Vortex generator

Abstract

A vortex generator, designed to bring a medium into a controlled vortex motion, with a hollow inlet section ( 1 ) to direct the medium into the vortex generator. The inlet section consists of a rotational symmetric cavity ( 101 ) with a curved geometry ( 108 ). Furthermore, a vortex chamber ( 4 a; 4 b ), inside which the vortex motion is to be established, is attached to the inlet section. The inlet section ( 1 ) contains at least one spiral-shaped conic channel for directing the medium from the rotational symmetric cavity to the vortex chamber. The vortex chamber is either trumpet-shaped ( 4 a ) or egg-shaped ( 4 b ).

1 . A vortex generator comprising:
 an inlet section defining at least one spiral-shaped conic channel which generates a fluid vortex; and   a vortex chamber in fluid communication with the inlet section and its lengthwise inner cross-section being trumpet-shaped or egg-shaped and defining at its end a fluid outlet.   
     
     
         2 . The vortex generator of  claim 1 , further comprising an attachment coupling the inlet section to the vortex chamber. 
     
     
         3 . The vortex generator of  claim 1 , wherein the inlet section includes a rotationally symmetric cavity with curved geometry. 
     
     
         4 . The vortex generator of  claim 1 , wherein the channel is kidney-shaped in cross-section. 
     
     
         5 . The vortex generator of  claim 1 , wherein the trumpet-shaped vortex chamber inner cross-section is given by the function f(x)=k*x y , x being along the length and y being greater than or equal to −1.1 and less than or equal to −1.0 and k being a constant greater than or equal to 8500 and less than or equal to 9000. 
     
     
         6 . The vortex generator of  claim 5 , wherein the function is defined between the starting value x0 and x0+250 units of length, and wherein x0 is greater than or equal to 70 and less than or equal to 170. 
     
     
         7 . The vortex generator of  claim 1 , wherein the egg-shaped vortex chamber lengthwise inner cross-section is given by the function f(x)=k 1 *x 2 +k 2 *y 2 −C, x being along the length, y being perpendicular to the length and C, k 1  and k 2  being constants wherein C is greater than or equal to 18 and less than or equal to 21, and if x is less than or equal to zero then k 1  is greater than or equal to 0.003 and k 2  is greater than or equal to 0.005, and if x is greater than 0, then k 1  is greater than or equal to 0.002 and k 2  is greater than or equal to 0.005. 
     
     
         8 . The vortex generator of  claim 1 , further comprising a vortex concentrator coupled to the inlet section. 
     
     
         9 . The vortex generator of  claim 8 , wherein the inlet section comprises a central channel. 
     
     
         10 . The vortex generator of  claim 9 , further comprising a channel disc positioned between the central channel and the inside of the vortex concentrator, said channel disc having at least one slanted channel for the direction of the fluid from the central channel to the inside of the vortex concentrator. 
     
     
         11 . The vortex generator of  claim 3 , wherein the fluid defines a rotating torus in the rotationally symmetric cavity. 
     
     
         12 . The vortex generator of  claim 1 , wherein the inner of the vortex chamber slows down a fluid in the vortex chamber thereby defining an outer surface of a vortex in the vortex chamber. 
     
     
         13 . The vortex generator of  claim 1 , wherein at the outlet the fluid has a twisted spiral-shaped flow profile. 
     
     
         14 . The vortex generator of  claim 1 , wherein the vortex chamber is egg-shaped and the fluid is sprayed from the outlet. 
     
     
         15 . The vortex generator of  claim 1 , wherein the vortex chamber is trumpet-shaped and the fluid forms a jet at the outlet. 
     
     
         16 . The vortex generator of  claim 1 , wherein the inlet section comprises a central channel. 
     
     
         17 . A method of operating a vortex generator having an inlet section and a vortex chamber in fluid communication with the inlet section, the method comprising:
 introducing a fluid into the inlet section, wherein the inlet section defines at least one spiral-shaped conic channel which generates a vortex in the fluid in the inlet section;   directing the fluid from the inlet section to the vortex chamber, a lengthwise inner cross-section of the vortex chamber defining at the end of the vortex chamber a fluid passage;   wherein in the vortex chamber the fluid is subject to at least one of mixing, separating, or pressure changes by the vortex.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the vortex chamber is trumpet shaped. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the vortex chamber is egg shaped. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the fluid is a liquid and gas mixture and the separating includes degassing the liquid.