pneumatic tool

Controlling Temperature And Flow From A Vortex Tube

Published on October 8, 2024October 22, 2024 by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

The Vortex Tube is among the most fascinating air-operated devices to me. It’s right up there with the pneumatic impact wrench, which is my HIGHLY preferred method of removing (and replacing) a tire on a vehicle. While there are several different types of impact wrenches, they all basically use air pressure to move internal parts in a manner in which they strike (or impact) a rotating element with a socket on the end, resulting in a lot more torque being applied than if it was simply spinning a propeller attached to the shaft.

Vortex Tubes, on the other hand, all work on the same principle, discovered by a French engineer, Georges Ranque, while he was experimenting with a new design of a vacuum pump in 1922. There doesn’t seem to be any record of him completing the work on his newfangled vacuum pump, but he did continue experimenting with this device that made hot air come out one end, and cold air come out the other, getting a patent for it in 1931.

EXAIR offers two series of Vortex Tubes:

32XX series, or Maximum Refrigeration. These make the highest flows of cold air, at temperatures suitable for rapid cooling of warm objects to ambient (or below) temperatures.
34XX series, or Maximum Cold Temperature. These will give you the coldest air possible – as low as minus 50°F – but at lower flows, relative to the 32XX series. I’ll go into more detail on both of these in a minute.

Both of these series consist of Vortex Tubes in three sizes, with multiple models in each size. The difference between the models in each series is the compressed air consumption:

3 models of Small Vortex Tubes
- 2, 4, and 8 SCFM
5 models of Medium Vortex Tubes:
- 10, 15, 25, 30, and 40 SCFM
4 models of Large Vortex Tubes:
- 50, 75, 100, and 150 SCFM

You can control the temperature, and the flows (both hot and cold), of any Vortex Tube in a few different ways:

Supply pressure affects the total flow of the two air streams, and the magnitude of the change in temperature. Since higher pressure equals more energy, it stands to reason that, at higher pressures, the hot air will be hotter, and the cold air will be colder.
Cold Fraction is the percentage of the compressed air supply that gets directed to the cold end. You can get VERY cold air from a Vortex Tube by setting it to a low cold fraction. This is done by opening the Hot Valve to let more hot air out. That causes the flow rate, and the temperature of the air coming out of the cold end, to drop.

Two types of Generators can be installed in an EXAIR Vortex Tube – these are what determine the series I mentioned above:
- Type “R” (Maximum Refrigeration) Generators allow for Cold Fraction adjustments from 50-80%. With an air supply pressure of 100psig, the cold air will be 54°F (when set to an 80% Cold Fraction) to 100°F (at a 50% Cold Fraction) lower than the compressed air supply temperature. This makes them suitable for applications where rapid cooling of an object is needed.
- Type “C” (Maximum Cold Temperature) Generators give you Cold Fraction adjustments from 20-50%. A Vortex Tube with a “C” Generator installed will give you the same 100°F temperature drop as the “R” Generator will at a 50% Cold Fraction, but at a 20% Cold Fraction, it’ll be 123°F colder than the supply. These are used where cooling to temperatures below 0°F is needed.

If you need to remove & replace a tire, I strongly recommend using a pneumatic impact wrench. If you need to blow cold air for something, I just as strongly recommend using an EXAIR Vortex Tube. Different applications require different series, models, and settings. Give me a call if you’d like to find out which combination of those is right for your application.

Russ Bowman, CCASS

Application Engineer
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Pneumatics: Top 10 Advantages of EXAIR Compressed Air Products

Published on April 27, 2022 by bdwagesLeave a comment

Pneumatics is a branch of engineering that makes use of gas or compressed air. The word pneumatic is derived from the Greek words πνεῦμα pneuma and means wind breath. With 9 out of 10 industries utilizing compressed air products and processes, we could say that pneumatics are the “breath” of industry. OK, I may be stretching here, but it it does flow well…

At EXAIR, we pride ourselves on using compressed air intelligently. Nearly all of our products utilize compressed air and maximize it’s efficiency. Let’s take a deep breath and look at some of the reasons why “wind breath”, and more importantly why the EXAIR products are so advantageous in industry.

