Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Apparatus for the redistribution of energy within an
initially homogeneous fluid, as in the Ranque-Hilsch vortex
tube patent 1,952,281 or in Foa 31361,336 has been used in
heating or refrigeration by the direct use of the high energy
fluid, for heating, or the low energy fluid for refrigerati~n
and any kinetic energy is dissipated without being ukilized~
The present invention involves the recirculation o~ the fluid
or fluids so as to recover the kinetic energy in the vortex
and to return it to the vortex inlet with a minimum of loss.
The invention contemplates the removal of heat from the high
energy level fluid and~or the addition of energy to the low
energy level fluid during this recycling for performing cool-
ing or heating functions. The energy in the fluids may also
be utilized in power generation if such use is desired, the
entire unit heing a self contained power unit.
The arrangement may be such that a transfer of energy
from the cold to the hot side may occur for the purpose of addi-
tional cooling at one side or additional heating at the other
side or for the purpose of extracting heat from a low level
heat source such as the atmosphere, the ocean or solar energy
for the purpose o~ high temperature generation on the hot side.
The device contemplates a significantly high temperature of
heat output on the hot side.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a vortex tube system including. a casing
having a fluid separation chamber in which a fluid introduced
in a vortex is separated into hot and cold swirling streams,
means for introducing the fluid into the chamber to produce a
helical flow therein for causing the fluid separation; hot and
cold conduits connected to said chamber to receive the hot and
cold swirling stream~ of fluid, one of ~aid conduits including
a return duct for the return of the fluid therein to the cham-
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ber downstream of said means, said return duct being connected
to minimize kinetic energy loss from the swirling ~luid: and
energy exchange means associated with saicl conduits for the
removal of energy from the hot stream and addition of energy
to the cold stream.
Other features and advantages of the invention will
be apparent from the specification and claims and from the
accompanying drawings which illustrate embodiments of the
invention.
Figure 1 is a schematic view of a simplified internal
recirculating system;
Figure 2 is a schematic view of a simplified external
recirculating system,
Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional-view through a
recirculating vortex tube:
Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view along line
4-4 of Figure 3:.
. Figure 5 is a partial longitudinal sectional view
si~ilar to Figure 3 of a modification;
Figure 6 is a view showing one of the devices in use,
Figure 7 is another view showing another use of thè
device,
Figure 8 is a plan view of a modification,
Figure 9 is a sectional view along line 9-9 of
Figure 8: ,
Figure 10 is a sectional view of a detail, ~:
Figure 11 is a modified form of the device,
Figure 12 is a fragmentary section through the
nozzles of Figure 11: and
Figure 13 is a view at right angles to the sectlon of
Figure 12 .
Referring first to Fisure 1, the system is shown as
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an internal recirculating system in which the return system
surrounds and is in concentric relation to the vortex tube.
The tube is made up of coaxial passages 2 and 4, the former
being the cold tube and is smaller at the inlet end 6 than the
hot tube 8. The latter extend~ to the right, Figure 1, and
may be divergent in the direction of flow. These tubes are
defined by the inner walls of cooperating annular bodies 10
and 12 locaked within and spaced from a casing 14 having an
inner surface that defines, with the other surfaces of the
bodies 10 and 12, annular cold and hot passages 16 and 18 for
the return of the cold and hot fluids to the vortex inlet 20.
This inlet 20 is established by an axial spacing of
the two annular bodies so as to define the inlet passage there-
between. The adjacent end wall~ 22 and 24 of the kodies 10
and 12 may be parallel to one another, as shown, and the wa}ls
may make a slight angle to a radial plane so that the inflow
through the passage 20 ha a longitudinal component in an
axial direction toward the hot tube~
The vortex ~or the tube is created by a nozzle 26
that is arranged tangentially to the periphery of the hot
tube tube 8 to create a vortex at the inlet to this tube. The
effect of this vortex is known. A hot fluid flow moves ko the
right in the hot tube with a significant swirl, and cold air
flows to the left in the cold tube also with a significant
swirl. The nozzle 26 may be o* the type shown in the U. S.
patent to Sohre 3,804,335 ~or efficient operation of the device.
