Vortex Tubes are available in many sizes offering a range of cooling capacities.
Vortex Tubes || Vortex Tubes are available in a wide range of sizes to meet the needs of many process and spot cooling applications. Vortex Tubes offer cooling capacities beyond those available from our Cold Air Guns.
Features:
- Cool without refrigerants (CFCs/HCFCs) or moving parts for reliable, trouble- free operation.
- Use no electricity -- intrinsically safe, no RF interference.
- Compact and lightweight for easy installation -- even in tight areas.
Vortex Tube PhenomenonThe vortex tube was discovered in 1930 by French physicist Georges Ranque. Vortec was the first company to develop this phenomenon into practical, effective cooling solutions for industrial applications. Here's how it works.
Fluid that rotates about an axis -- like a tornado -- is called a vortex. A vortex tube creates a vortex from compressed air and separates it into two air streams -- one hot and one cold. Compressed air enters a cylindrical generator which is proportionately larger than the hot (long) tube where it causes the air to rotate. Then, the rotating air is forced down the inner walls of the hot tube at speeds reaching 1,000,000 rpm. At the end of the hot tube, a small portion of this air exits through a needle valve as hot air exhaust. The remaining air is forced back through the center of the incoming air stream at a slower speed. The heat in the slower moving air is transferred to the faster moving incoming air. This super-cooled air flows through the center of the generator and exits through the cold air exhaust port.
ITW Vortec's vortex tube products have
been solving industrial cooling problems for years. Using only
filtered, factory compressed air as a power source, they convert
ordinary compressed air into two air streams -- one hot and one
cold. At 100 PSIG (6.9 Bar) and 70° F (21° C) inlet temperature,
a vortex tube can produce refrigeration up to 6000 BTUH (1512
kcal/H) or temperatures to -40° F (-40° C).
Choose one of our Cold Air Guns for quick, easy installation or the model from our complete vortex tube line that best fits the specific needs of your application.
| Vortex Tube Models and Performance Specifications: | ||||||||
| MODEL NO. | COMPRESSED AIR PRESSURE -- 100 PSIG | COMPRESSED AIR PRESSURE -- 6.9 BAR |
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SCFM CONSUMPTION |
TEMP. DROP ° F* |
BTUH | SLPM |
TEMP. DROP ° C* |
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| CONSUMPTION | KCAL/H | |||||||
| VOR.106-2-H | 2 | 61 | 100 | 57 | 34 | 25 |
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| VOR.106-4-H | 4 | 80 | 255 | 113 | 44 | 64 | ||
| VOR.106-8-H | 8 | 81 | 400 | 227 | 45 | 101 | ||
| VOR.208-11-H | 11 | 84 | 640 | 312 | 47 | 161 |
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| VOR.208-15-H | 15 | 84 | 900 | 425 | 47 | 227 | ||
| VOR.208-25-H | 25 | 67 | 1500 | 708 | 37 | 378 | ||
| VOR.308-35-H | 35 | 76 | 2650 | 992 | 42 | 668 |
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| VOR.328-50-H | 50 | 79 | 3000 | 1416 | 44 | 756 |
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| VOR.328-75-H | 75 | 85 | 4500 | 2125 | 47 | 1134 | ||
| VOR.328-100-H | 100 | 78 | 6000 | 2833 | 43 | 1512 | ||
BTUH (kcal/H) capacity based upon 70° F (21° C) compressed air dried to a dewpoint of -40° F (-40° C).
* Airflow temperature can be dropped up to an additional 20° F (11° C). Colder airflow temperatures are produced by adjusting the needle valve to increase the hot airflow. The needle valve is located in the hot exhaust. Vortex Tubes produce less airflow at colder temperatures and have less BTUH (kcal/H) capacity.
link to experimental kits page
Accessories:
| MODEL NO. | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| VOR.106GEN | Individual Generator for VOR.106 Vortex Tube -- specify 2, 4 or 8 SCFM |
| VOR.106MC | Cold End Muffler for VOR.106 Vortex Tube |
| VOR.208GEN | Individual Generator for VOR.208 Vortex Tube -- specify 11, 15, 25 or 35 SCFM |
| VOR.208MC | Cold End Muffler for VOR.208 or VOR.308 Vortex Tubes |
| VOR.208MH | Hot End Muffler for VOR.106 or VOR.208 Vortex Tubes |
| VOR.308MH | Hot End Muffler for VOR.308 Vortex Tube |
| VOR.328M | Cold or Hot End Muffler for VOR.328 Vortex Tube |
| VOR.328XB | Individual Generator for VOR.328 Vortex Tube -- specify 50, 75 or 100 SCFM |
link to Vortex Tubes Dimension Page
|
Cold Air Guns || Cold Air Guns incorporate a vortex tube in a system designed to fit the needs of many common vortex tube applications. |
![]() Cold Air Gun to increase feed rates and tool life, or cool parts and industrial processes. |
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Features:
|
Model VOR.610 Adjustable Cold Air Gun
The Model VOR.610 Adjustable Cold Air Gun is ideal for use in machining
applications and for cooling parts and industrial processes. Model
VOR.610's adjustable feature allows you to set the cold airflow rate
(BTUH) at optimum levels for your application. The Adjustable
Cold Air Gun's maximum temperature drop is 100° F (55.6°
C) below inlet air temperature and the maximum cooling capacity
is 1500 BTUH (378 kcal/H). Model VOR.610's compressed air supply requirement
is 15 SCFM (425 SLPM) at 100 PSIG (6.9 Bar).
