EXAIR manufactures three sizes of Vortex Tubes, small, medium & large. Each size can produce a range of cooling power that can be changed by installing a different generator that will change the volume output capability of that Vortex Tube.
If a different cooling capacity is desired, other generators are available by either purchasing them individually or by purchasing one of the (3) highly versatile Vortex Tube Cooling Kits designated as the 3908 (small), 3930 (medium) or 3998 (large). The Kits include the Vortex Tube, Filter Separator, Vinyl Tubing, Tubing Adapter, Tube Clamps, Cold End Muffler (Optional Hot End Muffler Available) and Both “R” & “C” Generators.
If you would like to discuss Vortex Tubes, their Generators, or any of EXAIR’s safe, quiet & efficient compressed air products, I would enjoy hearing from you…give me a call or shoot me an email!
The Vortex Tube might be just about the most interesting compressed air device around. They have no moving parts, and they don’t need any but a compressed air supply, which they ‘split’ into a hot air stream, and a cold air stream.
EXAIR Vortex Tubes come in three sizes – Small, Medium, and Large – and 24 distinct Models across those three sizes. They’re all in stock, along with Hot & Cold Mufflers (for sound level reduction,) Automatic Drain Filter Separators (to keep the air supply clean & moisture free,) Oil Removal Filters (to coalesce any trace of oil from the air supply,) and Solenoid Valves & Thermostats (to automate operation.)
From left to right; a few value added accessories for your Vortex Tube: Hot Muffler, Cold Muffler, Automatic Drain Filter Separator, Oil Removal Filter, and Solenoid Valve/Thermostat Kit.
The Vortex Tube, right out of the box, is easily adaptable to a wide range of cooling (or heating) applications. If your needs are specific, though, we can customize a Vortex Tube to meet them:
Material of construction: our stock Vortex Tubes are made of 303SS and are equipped with a plastic Generator and Buna o-ring.
For high temperature (>125F ambient) applications, we can install a brass Generator and Viton o-ring, suitable for ambient temperatures up to 200F.
If the environment is particularly aggressive, or if industry codes (I’m looking at you, food & pharma) call for it, we can also make them out of other materials. We’ve, for instance, made them out of 316SS, complete with material certifications, when needed.
Flow & temperature: the Hot Valve can be opened or closed to dial in a particular Cold Fraction (that’s the percentage of the supply air which is directed to the cold end.) If you know what flow rate and temperature you want, we can replace the Hot Valve with a non-adjustable plug, so your Vortex Tube’s cold flow is only dependent on the compressed air supply temperature and pressure.
Accessories: if you’re looking for features like a magnetic base, or a flexible cold air hose, you might consider an Adjustable Spot Cooler. If you like the idea of tool-free change of air flow/temperature, that’s definitely the way to go. If you want those other options, and don’t mind using a screwdriver to adjust the Cold Fraction, those other options are compatible with any Medium Vortex Tube.
Model 3925 Adjustable Spot Cooler
These are just a few of the most common possibilities for customizing a Vortex Tube. If you have a spot cooling application you’d like to discuss, give me a call.
Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
EXAIR Corporation
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I went to the auto parts store to replace my brakes on my vehicle. They asked me if I needed some Anti-squeak grease for my brake hardware. It made me think about the accessories that EXAIR sells. I could have used my own kind of grease which may not be able to hold up to the heat, but for a few dollars more, I wanted to go with the item that the experts would suggest.
In this blog, I would like to turn your attention to the accessories that support our Intelligent Compressed Air® Products. EXAIR products use compressed air to coat, conserve, cool, convey and clean. To maximize the performance and/or ease installation it is important to have the controls and options, and EXAIR offers these items as Accessories.
Pneumatic applications come in many variations and forms, and Accessories can help you to adapt to your application and to remove “guess work”. They can make installation easier, add flexibility, and give you peace of mind.
Here are the different categories and explanations for each item that EXAIR recommends for our products with their defined functions. They can help you in different areas to enhance your EXAIR product experience.
