Exair Vortex Tubes

– How to adjust the Exair Vortex Tube outlet temperature.

Compressed air, normally at a pressure of between 80-100 psig (5.5 - 6.9 BAR) is injected tangentially through a generator into a chamber where the air flow generates a vortex rotating at over 1,000,000 RPM. The resulting air stream is stirred until it reaches the downstream outlet, from where a certain amount of hot air escapes through the control valve. The air that does not escape, which is still spinning, returns through the center of the outer vortex until it exits on the opposite side as cold air, as it has already lost most of its energy.

EXAIR vortex tubes are available in three sizes: small, medium and large. Each size can produce a number of flow rates, determined by a small internal plastic part called a generator. If the cooling, flow or temperature requirements are known, it is very easy to select a Vortex Tube using the table below.

The specifications shown were all tested under controlled conditions.

Remember that vortex generators are interchangeable. If for example, vortex tube model 3215 does not provide sufficient cooling for the application, just by changing the generators inside the vortex tube you can increase the air flow by increasing the cooling capacity.