Vortex tube including secondary inlet with swirl generator
AssigneeKhalifa University of Science and Technology
InventorsYacine Addad, Omar Sharief Ibrahim Alyahia
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Vortex Tubes and related methods of separating an airflow into a hot airflow and a cold airflow employ a secondary airflow inlet. A Vortex Tube includes a secondary airflow inlet that injects a swirling airflow aligned with a central region of the lumen of a circulating tube. The secondary airflow inlet includes a swirl generator that generates the vorticity of the swirling airflow. The injected swirling airflow increase the inner vortex strength thereby increasing the temperature difference between the hot airflow and the cold airflow.
Claims16
An airflow separator for separating an airflow having an inlet airflow temperature into a reduced temperature airflow having a reduced airflow temperature less than the inlet airflow temperature and an increased temperature airflow having an increased airflow temperature greater than the inlet airflow temperature, the airflow separator comprising:
- a circulating tube having a first end and a second end, wherein the circulating tube is elongated along a circulating tube axis and defines an airflow channel having a central portion and an annular portion that surrounds the central portion;
- a first vortex generator configured to receive a first portion of the airflow and inject the first portion of the airflow into the annular portion of the airflow channel at the first end with a first airflow vorticity around the circulating tube axis;
- a secondary vortex generator configured to receive a second portion of the airflow, generate a second airflow vorticity around the circulating tube axis in the second portion of the airflow, and, subsequent to generation of the second airflow vorticity by the secondary vortex generator, inject the second portion of the airflow with the second airflow vorticity into the central portion of the airflow channel at the second end;
- a reduced temperature airflow outlet disposed at the first end of the circulating tube and configured to receive the reduced temperature airflow from the central portion of the circulating tube;
- and
- an increased temperature airflow outlet disposed at the second end of the circulating tube and configured to receive the increased temperature airflow from the annular portion of the circulating tube.
A method of separating an airflow having an inlet airflow temperature into a reduced temperature airflow having a reduced airflow temperature less than the inlet airflow temperature and an increased temperature airflow having an increased airflow temperature greater than the inlet airflow temperature, the method comprising:
- injecting a first portion of the airflow into an annular portion of a lumen of a circulating tube at a first end of the circulating tube, wherein the circulating tube has the first end and a second end, wherein the circulating tube is elongated along a circulating tube axis and defines an airflow channel having a central portion and an annular portion that surrounds the central portion, and wherein the first portion of the airflow is injected into the annular portion of the lumen so as to have a first airflow vorticity around the circulating tube axis;
- generating a second airflow vorticity around the circulating tube axis in a second portion of the airflow;
- subsequent to the generation of the second airflow vorticity, injecting the second portion of the airflow with the second airflow vorticity into a central portion of the lumen of the circulating tube at a second end of the circulating tube;
- outputting the increased temperature airflow from the annular portion of the lumen of the circulating tube via an increased temperature airflow outlet disposed at the second end of the circulating tube;
- and
- outputting the reduced temperature airflow from the central portion of the lumen of the circulating tube via a reduced temperature airflow outlet disposed at the first end of the circulating tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.