REASONS TO USE COMPRESSED AIR

PNEUMATICS

There is an infinite supply of air on this planet to be compressed and used. I know this seems obvious but what other energy source has an infinite supply?
There are very low maintenance costs with pneumatic tools. Our products have minimal to no moving parts. There is no motor to repair, no oil to change, no bearings or fans.
Our products are engineered to be easily installed and can be adjusted for performance. Most of the time you simply mount the product and add air. A simple pressure regulator provides a huge bandwidth of adjustment to dial in the force and performance.
Air is very easy to transport. With your current compressor system, you can easily run pipe to the point of use and supply the products with their power source.
Compressed air is compact, and usually takes up less space to install a compressed air product.
Our products and tools are extremely reliable. Due to the precision engineering and production, our products produce a repeatable result every time they are turned on.
EXAIR products all comply with OSHA standards for sound (29 CFR 1910-242 (b)) as well as dead end pressure 29 CFR-1910.95(a)).
Initial purchase as well as installation costs are typically considerably lower than non pneumatic options. When you add in the upkeep and maintenance, EXAIR products are almost always less expensive than alternative products.
Using compressed air as your power supply typically facilitates a cleaner, dryer, safer work environment.
At EXAIR, you have a team of application engineers at your fingertips that will help you choose the best product for your specific application. Feel free to call or email at anytime.

Please let us know if there is anything we can do to he

Application Engineer
Brian Wages
EXAIR Corporation
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*Albert Einstein picture by Parent/rap Pixabay license *Top 10 picture by geralt Pixabay License

Opportunities To Save On Compressed Air

Published on June 7, 2019 by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

If you’re a regular reader of the EXAIR blog, you’re likely familiar with our:

EXAIR Six Steps To Optimizing Your Compressed Air System

This guideline is as comprehensive as you want it to be. It’s been applied, in small & large facilities, as the framework for a formal set of procedures, followed in order, with the goal of large scale reductions in the costs associated with the operation of compressed air systems…and it works like a charm. Others have “stepped” in and out, knowing already where some of their larger problems were – if you can actually hear or see evidence of leaks, your first step doesn’t necessarily have to be the installation of a Digital Flowmeter.

Here are some ways you may be able to “step” in and out to realize opportunities for savings on your use of compressed air:

Power: I’m not saying you need to run out & buy a new compressor, but if yours is
Recent advances have made significant improvements in efficiency.

aging, requires more frequent maintenance, doesn’t have any particular energy efficiency ratings, etc…you might need to run out & buy a new compressor. Or at least consult with a reputable air compressor dealer about power consumption. You might not need to replace the whole compressor system if it can be retrofitted with more efficient controls.
Pressure: Not every use of your compressed air requires full header pressure. In fact, sometimes it’s downright detrimental for the pressure to be too high. Depending on the layout of your compressed air supply lines, your header pressure may be set a little higher than the load with the highest required pressure, and that’s OK. If it’s significantly higher, intermediate storage (like EXAIR’s Model 9500-60 Receiver Tank, shown on the right) may be worth looking into. Keep in mind, every 2psi increase in your header pressure means a 1% increase (approximately) in electric cost for your compressor operation. Higher than needed pressures also increase wear and tear on pneumatic tools, and increase the chances of leaks developing.
Consumption: Much like newer technologies in compressor design contribute to higher efficiency & lower electric power consumption, engineered compressed air products will use much less air than other methods. A 1/4″ copper tube is more than capable of blowing chips & debris away from a machine tool chuck, but it’s going to use as much as 33 SCFM. A Model 1100 Super Air Nozzle (shown on the right) can do the same job and use only 14 SCFM. This one was installed directly on to the end of the copper tube, quickly and easily, with a compression fitting.
Leaks: These are part of your consumption, whether you like it or not. And you shouldn’t like it, because they’re not doing anything for you, AND they’re costing you money. Fix all the leaks you can…and you can fix them all. Our Model 9061 Ultrasonic Leak Detector (right) can be critical to your efforts in finding these leaks, wherever they may be.
Pressure, part 2: Not every use of your compressed air requires full header pressure (seems I’ve heard that before?) Controlling the pressure required for individual applications, at the point of use, keeps your header pressure where it needs to be. All EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air Product Kits come with a Pressure Regulator (like the one shown on the right) for this exact purpose.
All of our engineered Compressed Air Product Kits include a Filter Separator, like this one, for point-of-use removal of solid debris & moisture.

Air Quality: Dirty air isn’t good for anything. It’ll clog (and eventually foul) the inner workings of pneumatic valves, motors, and cylinders. It’s particularly detrimental to the operation of engineered compressed air products…it can obstruct the flow of Air Knives & Air Nozzles, hamper the cooling capacity of Vortex Tubes & Spot Cooling Products, and limit the vacuum (& vacuum flow) capacity of Vacuum Generators, Line Vacs, and Air Amplifiers.