-01-24 1966-10-04 Diamond Power Speciality Cooling system utilizing a ranque tube
US3461676A (en) * 1967-10-30 1969-08-19 Encon Mfg Co Vortex tube arrangement

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3116344A (en) * 1960-08-19 1963-12-31 Shell Oil Co Vortex tube reactor and process for converting hydrocarbons therein
US3103104A (en) * 1962-09-11 1963-09-10 Cleveland Technical Ct Inc Portable gas conditioning apparatus
US3173273A (en) * 1962-11-27 1965-03-16 Charles D Fulton Vortex tube
US3277238A (en) * 1964-01-24 1966-10-04 Diamond Power Speciality Cooling system utilizing a ranque tube
US3461676A (en) * 1967-10-30 1969-08-19 Encon Mfg Co Vortex tube arrangement

Cited By (29)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2464449A1 (fr) * 1978-08-10 1981-03-06 Aparatos Aire Acondicion Systeme d'echange thermique
US4333754A (en) * 1979-06-27 1982-06-08 Vortec Corporation Anti-icing noise-suppressing vortex tube assembly
US4240261A (en) * 1979-08-09 1980-12-23 Vortec Corporation Temperature-adjustable vortex tube assembly
EP0209098A2 (de) * 1985-07-15 1987-01-21 ASTRL Corporation Klimaanlage
EP0209098A3 (de) * 1985-07-15 1989-12-13 ASTRL Corporation Klimaanlage
US5331817A (en) * 1993-05-28 1994-07-26 The Joseph Company Portable self-cooling and self-heating device for food and beverage containers
WO1994028362A1 (en) * 1993-05-28 1994-12-08 The Joseph Company A portable self-cooling and self-heating device for food and beverage containers
US5394703A (en) * 1993-05-28 1995-03-07 Microcold Technologies, Inc. Self-chilling food or beverage container
WO1996027110A1 (en) * 1993-12-09 1996-09-06 The Joseph Company A self-chilling food or beverage container
US5655384A (en) * 1995-05-24 1997-08-12 The Joseph Company Self-cooling container including liner member
WO1999063283A1 (en) * 1998-06-03 1999-12-09 The Secretary Of State For Defence Apparatus for cooling fluid
US7458222B2 (en) 2004-07-12 2008-12-02 Purity Solutions Llc Heat exchanger apparatus for a recirculation loop and related methods and systems
US20060005955A1 (en) * 2004-07-12 2006-01-12 Orr Troy J Heat exchanger apparatus and methods for controlling the temperature of a high purity, re-circulating liquid
US20060005954A1 (en) * 2004-07-12 2006-01-12 Orr Troy J Heat exchanger apparatus for a recirculation loop and related methods and systems
US20060150643A1 (en) * 2005-01-13 2006-07-13 Shaun Sullivan Refrigerator
US7565808B2 (en) 2005-01-13 2009-07-28 Greencentaire, Llc Refrigerator
US20090183858A1 (en) * 2005-06-24 2009-07-23 Williams Arthur R Venturi for Heat Transfer
US7726135B2 (en) 2007-06-06 2010-06-01 Greencentaire, Llc Energy transfer apparatus and methods
US20080302108A1 (en) * 2007-06-06 2008-12-11 Sullivan Shaun E Energy transfer apparatus and methods
US20080303283A1 (en) * 2007-06-06 2008-12-11 Greencentaire, Llc Energy transfer apparatus and methods
US7654095B2 (en) 2007-06-06 2010-02-02 Greencentaire, Llc Energy transfer apparatus and methods
US20090057434A1 (en) * 2007-08-29 2009-03-05 Rafael MUSTAFAEV Fluid heater
US20090200005A1 (en) * 2008-02-09 2009-08-13 Sullivan Shaun E Energy transfer tube apparatus, systems, and methods
CN102614749A (zh) * 2011-01-26 2012-08-01 北京星旋世纪科技有限公司 涡旋式冷热气体分离装置
CN102614749B (zh) * 2011-01-26 2014-10-22 北京星旋世纪科技有限公司 涡旋式冷热气体分离装置
US9017440B2 (en) 2011-01-26 2015-04-28 Beijing Rostar Technology Co. Ltd Vortex device for separating cold gas and hot gas
US20140150753A1 (en) * 2012-11-30 2014-06-05 Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc. Fuel recovery system
US9140221B2 (en) * 2012-11-30 2015-09-22 Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc. Fuel recovery system
US20150118071A1 (en) * 2013-10-31 2015-04-30 Fu Ding Electronical Technology (Jiashan) Co.,Ltd. Vacuum generator

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CA1014076A (en) 1977-07-19
GB1387784A (en) 1975-03-19
JPS4997945A (de) 1974-09-17
DE2352149A1 (de) 1974-07-11

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