Thermal control apparatus
AssigneeThermo Gamma-Metrics Pty Ltd
InventorsBryan John Crosby, Simon Liemar
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A thermal control apparatus adapted for use with a pressurized air supply for controlling temperature of a component includes a vortex tube having an inlet adapted for connection with the pressurized air supply, a cold air outlet, and a hot air outlet, and a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the cold air outlet of the vortex tube, the heat exchanger being in thermal contact with the component and thereby controlling the temperature of the component. The heat exchanger further includes a post-heat-exchange exhaust air outlet in fluid communication with an exhaust air inlet adapted to direct the exhaust air along an outside of the vortex tube.
Claims30
A thermal control apparatus adapted for use with a pressurized air supply for controlling temperature of a component, the apparatus comprising:
- a. a vortex tube having an inlet adapted for connection with the pressurized air supply, a cold air outlet, and a hot air outlet;
- and
- b. a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the cold air outlet of the vortex tube, the heat exchanger being in thermal contact with the component and thereby controlling the temperature of the component, the heat exchanger further including a post-heat-exchange exhaust air outlet in fluid communication with an exhaust air inlet adapted to direct the exhaust air along an outside of the vortex tube.
A method of controlling temperature of a component, the method comprising:
- a. supplying pressurized air into an inlet of a vortex tube having a cold air outlet and a hot air outlet;
- b. flowing cold air from the cold air outlet of the vortex tube to a heat exchanger that is in thermal contact with the component, and thereby controlling the temperature of the component;
- c. flowing post-heat-exchange exhaust air along an outside of the vortex tube;
- and
- d. combining the exhaust air with the hot air and flowing the combined air to an exhaust air outlet.
An XRF immersion probe analyzer comprising:
- a. a probe head immersible into and resistant to an ore slurry, the probe head including an X-ray transparent window;
- b. a probe including:
- i. at least one X-ray source that emits X-rays toward a sample through the window;
- ii. a silicon drift X-ray fluorescence (XRF) detector that detects X-ray radiation backscattered from the sample through the window, the silicon drift detector (SDD) having a hot side;
- c. a vortex tube having an inlet adapted for connection with the pressurized air supply, a cold air outlet, and a hot air outlet;
- and
- d. a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the cold air outlet of the vortex tube, the heat exchanger being in thermal contact with the hot side of the SDD and thereby controlling the temperature of the hot side of the SDD, the heat exchanger further including a post-heat-exchange exhaust air outlet in fluid communication with an exhaust air inlet adapted to direct the exhaust air along an outside of the vortex tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.