Automatic Drain Filter Separator (left,) and a Pressure Regulator (right.) Oil Removal Filters (optional; center) are also available if needed.
Filters/Regulators:
Filter Separators remove bulk liquid and contamination from the compressed air stream. EXAIR stocks a range of sizes from ¼” NPT ports to 1 ¼” NPT ports. They use a 5-micron filter and a mechanical baffle to remove slugs of liquid from your compressed air system. Most Filter Separators have an auto-drain to automatically remove the buildup of liquid inside the bowl. I would consider the Filter Separator as a minimum level of protection required to protect your EXAIR product installations.
Oil Removal Filters remove very small particles of dirt and oil from the compressed air; making it even cleaner. The 0.03-micron media of the Oil Removal Filter will “coalesce” the fine liquid particles into large droplets. Thus, allowing gravity to remove oil vapor from the compressed air stream. EXAIR offers different sizes ranging from ¼” NPT to 1 ½” NPT ports. As a note, Oil Removal Filters are great for removing very fine particles, but if you have a system with lots of water, I would recommend a Filter Separator upstream of the Oil Removal Filter for optimal filtration.
Regulators control the amount of air pressure being supplied to your EXAIR product. This is important if you are trying to save compressed air, control the force produced by an Air Knife, or convey material slowly. EXAIR, being a leader in compressed air savings, recommends to use the minimum amount of air pressure to do the job. This will save compressed air and save you money. Regulators have a characteristic called “droop”. Droop is the amount of air pressure that it drops downstream when you start flowing compressed air. If the regulator is not sized properly, you can “starve” your pneumatic components, causing loss of function. EXAIR properly sizes our regulators in our kits to make sure that you won’t “starve” your application.
Mounting Brackets for the regulators and the filters to help support them to a wall or structure are available. To connect filters and regulators together without a pipe nipple, we also have Coupling Kits for sizes up to ¾” NPT. And for combination kits which includes a filter and a regulator, we offer the Mounting Bracket and Coupling Kit together for a set.
Silencing Mufflers:
Reclassifying Mufflers are designed to have two functions. They can cut noise levels by 35 dB and remove oil mist from the exhaust air. Cylinders and valves that exhaust pressurized air may have oil in the line to keep the seals from sticking. When exhausted, it can create a fine mist which is dangerous for operators. The Reclassifying Mufflers can reduce the loud noise as well as collect any contamination from the exhaust air.
Sintered Bronze Mufflers are simple in design, cost effective, and easy to install. They have a minimal back pressure to not restrict operations of the pneumatic device. They come in sizes from #10-32 thread to 1-1/2 NPT. For a quick and simple way to reduce noise, the Sintered Bronze Mufflers are in stock for fast delivery.
Straight-Through Mufflers offer a way to reduce noise levels without worrying about clogging. They have an aluminum shell lined with sound absorbing foam, and they can reduce the noise level by 20 dB. EXAIR offers them with two ports from ¼” NPT to ¾” NPT. This can allow you to connect other items like blowing hose kits while reducing noise.
Heavy Duty Mufflers have an outer aluminum shell with an internal stainless steel screen that can protect the components from environmental contamination, and can also keep contaminant like rust from being ejected at high speed into the work area. They have a typical noise reduction of 14 dB.
Pneumatic Valves:
Manual Valves allow for operators to turn on and off their system by hand. The full-flow ball valves range from ¼” NPT to 1 1/4” NPT in size and will not restrict flow. EXAIR also offers a manual foot pedal valve for hands-free operations. This ¼” NPT foot valve has a 3-way operation and works great if the operator has to use both hands in their process.
Solenoid Valves are a way to turn on and off the supply of compressed air electrically for automated systems. We offer solenoids in three different voltages; 110Vac, 240Vac, and 24Vdc. EXAIR has a large range of flows with ports ranging from ¼” NPT to 1” NPT. All models are UL listed and are CE and RoHS compliant.