Model VOR.610 comes complete with a flexible nozzle for directing cold air and a magnetic base for quick, easy installation and use.
link to Cold Air Gun VOR.VOR.610 detailed Page
new frost free cold guns pdf page(341Kb)
Models:
| Model no. | Description |
|---|---|
| VOR.610 | Adjustable Cold Air Gun, includes Magnetic Base and 5-micron Auto-Drain filter |
| VOR.610-1 | Adjustable Cold Air Gun only |
Options:
| Model no. | Description |
|---|---|
| VOR.611-FNU | Frost-Free Nozzle Upgrade Kit |
| VOR.610-30 | Dual-Point Flexible Nozzle (two cold air outlets) |
Needle Cooler
Watch your piece rate jump with ITW Vortec's Model 424 Thread
Guard®. The Thread Guard delivers a continuous stream of cold
air onto the sewing machine needle to virtually eliminate downtime
caused by needle breakage and thread burning caused by overheating.
It's effective even in the most challenging sewing operations
including belt loops and tough materials. Cooling also prevents
holes caused by hot needles burning synthetic fabrics. Model 424's
compressed air supply requirement is 4 SCFM (113 SLPM) at 100
PSIG (6.9 Bar).
link to Model VOR.424 Thread Guard® detailed Page
VOR.609 Adjustable Hot Air Gun
Spot Heating Systems
Use filtered compressed air to produce air temperatures up to
250°F (121°C) for spot preheating of parts &
processes.
Intrinsically safe, it is ideal when moderate heat levels are
required for applications including preheating and softening
link to Model VOR.609 Hot Air Gun detailed Page
click here to link to see how vortex tube works
Operation
Any fluid that flows and rotates about an axis such as a tornado,
is called a vortex. A vortex tube creates a vortex and separates
it into two air streams-one hot and one cold. Figure 1 shows how
a vortex tube works. Compressed air enters a cylindrical generator
which is proportionately larger than the hot (long) tube. The
generator causes the air to spiral. The spiraling air is forced
down the inner walls of the hot tube at speeds reaching 1,000,000
rpm. At the end of the hot tube, a small portion of this air exits
through a needle valve as hot air. The remaining air is forced
back through the center of the incoming air stream but at a slower
speed. The heat in slower moving air is transferred to the faster
moving incoming air. This super-cooled air flows through the center
of the generator and exits through the cold air exhaust port.
Temperature Separation Effects
The Vortex Tube Creates two types of vortices: free and forced.
In a free vortex (like a whirlpool) the angular velocity of a
fluid particle increases as it moves toward the Center of the
vortex-that is, the closer a particle of fluid is to the center
of a vortex, the faster it rotates. In a forced vortex, the velocity
is directly, proportional to the radius of the vortex-the closer
the center, the slower the velocity.
In a vortex tube, the outer (hot) air stream is a free vortex.
The inner (cold) air stream is a forced vortex. The rotational
movement of the forced vortex is controlled by the free vortex
(hot air stream). The turbulence of both the hot and cold air
streams cause the layers to be locked together in a single, rotational
mass.
The inner air stream flows through the hollow core of the outer
air stream at a slower velocity than the outer air stream. Since
the energy is proportional to the square of the velocity, the
cold air stream loses its energy by heat transfer. This allows
energy to flow from the inner air stream to the outer air stream
as heat creating a cold inner air stream.
Cold Fraction
The percentage of total input air volume released through the
cold air exhaust of a Vortex Tube is called the Cold Fraction.
A valve located in the hot air exhaust of the Vortex Tube controls
the Cold Fraction. For example, if the total compressed air input
is 15 SCFM (424.5 SLPM) and the Cold Fraction is 70%, the amount
of air exiting the cold end wilt be 10.5 SCFM (297.2 SLPM); 4.5
SCFM (127.4 SLPM) exits the hot end.
