Putting Vortex Tubes to Work:

Packaged Systems, "Tube Only", or an Application Development Kit"

AiRTX offers Vortex Tubes in several ready-to-use packaged systems for common industrial applications. Packaged systems include the Model 60040 Air Gun and the Cabinet Cooler.

We also offer an Application Development Kit for the system designer who needs a Vortex Tube for studies and design verification. By switching one interchangeable part supplied with the kit, you can produce the full range of air flows and cold fractions the tube is capable of producing.

Lastly, you can purchase the Vortex Tube alone, or with other components to meet system requirements.

Cabinet Control Coolers
Air Guns

Call Us With Your Application
1-800-307-7475

“Cold Fraction”: an Important Term for Understanding Vortex Tube Performance

“Cold fraction” is the percentage of input compressed air that’s released through the cold end of the tube. As a rule of thumb, the less cold air you release, the colder the air will be. You adjust the cold fraction with the control knob. Cold fraction is also a function of the type of vortex generator that’s in the tube, i.e., a “high cold fraction” or “low cold fraction” generator.

Most industrial process applications use a high cold fraction (above 50%). A high cold fraction tube can easily give you cold outputs 50-90°F (28-50°C) below your compressed air temperature. High cold fractions give you a greater air flow, but they don’t give the lowest possible temperatures.

The high cold fraction combination of airflow and cold temperature produces the maximum refrigeration capacity, or greatest BTU/H (Kcal/H).

A low cold fraction (below 50%) means a smaller volume of air coming out that’s very cold (down to -40°F/-40°C). In short, the less air you release, the colder the air.

Just remember, your maximum BTU/H (Kcal/H) capacity (also called maximum cooling or refrigeration) occurs with a high cold fraction tube.

The chart to the right shows you the temperature drop (pink bar) and rise (grey bar) you can get at various inlet pressures and cold fraction settings.

Reliable, Predictable, Easy to Control Without Tools

A Vortex Tube turns factory compressed air into two airstreams, one very cold and one hot, using no moving parts. Simple and low-cost, a Vortex Tube can produce:

temperatures from -40°F (-40°C) to +230°F (+110°C) from 70°F compressed air
up to 2800 BTU/H (630 Kcal/H) refrigeration
air flow rates up to 35 cfm (990 lpm)

You just set the cold temperature output with the handy control knob and your thermometer. No tools are required.

Assuming your compressed air input pressure and tem-per-a-ture remain constant, a Vortex Tube will hold output temperatures ±1°F (±0.6°C). Our unique temperature control knob lets you adjust the cold air discharge without tools.

A simple, interchangeable part — the Vortex Generator — allows our Vortex Tube to deliver five different air flows: 8, 10, 15, 25, 35 cfm (220, 280, 420, 700, 990 lpm) — each with two ranges of cooling performance (high or low).

Vortex Tube Performance Data

Inlet Pressure psiG
Inlet Pressure psiG	Cold Fraction %
	20	30	40	50	60	70	80
20	61.5	59.5	55.5	50.5	43.5	36.0	27.5
20	14.5	24.5	36.0	49.5	64.0	82.5	107.0
40	88.0	85.0	80.0	73.0	62.5	51.5	38.0
40	20.5	35.0	51.5	71.0	91.5	117.0	147.0
60	104.0	100.0	93.0	84.0	73.0	59.5	44.5
60	23.5	40.0	58.5	80.0	104.0	132.0	168.0
80	115.0	110.0	102.0	92.0	80.0	65.5	49.0
80	25.0	43.0	63.0	86.0	113.0	143.0	181.0
100	123.0	118.0	110.0	99.0	86.0	70.0	53.0
100	26.0	45.0	66.5	91.0	119.0	151.0	192.0
120	129.0	124.0	116.0	104.0	90.5	74.0	55.0
120	26.0	46.0	69.0	94/0	123.0	156.0	195.0
140	135.0	129.0	121.0	109.0	94.0	76.0	56.5
140	25.5	46.0	70.5	96.0	124.0	156.0	193.0

Figures in pink area give temperature drop of cold air, °F
Figures in grey area give temperature rise of hot air, °F

Conversion Formulas

°F = 9/5 °C + 32°
°C = 5/9 (F - 32°)
BAR = psi ÷ 14.5
Kcal = BTU x .2520
LPM = cfm x 28.3
oz = g x .035
BTU = WATTS x 3.41

BTU conversion —
HP to BTU/Hour

1 Hp = 42.44 BTU/min.
1 Hp = 2546 BTU/hr.
1 Hp = 746 WATTS
1 KWH =3414 BTU/hr.

Heat Balance Formula

Cold fraction can be computed from the temperature readings from the inlet temperature (Ti), the cold air outlet temperature (Tc), and the hot air tem-per-a-ture (Th), so that;

Air Conditioning Power

The cooling and heating power in BTU/H can be found by using these formulas.

For Cooling: BTU/H = 1.0746 (cfm c) (Ti-Tc)
For Heating: BTU/H = 1.0746 (cfm h) (Th-Ti)

Where: CF = Cold Fraction
cfm t = Total Air Flow
cfm h = Hot Air Flow = cfm t (100 - CF)
cfm c = Cold Air Flow = cfm t (CF)
Ti = Inlet Temperature Tc = Cold Air Outlet Temperature
Th = Hot Air Outlet Temperature

Model 20008

Model 20010-21035

Industrial Solution for Vortex Tubes

Metal Fabricating - Tapping
	Tapping brass clips is completed without messy liquid coolants using air from a Vortex Tube to cool the tap. The brass does not have a chance to gum up, the cut is cleaner,, and secondary operations are eliminated.
Plastic - Slitting
	Cutting wheels on this slitter can work at top speed and stay sharper longer - when cold air from Vortex Tubes eliminates the friction heat build-up. The trim edge is also cleaner.
Transportation Spot-Welding
	Cooling this spot-welding operation with a Vortex Tube virtually eliminates secondary smoothing operations, and greatly improves the appearance of the product..
Metalworking - Single Point Threading
	Heat build-up in this single point threading operation can shorten tool life and produce a rough thread. Clean, dry, sub-zero cooling allows increased speed, while eliminating tool microcracking and premature failure.

Use Them For

Cool manufacturing processes: machining plastics or metals, wood working, soldering, adhesive application, heat sealing, sewing needles, mold tooling and many others.
In the laboratory: cool and dehumidify gas samples, cool environmental chambers.
“Temperature cycle” electronic components, instruments, switches and thermostats.
Air condition electronic control enclosures: CNC cabinets, industrial PCs, PLCs and motor controls.
Generate hot air to +230°F (+110°C), without a spark or explosion hazard to soften plastic, melt glues and seal packaging.
Cool workers wearing protective gear.

AiRTX Vortex Tube Advantages

No moving parts, portable, lightweight and low cost.
Uses no electricity, freon or chemicals; just filtered, factory compressed air.
No spark hazard, RF/EMI interference.
Instant on/off, easy to control, cools without waste.
No residue to clean up, no parts washing needed.
Reliable, maintenance-free, durable Stainless Steel construction.
Input air flows of 8, 10, 15, 25, and 35 cfm (220,280,420, 700, 990 lpm); up to 2800 BTU/H (630 Kcal/H) cooling capacity.
Two sizes available.