Magic Vortex Tube !

[awemawson]

This brand new 208-25 Vortex Tube made by ITW Vortec in the USA drifted past my nose on eBay at a very low 'buy it now' price (£20)  and it seemed rude not to oblige 

Now I've seen write ups of these things, and I've seen descriptions of home made ones, but I've never seen and played with one in the flesh - probably because I have absolutely NO need for one - but I do like seeing how things work - it's all a mind expanding process 

Today was a bit of a quiet day, so a bit of play time allowed me to experiment - firstly here it is, along with it's description from the makers

[awemawson]

So the obvious question - does it work !

Well yes - a quick plumb into an airline while holding it shows that's perhaps not a good idea for a longer test - the hot end got warm very quickly 

So a rough and ready test with the two exits pointing at some 50 mm squares of 9 mm plate that I happened to have on the desk, propped up with adjustable spanners let me point my infra-red thermometer at them.

After just a couple of minutes, from an ambient of 18 degrees Centigrade, the cold plate was down to 6 degrees and the hot one up to 35 degrees.

A very crude test, and no doubt the temperatures would be much more extreme if I left it going for a while, as the 50 mm squares each had a bit of a heat sink on them in the form of the adjustable spanners

In all, very interesting that plain old compressed air can heat and cool at the same time by twirling in a fancy shape !

[PekkaNF]

We used them to cool electronics in the tropics....produced an water shower if the air was not dried

Other end gets really hot when adjusted right and if the ambient temperature is high.

I wonder how it would work on grinding machine? There low efficiency does not matter on hobby use. So what if 5 kw produces only a little cooling, but it is small easy to manouver unit.

Pekka

[awemawson]

...... I do air driers ..... 

[PekkaNF]

Jeah..I have been following that with interest. Just wondering: Plasma, voortex....what next? Air bearing spindle?

Pekka

[awemawson]

Nah ---- that's old hat .... I have an air bearing spindle on my Clarkson Mk2 T&C Grinder - actually two covering different ranges 

[howsitwork?]

Now that's just showing off

I used one at my friend Jack's. What a piece of kit! Sticky as hell when no air then smooth as silk with air.

Been looking out for one ( at a reasonable price, I am in Yorkshire after all) ever since.

Ian

Re vortex tubes  - so one end could cool your pint whilst the other warms your fingers eh????

[DaveS]

I have never heard of them or where they would be used but I wonder if you had a tight fit for a bearing on a shaft, place the components at the correct ends and bingo a slide fit. Had to smile when reading through your pics, the heading for Appendix 2.

Slightly off thread but what year is your T & C I was wondering when they started with the air bearing? 


Dave

[awemawson]

I've no idea of the Y.O.M. of my Clarkson T&C grinder I'm afraid, and the Air Bearing Spindle won't be the same age as I bought it separately.

(In fact I got it from the late and much lamented Tim Leech of Dutton Dock on the Trent and Mersey Canal where he repaired canal barges but also had a keen interest in Engineering)

[PekkaNF]

I have never heard of them or where they would be used but I wonder if you had a tight fit for a bearing on a shaft, place the components at the correct ends and bingo a slide fit. Had to smile when reading through your pics, the heading for Appendix 2.
......

Dave

The cooling effect is not big enough to give more than marginal results...Stuffing bearings in the plastic bag into fridge is whole lot better method (and less moisture forced into the bearing....if there is any in the compressed air....).

Pekka

[chipenter]

Works the same with water handy iff you have a river at the bottom of the garden .

[awemawson]

Well actually I understand the the 'working fluid' has the be compressible (and hence also expansible) for the cooling effect to happen, though the heating effect does happen with water.

[edward]

there is a good 'this old tony' video on YouTube where he makes and test a vortex tube. Interesting stuff.