Cold Fractions of 60-80% produce maximum efficiency-greatest power
(BTUH) output- and are ideal for cooling machining operations,
electrical controls and enclosures, liquid baths and workers.
Low Cold Fractions (less than 50%) have reduced airflows and produce
the lowest temperatures for cooling glass, laboratory experiments
and for testing electronic components.
|
Temperature ° F(° C) |
110(43) | 100(38) | 90(32) | 80(27) | 70(21) | 60(16) | 50(10) | |
|
Saturation, gr/lb(gr/kg) |
375(827) | 295(650) | 217(478) | 154(339) | 111(245) | 77(170) | 54(119) | |
|
Temperature ° F(° C) |
40(4) | 30(-1) | 20(-7) | 10(-12) | 0(-18) | -10(-23) | -20(-29) | -30(-34) |
|
Saturation, gr/lb(gr/kg) |
37(82) | 24(53) | 15(33) | 9(20) | 5.5(12) | 3.2(7) | 1.8(4) | 1.0(2) |
|
Temperature ° F(° C) |
110(43) | 100(38) | 90(32) | 80(27) | 70(21) | 60(16) | 50(10) | 40(4) | 30(-1) | 20(-7) |
|
Saturation, gr/lb(gr/kg) |
48(106) | 38(84) | 28(62) | 20(44) | 14(31) | 9.8(22) | 6.9(15) | 4.7(10) | 3.1(7) | 1.9(4) |
Humidity Effects
A Vortex Tube does not separate humidity between hot and cold air-it remains the same as the compressed air input. If the dew point of the air is higher than its temperature, the moisture will condense and/or freeze. The table above shows the amount of moisture in grains (1 grain = 0.000143 pound) that one pound of air can hold in the saturated vapor state as a function of air temperature at one atmosphere, 14.7 PSIG (1 D Bar). Table 1 shows when condensation will begin at various temperatures and moisture contents. For example, if the moisture content is 14 gr/lb (31 gr/kg), condensation will begin when the temperature of the cold air falls below 19 ° F(-7.2° C) At 5 gr/lb (11 gr/kg), condensation will begin at -1° F (-18° C).
If you compare Tables 1 and 2, you can predict the amount of moisture in the compressed air and the temperature at which the moisture will begin to precipitate or freeze in the cold air. For example, if the compressed air is after-cooled to 80° F (27° C) after compression and the precipitated water is drained off, Table 2 shows that the air will hold 20 grains of water vapor per pound of dry air. When this expands in the Vortex Tube, Table 1 shows that precipitation begins in the cold air when the temperature falls below 26° F (-3.3° C) when the pressure is 14.7 PSIG (1.0 Bar)
If the compressed air is cooled under pressure by a chiller to 40° F (4.4° C), it will then hold 4.7 gr/lb of water vapor (see Table 2). When expanded in the Vortex Tube, precipitation will occur at -3° F (-19° C) at 14.4 PSIG (1 .0 Bar).
If some moisture precipitates in the cold air, the temperature of the cold air will rise about 0.75° F (0.4° C) for each grain of moisture precipitated. This is because some of the sensible (apparent) refrigeration of the cold air is consumed in producing latent refrigeration of the moisture. This refrigeration is not lost, but reappears in the cold air as it warms after leaving the Vortex Tube when the precipitated moisture evaporates.
For example, if a VOR.208-15-H Vortex Tube is operating at 100 PSIG (6.9 Bar), it will achieve a cold end temperature of approximately -15° F (-26° C) at a dew point of -40° F (-40° C) and a cold end flow rate of 10.3 SCF (291.5 SLPM). But if the compressed air supply was not dried, and only after-cooled to 80° F (27° C), it would contain 20 gr/lb of moisture. But once the cold air reaches -15° F (-26° C), Table 1 shows that the air can only hold 2.5 grains of moisture and 17.5 grains (20 - 2.5) of moisture would precipitate out. This would cause a temperature rise of over 13° F (7.2° C) causing a loss of 144 BTUH (36 kcal/H).
Tables 1 and 2 show that condensation will not normally occur at moderately cold temperatures. When temperatures are below freezing, the condensation is in the form of snow. This snow has a sticky quality from oil vapor and will eventually collect and block air passages. For continuous operation at low temperatures, use an air dryer or inject an antifreeze mist into the input air. When selecting a dryer, do not use chemical desiccant dyers such as silica-gel or molecular sieve types. They tend to heat the compressed air and cause refrigeration losses.






link to Vortex
Tube Cabinet Enclosure Cooler System page