Cold Air intake 2

[tommurphy73]

This question is a bit vauge and is prompted by something which I read in a book by an automotive expert (Smokey Yunick "Best Damm Garage in town") In the book he describes an air intake which is divided into a Y with two unequal lengths. He says that the temperature or the air exiting the two outputs of the Y can be different and the sum of each divided by two is equal to the inlet temperature. He references a designer called Hayley who develped this system for cooling coal mines. Does anyone know the theory behind this or where I could look up some information.

Thanks
Tom

 

[NickE]

hmmm sounds like a corallary of the Vortex Tube.

I cant tell you why, just that it sounds possible

 

[patprimmer]

Sounds like hocus pokus to me, my comment being based on the laws of conservation of energy.

Regards
pat pprimmer@acay.com.au
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[GT6Steve]

Greetings,
I think NickE has the theoretical answer. Do a google search for Vortec Coolers or electronic cabinet coolers. Compressed air (like perhaps an airstream) is forced thru a venturi. Some air is diverted and MAGICALLY is hotter than hell while ice cold air is blown into the cabinet. We use hundreds of these but it's been twenty years since I read the explanation. Conservation of energy still applies as the pressurised air is part of the equation. With DP being a critical function I'd wager Pat's response summarises what we'd get in an automobile...Don't forget that Smokey was brilliant but not all of his ideas were practical. even fewer were allowed ;-)))
Steve

 

[tommurphy73]

Hi Steve, Nick,

Thanks for the response. It looks like this is what I have been looking for. Nick, What have you been using the coolers for. I have posted this question on a many forums and this is the only one which I got an answer.

Thanks
Tom

 

[NickE]

Ummmm... I just remember reading a Pop.Sci. when I was a kid and reading about vortex tubes, They are all over the web now cause they are relatively useful as GT6Steve says. I think that they work by transfering the heat energy from one stream (that is spinning rapidly) and another that is not.