Vortex Tube Technology and Spot Cooling
Product Overview
-
Nex Flow™ stainless steel vortex tube uses a metal (brass) generator as a standard item rather than cheap plastic for longer life and for applications in high temperature environments. (competitors would charge extra for that feature.) With virtually no moving parts, a vortex tube takes compressed air and converts it to cold air at one end and hot air at the other. Temperature as low as minus 50 degrees F (minus 46 C) can be achieved at the cold end and up to 260 degrees F (127 degrees C) at the hot end. Vortex tube are available in two basic sizes and in several packaged versions:
-
Vortex Tube Information
Our Vortex Tube is a tool that can take normal compressed air and convert into two air streams. One stream is hot air and the other stream is cold air. The advantage of our vortex tube is that it has no moving parts , which translates into no maintenance. The cold air can be adjusted down to -50 degrees Fahrenheit, and the hot side can be adjusted up to a temperature of 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
Vortex Tube Advantages:
- No moving parts, reliable, maintenance free
- No coolant
- Compact and lightweight
- Low cost application
- Maintenance free units
- Instant cold air in environmental chambers
- No spark or explosion hazard
- Interchangeable generators
Why Our Vortex Tubes:
Our Vortex Tube are stainless steel with metal generators as standard for use in high temperature environments No extra charges as with some competitors Superior performance and design
How They Work
Compressed air enters at point (A) . Inside the Vortex Tube / Hilsch Tube the compressed air is made to spin using a “generator”. It travels in one direction along the small (hot end) vortex tubes and then back inside itself in the reverse direction creating one stream of air (B) and the second stream of air (C) in the opposite direction. The outside stream of air gets hot and exhausts at point (D). The centre column of air gets cold and exists at point (E). Temperatures and capacities can vary by adjusting the hot end plug at (D) and by using different “generators” .
Specifications
Vortex Tube/Hilsch Tube - Frigid-XT - Specifications:
Model # |
SCFM @100 PSIG inlet (SLPM @ 6.9 BAR inlet) |
Btu/hr. at 100 PSIG (Watts at 6.9 BAR) |
Size |
50002H |
2 (57) |
145 (42) |
small |
50004H |
4 (142) |
290 (85) |
small |
50008H |
8 (226) |
580 (170) |
small |
50010H |
10 (283) |
730 (214) |
medium |
50015H |
15 (425) |
1100 (322) |
medium |
50025H |
25 (708) |
1800 (527) |
medium |
50030H |
30 (850) |
2100 (615) |
medium |
50040H |
40 (1133) |
2900 (849) |
medium |
Model # |
SCFM @100 PSIG inlet (SLPM @ 6.9 BAR inlet) |
For Cold Temperature |
Size |
50002C |
2 (57) |
---- |
small |
50004C |
4 (142) |
---- |
small |
50008C |
8 (226) |
---- |
small |
50010C |
10 (283) |
---- |
medium |
50015C |
15 (425) |
---- |
medium |
50025C |
25 (708) |
---- |
medium |
50030C |
30 (850) |
---- |
medium |
50040C |
40 (1133) |
---- |
medium |
Approximate temperature drops (and rises) from inlet air temperature produced by a vortex tube set at various cold fractions. Assume constant inlet pressure and temperature.
Temperature drop of cold air, °F (ºC) in blue |
Temperature rise of hot air, °F (ºC) in red |
Pressure Supply |
Cold Fraction % |
PSIG (BAR) |
20 |
30 |
40 |
50 |
60 |
70 |
80 |
20 (1.4) |
62 (34) |
60 (33) |
56 (31) |
51 (28) |
44 (24) |
36 (20) |
28 (16) |
 |
15 (8) |
25 (14) |
36 (20) |
50 (28) |
64 (26) |
83 (46) |
107 (59) |
40 (2.8) |
88 (48) |
85 (46) |
80 (42) |
73 (39) |
63 (34) |
52 (28) |
38 (20) |
|
21 (11) |
35 (18) |
52 (28) |
71 (38) |
92 (50) |
117 (62) |
147 (80) |
60 (4.1) |
104 (57) |
100 (55) |
93 (51) |
84 (46) |
73 (40) |
60 (33) |
46 (25) |
|
24 (14) |
40 (22) |
59 (33) |
80 (44) |
104 (57) |
132 (73) |
166 (92) |
80 (5.5) |
115 (63) |
110 (62) |
102 (56) |
92 (51) |
80 (45) |
66 (36) |
50 (28) |
|
25 (14) |
43 (24) |
63 (35) |
86 (47) |
113 (63) |
143 (80) |
180 (100) |
100 (6.9) |
123 (68) |
118 (65) |
110 (61) |
100 (55) |
86 (48) |
71 (39) |
54 (30) |
|
26 (14) |
45 (25) |
67 (37) |
90 (50) |
119 (66) |
151 (84) |
191 (106) |
120 (8.4) |
129 (72) |
124 (69) |
116 (64) |
104 (58) |
91 (50) |
74 (41) |
55 (31) |
|
26 (14) |
46 (26) |
69 (38) |
94 (52) |
123 (68) |
156 (86) |
195 (108) |
Applications
- Cool electronic and electrical controls
- Cool machine operations/tooling
- Cool CCTV cameras
- Set hot melt adhesives
- Cool soldered parts
- Cool gas samples
- Cool heat seals
- Cooling environmental chambers
Dimensions
Temperature
Setting Flow and Temperature in Vortex Tube/Hilsch Tube:
Adjusting the slotted valve at the hot air outlet sets the flow rate and temperature at the cold end. The more air let out at the hot end reduces the cold air flowing and the cold air temperature at the cold end. Close the valve at the hot end and you increase the cold air flow at the cold end as well as the air temperature at the cold end. The percentage of total input air to the vortex tubes that is directed to the cold end is the "cold fraction". A cold fraction of 60% to 80% produces the optimum refrigeration. See the chart below which indicates the temperature "rise" at the hot end and temperature "drop" at the cold end of a vortex tubes at various input pressures and "cold Fraction" setting.
Most industrial applications, such as electrical control panel cooling, parts cooling, tool cooling require maximum refrigeration and utilize the Nex Flow™ Frigid-X™ 50000H series. Applications which require extreme cold temperatures such as lab sample cooling, circuit board testing, would utilize the Nex Flow™ Frigid-X™50000C series. However, mufflers are available for both the cold and hot ends if required.
More Information