At the discharge ends of the vortex tubes the hot
and cold fluids are directed through curved passages 28 and 30
at the cold and hot ends xespectively, these passages being
defined between the koroidal ends of the casing 14 and the
remote ends of the annular bodies 10 and 12, With proper con-
figuration the hot and cold ends may have a temperature differ-
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ence of as much a~ 180F with an inlet pressure of 100 p,s.i.~he temperature difference may reach several hundred degraes
or even into the thou ands depending upon the mode of operation
and the materials for containment of the fluids. Removal of
some of the heat energy in the hot fluid is accomplished by
surrounding the casing 14 with a heat exchange chamber 32 ~ub-
stantially coextensive axiallylwith the hot annular kody 12.
With conven~ional heat exchange devices such as tubes or fins
on the casing 14 at this point much of the heat energy in the
hot fluid may be removed and utilized. Similarly with a heat
exchange chamber 34 externally of the casing 14 in the cold
area coextensive with the cold annular body 10, a warm fluid
flowing through the chamber 34 may be cooled as for refrigera-
tion use and at the same time the low energy level in the cool
portion i9 raised since the cold fluid in the vortex system is
heated and thus the reclaimed heat is added to the combined
fluids reentering the vortex chamber.
A~ the device oper~tes, the hot and cold fluids in
the recirculating passages may thus be respectively cooled and
heated approximately to the same temperatures and are re-
energized by the effect of the nozzle fluid and drawn through
passage 20 and into the vortex again. The ]cinetic energy in
the fluids is not lost since the swirl of the fluids is not
lost in their return through the recirculating passages and
only a small input of energy through the nozzle or impeller is
necessary to maintain continuing and effective operation.
Fox the energy make-up through the noæzle a compressor
36 driven by power means 36a, pressurizes the fluid delivered
throu~h a conduit 38 to the nozzle. This fluid may be drawn
from the atmosphere if the device is operating on air through
an inlet conduit 40 controlled by a valve 42 or rom the end of
the hot tube through a conduit 44 controlled by valve 46, An
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outlet valve 47 permits exhaust of fluid ~rom the conduit 44
Alternatively or in addition, fluid ~rom the c~old end may be
supplied to thQ compre~sor through a conduit 45 with a control
valve 48 therein. A valve 50 permuts fluid in conduit 46 to
exhaust if desired.
As an alternate to the internal recirculation of
Figure 1 the vortex tube of Figure 2 may have an external re-
circulation~ ~s shown, the hot tube 52 and cold tube 54 are
coaxial as in Figure 1 and are interconnected at their adjacent
ends by the vortex section 56. At their outer ends, the tubes
are connected by connecting tubes 58 and 60 to a return duct 62.
This is preferably a tangential connection to mini~ize loss of
kinetic energy. At a point adjacent the vortex section 56 is a
recycling tube 64 by which the ~luid in the duct 62 is returned
to the vortex section. A make-up nozzle 66 delivers fluid at
high velocity into the tube ~4 for maintaining the necessary
vortex in the vortex sec~ion 56. Energy is removed from the
system by a heat exchanger 68 surrounding the hot portion 70
of the return duct which may be used to ~eat a fluid circulat-
ing in the heat exchanger the hot fluid then being utilizedfor heating or other purposes.
Similarly the cold portion 72 of the return duct has
a surrounding heat exchanger 72 that may be used for cooling a
fluid in the heat exchanger, the cooled fluid then being used
for refrigeration or other purposes where a cooling action is
needed. In this way, heat eneryy is returned to the system at
the same time providing for coolingO
Other arrangements for removal of energy from the
system may be utiliæed. ~or example, as shown in Figure 3, the
vortex tube 80 consists of two ducts, the hot duct 82 and the
cold duct 84 extending coaxially in opposite direction~ from
the vortex section 86. The hot duct is çreated by the inner
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wall of an elongated torus 88 positioned in a cylindrical
chamber 90 and spaced from the wall 92 of the chamber to define
an annular return passaye 94 for the hot ~luids. ~he outer end
of the tqrus 88 is spaced from the end wall 94 of the chamber
to connect the duct 82 and the pa~sage 94 at this point, At
the inner end af the torus the passage 94 discharges into the
vortex section 86 past pre-swirl vanes 96, The cold duct 84 is
created by another elongated torus 98, coaxial with the torus
88 and having a smaller inside diameter so that the cold duct
is smaller in diameter than the hot duct. This torus 98 is
spaced from the chamber wall to define a cold return duct 100,
and pre-swirl vanes, at the vortex section end of the duct 100
impart a swirl to the returning cold fluid.
