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+--- Thread: Cold air - Vortex tube. (/thread-1269.html)
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RE: Cold air - Vortex tube. - the penguin - 03-29-2013
I have one that was designed for a fresh air inlet to a welding helmet, its capable of either cooling or heating the air.
RE: Cold air - Vortex tube. - DaveH - 03-29-2013
Arvid,
I have seen the Otto site - he says it should be a plastic tube or at least insulated if metal. The one I made used Aluminium tube and I have to say didn't work as well as I thought it would.
I hadn't seen the 'instructables' thanks
Seems from the Otto site there are some sizes (or ratio of sizes) that are important.
DaveH
RE: Cold air - Vortex tube. - DaveH - 03-29-2013
Jack,
Got any pics or information?
DaveH
RE: Cold air - Vortex tube. - arvidj - 03-29-2013
(03-29-2013, 02:29 PM)DaveH Wrote: Seems from the Otto site there are some sizes (or ratio of sizes) that are important.
DaveH
There seems to be some theoretical work out there for dimensions but getting thru them would seem like more of a career opportunity than something to do as a hobby ...
http://www.me.berkeley.edu/~gtdevera/notes/vortextube.pdf
http://www.me.berkeley.edu/~gtdevera/notes/vortextube.pdf
And then there is this which at least has dimensions on it ... http://www.visi.com/~darus/hilsch/.
RE: Cold air - Vortex tube. - DaveH - 03-29-2013
Thanks Arvid,
I'll need to sit and read them
I made mine about 1994 I didn't have quite so much access to information then. So mine was more guess work than any thing else. Like Tom said it "eats" the air.
Now there are commercial ones about so, me being me I thought I might copy one of those - I'm not proud
These commercial ones seem to do the job - I think
DaveH
RE: Cold air - Vortex tube. - TomG - 03-29-2013
Here's mine. It's the Vortex name, made by 3M and just as loud as I remember. It does work well though, 23ºF on one end and 95ºF on the other. I might try using it again with some snap lock coolant hose. That might quiet it down a bit, but it's still an air hog.
Tom
![[Image: 004_8.JPG]](http://photos.imageevent.com/tomgriffin/generalstuff/large/004_8.JPG)
RE: Cold air - Vortex tube. - Highpower - 03-29-2013
I used to have a Snap-On "choke tester" until someone "borrowed" it out of my tool box when I wasn't around/looking.
It worked really well but as Tom said, they are very CFM hungry. I have a Snap-On air operated vacuum pump (venturi type) that is an air hog also.
Maybe this will help a bit?
[attachment=4850]
RE: Cold air - Vortex tube. - Tony Wells - 03-30-2013
Here's some interesting reading on the subject, and some plans (sort of).
http://www.rexresearch.com/ranque/ranque.htm
RE: Cold air - Vortex tube. - DaveH - 04-01-2013
Thanks guys for all your help.
I was hoping there would be something that would run on 50 psi and use .5 SCFM - seems not to be at the moment.
I still may look at trying to make a 'small' one and see what happens.
Although I don't think it will work that well (not after reading all the info), because of the lower energy input. I'm sure it will blow hot one end and cold the other but the difference may not be enough to make it useful.
Thanks for all your inputs
DaveH