>Hi Alan!
<snip>
>I looked at it and yes it is just a way of tapping vortex separated cold
>and heat for air conditioning, but I do think it relevant because many
>don't know anything about the vortex tube or how it works. =20
I don't believe the operation of the Ranque-Hilsch vortex tube=20
is entirely understood.
>Perhaps you or someone can provide URLs that would clearly explain the
>process so that all may learn? I know you can buy various vortex tubes
>for about $200 from Abbeon-Cal and have tinkered with the idea of doing
>so but not having an air compressor, never pursued it.
=46WIW, here are some websites that I chased up quite a while ago.
I haven't recently checked them to see if they still work...
http://www.ifdt.uh.edu/vtc/
http://www.palaver.com/artx/vortex/product.htm
http://www.newmantools.com/vortex.htm
http://t-cockerill-pc.sunderland.ac.uk/index.htm
Tim Cockerill was, I believe, doing some research on the critters
which, alas, folded through lack of funding. He gives constructional=20
details for a small one (postscript file). He also has a page of
links to other sites about vortex tubes. Some of these sites have
constructional data too.
Also, if you do a search on Alta-Vista for "ranque-hilsch", you'll
get a bunch of leads. I just got over 80 hits on it.
Alan