Hardware:
EXAIR’s Swivel Fitting Family
Swivel Fittings are a great way to securely install and aim EXAIR nozzles. They are dynamic as they can be adjusted and set to a flow direction with 50-degrees of movement. They are made from 303SS or 316SS for corrosion resistance with ports ranging from 4mm to 1” NPT.
Compressed Air Fittings are a nice arrangement to connect different compressed air items together. We offer a range of hex and close nipples, couplings, reducers, tees, elbows, crosses and bulk head fittings. If you need a quick way to connect directly to your pneumatic system, we may have it on the shelf.
Model 9043
Magnetic Bases are designed for a solid mount to steel surfaces and for easy portability of your blow-off system to different locations. It has a 100 lb. (45.5Kg) pulling force to keep the blowing device attached firmly until you want to move it. They can be mounted in a vertical or horizontal position. EXAIR offers a single outlet Magnetic Base (for one blow-off device); a dual outlet Magnetic Base (for multiple blowing products); and a single outlet Swivel Magnetic Base (to offer more flexibility to orientation). The bases come with a ¼ turn shut-off valve to easily turn on and off the compressed air to the EXAIR products.
Receiver Tanks are used to store compressed air. They can be used at the air compressor or as secondary reservoirs for intermittent demand. They help your compressed air system with pressure variations and high demand loads. EXAIR offers a model 9500-60 Receiver Tank that has a 60 gallon capacity and is rated to 200 PSIG. It meets the ASME pressure vessel code.
Universal Air Mounting Kit
Universal Air Knife Mounting System gives you a way to mount the EXAIR Super Air Knife, Full-Flow Air Knife, and Standard Air Knife. This kit is used to position your air knife securely and precisely. It comes with a bracket and an articulated arm that can reach up to 30” (762mm). You can orientate the air knives in any position to maximize the effectiveness.
Plumbing Kits
Plumbing Kit, or PKI, is a great tool for longer Super Air Knives to help attach your compressed air system. They are designed to help lessen the time for install as well as to properly supply compressed air equally along the entire length, specifically for 24” (610mm) and longer. We can offer the Plumbing Kit separately if you find that it could benefit your fabricators during installation.
Coupling Kits are designed to attach Aluminum and Stainless Steel Super Air Knives if you need to extend past the 108” (2,743 mm) width. Coupling Kits will mount the air knives together end to end.
Hoses:
Conveying Hoses are used with our Air Operated Conveyors or Line Vacs. The hoses are made from a durable PVC semi-flexible hose with six different diameters from ¾” I.D. up to 3” I.D. The conveyance hoses can slip easily to the ends of the Line Vacs or to tubes for an easy transition. EXAIR can cut-to-length Conveying Hoses up to 50 feet (15m); in increments of 10 feet (3m).
Coiled Hoses get compressed air from the piping system to the EXAIR product. They are made of a durable abrasion-resistant nylon material that is 12 feet long (3.6 meters). They have swivel fittings at the end to allow for easy uncoiling, and a spring strain relief to keep the hose from kinking. The coiled design makes it easy to reach around the work area and retract back to the substation. This will help to keep the hose off the ground where potential dangers could occur. We offer 3 different connection sizes; 1/8” NPT, ¼” NPT, and 3/8” NPT.
Compressed Air Hoses is another way to supply EXAIR products. They are useful if you need to reach from overhead sources or around equipment. They are made from a reinforced synthetic rubber in 3/8” I.D. and 1/2” I.D. diameters. We can make specific lengths up to 50 feet (15m). They are rated for 250 PSIG (17 bar) air pressure, and the hose material works well for long-lasting protection against ozone, weathering and temperatures up to 158oF (70oC). They come standard with two male ends in ¼” NPT or ½” NPT.