At the outer end of the torus 98 i.s positioned a rotor
102 defining a return passage 104, and this rotor may have tur~
bine blades 106 ther~on by which the rotor may ~e driven. The
rotor is on a shaft 108 journalled in spaced bearings 110 and
this shaft carries a compressor 112 for pressurizing fluid be-
ing discharged into-the nozzle 114 in the vortex section 860
~his fluid may be a portion of the hot ~luid delivered to the
compressor through a duc~ 116 from a centrally located port 118
at the outer end of the hot duct4 A valve 1~0 may control the
quantity o~ fluid reaching the compressor. Pressurized fluid
~rom the compressor discharge 122 is delivered through a duct
124 to the nozzle.
Where the operatin~ fluid is a gas, the nozzle 114,
as shown in Figure 4 is a convergent diveryent, supersonic
nozzle, as for example the conventional deLaval nozzle, and is
positioned so that the discharge is tangential to the outer
portion of the vortex chamber 86 which extends from the chamber
wall inwardly between the inner ends of the toruses 88 and 98
and comminicates with the inner ends of the hot and cold ducts.
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Because of the character of the separation proce~s the inner
end of the torus 98 may have an annular projection 128 at the
inner diameter that in~tially directs fluid in the ohamber 86
toward the hot duct as shown by the arrows. Separation occuxs
in this area and the cold ~tream moves int:o the cold duct, the
hot stream continuing into the hot duct.
~ motor 130 is connected to the ~haft 108 for supple-
menting ~he power of the turbine ~o opera~e the compressor.
If desired, a part o~ the cold fluid from the cold duct may be
di~charged through the hollow shaft 108 into a duct 132 and
thence to a place for use.
Heat energy is added to the system by heat exchanger
134 and removed by heat exchanger 136 on the outer surface o~
the wall 92 surrounding the cold and hot portions, respectively.
Heat exchanger 134 cool 9 a fluid flowing therethrough for use
in refrigeration or for other cooliny purposes. ~eat exchanger
heat a fluia flowing therethrough, thi~ fluid then being used
for any desired heating purpose. The arrangement may be fur-ther
improved by circulating a fluid through the hollow torus 88 in
heat exchange relationship with the hot fluid in the hot d~ct.
The turbine rotor may be used as an impeller driven
from an external ~ource either in starting the device or in
increasing the velocity and whirl of the fluid. Under certain
conditions this may replace the nozzle with the energy normally
supplied by the nozzle being derived from the impeller. Ob-
viously the ~enerator, not shown, normally driven by the tur-
bine rotor, would become a motor for driving the rotor as an
impeller.
A further arrangement for energy removal i5 shown in
Fi~ure 5. In this showin~ the outer end of the hot tube 139
may have a turbine dis~c 140 with blades 14~. Thi9 turb;ne is
driven by the hot 1uid and is mounted on a shaft 143 journalled
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in bearings 144 provided at the ond of the devlce. Th~ turbine
serves to remove heat energy from the hot fluid and to convert
~hi~ into mechanical energy. A bleed valve 145 may be incor- ~
porated in the ~haft as shown. ~ovement of valve 145 to the
left permits the escape of some of the hot: fluid for heating
or other needs. The shaft may deliver power for any power
requirement.
Similarly the cold end of the de!vice may have a
recovery turbine 146 for extracting heat energy from the cold
fluid thereby further lowering the temperature of this fluid,
and converting the extracted energy into mechanical energy
delivered by the shaft 147. A bleed valve 148 axially of the
turbine 146 permits removal of some of the cold fluid for ex-
ternal use. The valves 145 and 148 also serve to sustain the
device by suitable control of the energy removal from the sys-
tem. In this figure the hot and cold fluidq are returned
through the conduits 149 to the vortex not shown~
In this arrangement, the eneryy input is through an
inlet duct 150 to a nozzle 151 discharging into the vortex or
fluid separation chamber 152 communicating with the hot tube
13~ and a cold outlet defined by the inwardly extending flange
153~ The cold outlet is smaller in diameter than the hot tube,
as shown.
One use for a device of this character may be in air
conditioning or heating of a building such as a home, of~ice
building or the like~ As shown in Figure 6, an outer wall 154
of a building has an opening 155 therein to receive a device
such as that shown in Figure 1. For heating, the device has
its hot end 156 within the building and the cold end 157 out-
side the building. As the device operates, the hot end of thedevice gives up heat by a circulation of air over the heat
exchanger -158 surrounded by the radiating fins 159 and the cold
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end absorbs heat from the outside air through the heat exchanger
160 by a flow of outside air over the surrounding fins 162.
