Stainless Steel Vortex Tubes from Nex Flow Technologies

Vortex Tubes are devices that work on a standard compressed air supply. Air enters the vortex tube and literally splits the air flow into two parts - cold air at one end, and hot air at the other - all without any moving parts.

Vortex Tubes have an adjustable valve at the "hot" end controls the volume of the air flow, and the temperature exiting at the cold end. By adjusting the valve, you control the "cold fraction" which is the percentage of total input compressed air the exists the cold end of the vortex tube.

Inside is the interchangeable "generator" which can alter the air used in the vortex tube, and control the temperature ranges you wish to have at the cold and hot ends. There are several ranges of generators for compressed air capacity. There are also two basic types of generators - one to produce the extreme cold temperatures (maximum cold temperature out called the C generator) and one type to produce the maximum amount of cooling (maximum refrigeration called the H generator).

Nex Flow™ Frigid-X™ Products Are Best Because...

Frigid-X™ Vortex Tubes are constructed of stainless steel and use a generator and valve made of brass and sealed with viton o-rings to allow their use in the widest range of environments. Others use plastic generators and standard buna N o-rings and charge extra for brass and viton. The unique design and quality of materials used in Nex Flow™ products will deliver years of maintenance-free operation.

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

Aplications

• 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

How Do They Work

Compressed air, typically at 80-to 100 PSlG enters from the side at a tangent and enters through the generator into the tube, causing the air to spin. This air stream spins toward the hot end where some leaves the tube via the control valve. The remaining, spinning air travels back up the center of the tube. The inner spinning stream gives off heat energy to the outer stream (which leaves at the hot end as hot air) and exits at the cold end as cooled air. The input air is literally split into hot and cold using no moving parts.

Setting Flow and Temperature in a Vortex 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 tube that is directed to the cold end is the "cold fraction". A cold fraction of 60% to 80% produces the optimum refrigeration, or Btu/hr. See the chart below which indicates the temperature "rise" at the hot end and temperature "drop" at the cold end of a vortex tube at various input pressures (PSIG) 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™ 5000H series. Applications which require extreme cold temperatures such as lab sample cooling, circuit board testing, would utilize the Nex Flow™ Frigid-X™5000C series. However, mufflers are available for both the cold and hot ends if required.

Specifications

Model #	SCFM @100 PSIG inlet	Btu/hr. at 100 PSIG	Size
50002H	2	145	small
50004H	4	290	small
50008H	8	580	small
50010H	10	730	medium
50015H	15	1100	medium
50025H	25	1800	medium
50030H	30	2100	medium
50040H	40	2900	medium

Model #	SCFM @100 PSIG inlet	For Cold Temperature	Size
50002C	2	----	small
50004C	4	----	small
50008C	8	----	small
50010C	10	----	medium
50015C	15	----	medium
50025C	25	----	medium
50030C	30	----	medium
50040C	40	----	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 in blue

Temperature rise of hot air , °F in red

Pressure Supply

Cold Fraction %

PSIG 20 0 40 0 60 0 80 0 100 0 120

20 30 40 50 60 70 80 62 60 56 51 44 36 28 15 25 36 50 64 83 107 88 85 80 73 63 52 38 21 35 52 71 92 117 147 104 100 93 84 73 60 46 24 40 59 80 104 132 166 115 110 102 92 80 66 50 25 43 63 86 113 143 180 123 118 110 100 86 71 54 26 45 67 90 119 151 191 129 124 116 104 91 74 55 26 46 69 94 123 156 195