Vortex Tube

PRESENTED BY,K.S.SUMAN KRISHNA KANTH

HISTORY

• The vortex tube was invented in 1933 by French physicist Georges J. Ranque.

• German physicist Rudolf Hilsch improved the design in 1947.

• The vortex tube is also known as the Ranque-Hilsch vortex tube.

• It is one of the non-conventional type refrigerating systems for the production of refrigeration.

WORKING

• A vortex tube uses compressed air as a power source, has no moving parts, and produces hot air from one end and cold air from the other.

• The volume and temperature of these two airstreams are adjustable with a valve built into the hot air exhaust.

• Temperatures as low as -50°F (-46°C) and as high as +260°F (127°C) are possible.

• Pressurized 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.

EXPLANATION• The outer air is under higher pressure than the inner

air (because of centrifugal force). Therefore the temperature of the outer air is higher than that of the inner air.

• The rotation rate (angular velocity) of the inner gas is the same as that of the outer gas.

• As both vortices rotate at the same angular velocity and direction, the inner vortex has lost angular momentum. The decrease of angular momentum is transferred as kinetic energy to the outer vortex, resulting in separated flows of hot and cold gas.

VORTEX APPARATUS