Thus the device functions much as a hsat pump but with a much
simpler construction. Thi5 simpler con~truction i~ particularly
advantageous when made in large and very large units.
For air conditioning the position is reversed with
the cold end inside the room and the hot end outside the
building. In thi~ position the device give~ up heat tv the
outside air and removes heat from the air within the bu:ilding
for cooling or air-conditioning the air. A suitable flange 164
permits mounting the device in either po~ition on the wall 150.
Another use may be in gas turbine systems. As shown
in Figure 7, the air entering the compressor 170 driv~en by
power means 170a is dixected over the cold end 172 oP the
device 174 for lowering the air temperature and improving the
compression cycle. Air discharging from the compressor is -
circulated over the hot end 176 before reaching the combustion
cbamber 178 on its way to the turbine 180.
Heat removed from the inlet ai~ to the compressor by
the cold end of the device i~ added to the combustion air by
the hot end thu~ the compressor inlet air temperature is lower-
ed, to improve compressor efficiency and capacity, and the com-
bustion chamber inlet temperature is correspondingly raised,
thereby increasing the turbine inlet temperature with a given
quantity of fuel or permitting a reduction in fuel quantity for
the same turbine inlet temperature.
Heat from the turbine exhaust may be returnéd in part
to the compressor inlet by the return duct 182. The turbine
drives an energy utilizer represented by a generator 1.84.
As shown in Figures 8 and 9 the return flow may be
controlled by one or more rows of guide vanes. This arrange-
ment is similar to that above described in Figure 1 with a row
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of vane~ 250 at the inner end of the return duct 252, Figure 9,
and another row o vanes 254 a~ the outer end of the return
duct. The~e vanes may also serve to support the inner body
256 that defines the inner wall of the return duct. Each vane
254 is mounted to turn on a pin 258, Figure 10 that extends
inwardly from the outer case 260 and is ~ecured a~ by threads
262 in the inner body. The outer end of tha pin has a flange
264 overlying the outer end of the pivot tube 266 carrying
the vane. The end of the tube 266 has a ring 268 between the
flange 264 and a boss 270 in the outer case. The ring permlts
turning of the vane and locking it in the desired posit:ion.
The vanes 250 may be similarly mounted.
Other vanes 272 and 274 may be located at outer and
inner ends of the cold return duct and being similarly mounted
may be adjustable to control the cold return flow. The vane
structure may-also serve to support the inner body at this end
of the device.
It will be understood that each set of vanes may be
individually adjusted thereby controlling the relative flows
in the hot and cold returns and will permit adjustment of the
flow to produce maximum performance of the unit.
In this arrangement, the initial fluid to establish
the vortex is supplied ta~gentially of the return duct ~rough
a nozæle 276 having a small angle from a normal to the axis to
impart to the entering fluid a small longitudinal orientation ~;~
so that the vortex will move toward and en~er the radial entry
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passage to the vortex tube.
As shown in these figures, a portion of the operating
fluid may be withdrawn from either end of the device as by
~onduits 278 and 280 from the cold and hot ends respectively.
This portion of the operating fluid passes through a compressor
282 driven by power means 282a and is then reintroduced into
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the system through tangential nozzles 276 and 286 of the type
above described. Nozzle 276 is located in the cold return
stream adjacent to the inlet passage 288, Figure 9, and noæzle
286 is located adjacent the outer end of the hot return stream.