Stay Set Hoses give you that possibility of manually adjusting or re-adjusting Super Air Nozzles. The hose has a “memory” function; so, it will not creep or droop until you physically move it. They work well to direct air flows in unique ways at specific target areas. They can be used with Super Air Nozzles, Safety Air Guns and Blow-off Kits. The Stay Set Hoses come in lengths from 6” (15cm) to 36” (91cm), and they are offered with ¼” NPT male on both ends or with a 1/8” NPT female and a ¼” NPT male connections. These hoses are rated for 250 PSIG (17 bar) and are made from reinforced synthetic rubber.
Temperature Accessories:
The ETC, or Electronic Temperature Control, is a digital temperature controller with a LED screen for precision monitoring and adjusting temperatures in a Cabinet Cooler System. The controller has easy-to-use buttons to raise or lower the desired internal cabinet temperature. Once set, the ETC will hold the temperature to +/- 1 oF (+/- 0.5 oC). The LED displays the internal temperature for continuous monitoring. The ETC comes complete with the controller and a solenoid valve in two different voltages, 120Vac and 240Vac.
The thermostat is a way to control a solenoid valve electrically to turn on/off a Cabinet Cooler System at a set temperature. It is preset at 95°F (35°C), but it can be adjusted to other desired temperatures. It has an accuracy to hold the set temperature within +/- 2 °F (1 °C). It can handle voltages from 24V to 240V, AC (50/60 Hz) or DC. They are UL Recognized and CSA certified.
In today’s fast-paced world, there is a need to get your devices operating correctly and as quickly as possible. EXAIR Accessories can do that. Not only will you have confidence, as you are using the items recommended by the EXAIR experts, but you won’t have to worry about your system “squeaking” to a halt. Like with my brakes above; I was happy to use the recommended grease to end any annoyance with my braking. If you would like to discuss the proper options with your EXAIR products, an Application Engineer will be happy to help you.
Vortex Tube Generators are the internal component that controls the volume of air entering the Vortex Tube and ultimately the volume of cool/cold air produced.
Vortex Family
EXAIR manufactures three sizes of Vortex Tubes, small, medium & large. Each size can produce a range of cooling power that can be changed by installing a different generator that will change the volume output capability of that Vortex Tube. The generators for small size vortex tubes can operate at 2, 4 or 8 SCFM (maximum cooling power of 550 BTU/HR), generators for the medium size at 10, 15, 25, 30, or 40 SCFM (maximum cooling power of 2,800 BTU/HR) and the generators for the large size operate at 50, 75, 100 or 150 SCFM (maximum cooling power of 10,200 BTU/HR). The Vortex Tube is sold with one generator installed.
The generators are marked with a number and a letter. The number indicates the capacity (SCFM of air consumption) and the letter indicates the type of operation (“R” for maximum refrigeration or “C” for maximum cold temperature). The maximum refrigeration (“R”) works best when the majority of the inlet air is exhausted out the cold end of the Vortex Tube. They work most efficiently with smaller temperature drops and larger volume of flow than the other generators. The maximum cold generators (“C”) can produce temperatures below 0°F, and work best when the minority of the inlet air is exhausted out the cold end of the Vortex Tube. The volume of cold air produced is less but you will experience greater temperature drops.
If a different cooling capacity is desired, other generators are available by either purchasing them individually or by purchasing one of the (3) highly versatile Vortex Tube Cooling Kits designated as the 3908 (small), 3930 (medium) or 3998 (large). The Kits include the Vortex Tube, Filter Separator, Vinyl Tubing, Tubing Adapter, Tube Clamps, Cold End Muffler (Optional Hot End Muffler Available) and Both “R” & “C” Generators.
EXAIR Medium Vortex Kit Includes: Vortex Tube, Filter Separator, Vinyl Tubing, Tubing Adapter, Tube Clamps, Cold End Muffler (Optional Hot End Muffler Available, Sold Separately) and Both “R” & “C” Generators (10, 15, 25, 30, or 40 SCFM).
If you would like to discuss Vortex Tubes, their Generators, or any of EXAIR’s safe, quiet & efficient compressed air products, I would enjoy hearing from you…give me a call.