Vortex tube and air cycle machine: description, fields of application

Аuthors

Kopev R. G.

Moscow Aviation Institute (National Research University), 4, Volokolamskoe shosse, Moscow, А-80, GSP-3, 125993, Russia

e-mail: fine.87@bk.ru

Abstract

The main objective of this paper is to advance the usage of vortex tubes (VT) and air cycle machines (ACM) on aircraft with the purpose of understanding the main advantages and disadvantages of each unit. For that purpose the paper adduces the history of the development and application of the aforementioned units in various branches of engineering. It analyzes the changes in ACM devices structure starting from the two- wheel bootstrap ACM with ball bearings. The usage of a three-wheel ACM with air bearings, which was produced by NPO Nauka, on Tu-204/214 and Tu-334 airplanes, was an achievement for Russian aviation. However, four-wheel ACM with air bearings already exist abroad. Such ACM are operated on Boeing 777, 767-400, Airbus A380 and Embraer E-170/190. At the moment the question of usage of four-wheel ACM, which was jointly developed by NPO Nauka and Hamilton Sundstrand, on the newly developed MC-21 Russian airplane is being considered. Comparison of three- and four-wheel ACM showed that the four-wheel ACM is 91% more efficient in the ground mode and 5% more efficient in the cruise flight mode. Besides ACM it is also possible to use other devices (vortex tubes) for cooling. VTs are not widely used in aviation, although there are many patents concerning this topic. VTs are essentially used for cooling the electronic equipment in the industrial production facilities. The paper adduces the results of VT application by the RWE Energy German Company for natural gas dehydration. The analysis of papers and books shows the main advantages and disadvantages of ACM and VT. ACM units are complex and very expensive, but have a high coefficient of performance. On the contrary, VTs are very simple, cheap, have low weight and low efficiency. However, VTs have still found their own field of application. The paper adduces the data for both Russian and foreign VT manufacturers. This data includes the table of change of air temperature of the VTs, which are manufactured by EXAIR Company, depending on the percentage of the cold fraction. Azarovs VTs prevail in the Russian industrial production. Basic data on these VTs is shown in the paper. The consideration of two types of units — VTs and ACMs will help to understand the fields of their application, as well as their advantages and disadvantages, more fully.

Keywords:

air cycle machine, vortex tube, aircraft

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