Both nozzles are skewed to impart an axial flow to the vortex
produced as indicated. Suitable valves 290 and 292 in the
conduits 294 and 296 from the compressor to the nozzles parmit
a further control of the system. Other valving as described
above controls the amount of fluid removed from the system
into the conduits 278 and 2800 The nozzles 276 and/or 286 may
be adjustable to control the amount of axial component to the
fluid discharged from them. Thu~ as shown in Figure 8 the
nozzle is mounted to pivot on a radial pivot pin 293 with
suitable stops not shown by which the angle may be adjusted~
The apparatus above described is based upon the
Ranque-Hilsch tube concept of dividing a vortex flow into cold
and hot discharges. It is equally adapted to other forms of
energy separators. As shown in Figures 11 to 13, the device
includes aligned rotors 3QO and 302 journalled in bearings
304 and 306 in the housing 308 and each carrying, on their
inner ends, disks 310 and 312 each having a row of nozzles 314
and 316 therein. These nozzles, as shown in Figures 12 and 13
are supersonic convergent divergent nozzles and discharge
tangentially to impart a rotary motion to discharging fluid
and a reverse rotary thrust to the rotors. The nozzles may be
of the type shown in Sohre 3,804,335. The nozzle discharge
into an outer flow separation chamber 318 and the flow in this
chamber is ~ivided by the operation of the device into a cold
flow, moving the left, in passage 318a and a hot flow moving
to the right, in passage 318b. Surrounding the nozzles is an
axially movable guide 319 in the chamber that controls the dis-
tribution of the hot and cold fluids and thus controls the
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maximum temperatures in the cold and hot passages.
The return flow of the hot and cold fluids is in the
return passages 320 and 322 defined around the rotor shafts
by inner bodies 324 and 326, these bodies also defining along
their outer surfaces the hot and cold passages 318a and 318b.
The inlets to the nozzles 314 and 316 ar~ at the inner ends of
the return passages. The return flow is guided by end closures
328 and 330 axially slidable within the outer casing 308 and
spaced from the end caps 332 and 334 that support the bearings
for the rotors. ~hese cl~sure~ allow clearance around the rotor
shaft~ to permit the introduction of operating fluid under
pressure supplied by a compressor 336 driven by power means
336a. Operating fluid for supplying the compre~sor may be
withdrawn from the outer ends of the hot and cold ducts a~
shown. Suitable valving 338 and 339 in the conduit~ 340 and
341 to and from the compressor per~it a control of the opera-
tion of the device either alone or in conjunction with the
movable end closures and the movable guide 319. Other valves
342 and 343 in conduits 344 and 345 control the quantity of
fluid from the cold and hot ducts to be returned to the com-
pressor.
The cold rotor 310 i9 driven by the thrust from the
nozzles and the expansion of the fluid through the nozzles
reduces the temperature of the 1uid entering the duct 318a.
This rotor nay drive a generator 346. ~ne hot rotor 312 is
driven in a direction opposite to the thrust imparted by the
nozzles 316 and thus heat the fluid discharying from these
nozzles such that hot fluid is discharged into passage 318b.
A motor 348 drives the rotor 312 and may receive its power
from the generator 346 through interconnecting leads 349 and
a control switch 350. Alternatively leads 351 may supply
electrical power from an external source.
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In addition to the production of electrical energy
the device may be used for heating and/or coolingO The ca~ing
308 has two heat exchangers 352 and 353 mounted thereon or
fitted therein. The heat exchanger 353 surrounds the cold
fluid duct and serves to supply an ~uxiliary cooling fluid
for use in any coolin~ function such a~ air conditioning or
refrigeration. rhe effect of ~his heat exchanger iB to heat
the fluid in the cold duct so that it is nearly restored to
the original nozzle inlet temperature. The heat exchanger 353
surrounds the hot fluid duct and serves to heat an auxiliary
heating fluid for use where heat may be needed as in space
heaters or other heating purposes. This exchanger removès
enough heat from the hot fluid so that the fluid in the hot
return passage i9 nearly at the original nozzle inlet tem-
perature.
The device may be built not only in small sizes but
its use in large scale units is feasible because of th~ sim-
plicity of the processO Furthenmoxe, temperature differences
of several thousand degrees are possible within the limits of
the material of ~he device depending upon the fluids used
and the operating pres~ures. Such devices could be utiliæed
in tandem for producing extremely hot or cold temperatures.
Although many different fluids may be utilized, two
or three phase fluids have interest~ For example wet steam
could be used with the device serving as a condenser tcold
side) and reheated (hot side3 with snow being discharged at
the one end as a snow maker. Other uses of multi-phase fluids
will be apparent.
Devices of this type can be utilized to avoid ther-
mal pollution of rivers and other bodies of water by powerplants either conventional or nuclear, since the cooling of
the power plant operating fluid or fluids can be readily
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accomplished without the need for using water from rivers or
lakes. The heat reclained by the device could then produce
additional power.
Although the invention ha~ been shown and described
with respect to preferred embodiments thereof, it should be
understood by those skilled in the art that the various changes
and omissions in the form and detail thereof may be made
therein without departing from the spirit and the ~cope of
the invention.
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