Vortex tube cooler

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10151515-B2
Application number	US-201414917627-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2014
Priority date	Nov 19, 2013
Publication date	Dec 11, 2018
Grant date	Dec 11, 2018

Abstract

A vortex tube cooling system for cooling compressed gas in air drilling assemblies comprises a gas source, a compressor, a plurality of vortex tube coolers and a drilling pipe in fluid communication with the plurality of vortex tube coolers. Each vortex tube cooler has an inlet nozzle for receiving compressed gas from the gas source into a swirl chamber. The swirl chamber is in fluid connection with a vortex tube defining a hot outlet, and a cold outlet. An inlet of the drilling pipe receives a cold air stream leaving the cold outlet of the plurality of vortex tube coolers.

First claim

We claim:

1. A vortex tube cooling system for cooling compressed gas in gas drilling assemblies comprising:
a gas source;
a compressor arranged to receive gas from the gas source and generate high pressure compressed gas at a vortex tube cooler inlet pressure P I ;
a plurality of vortex tube coolers, wherein each vortex tube cooler includes an inlet nozzle for receiving the high pressure compressed gas into a swirl chamber, a vortex tube wherein the vortex tube is in fluid communication with the swirl chamber and defines a vortex tube diameter (D), a vortex tube length (L), and a hot outlet arranged at an opposite end of the vortex tube from the swirl chamber, and a cold outlet arranged on an opposite end of the vortex tube cooler from the hot outlet and including a cold outlet aperture and a cold exit, and wherein the plurality of vortex tube coolers are located above ground-level; and
a drilling pipe in fluid communication with the plurality of vortex tube coolers, wherein an inlet of the drilling pipe receives a cold compressed gas flow leaving the plurality of vortex tube coolers at a vortex tube cooler cold outlet pressure P C .

2. The vortex tube cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vortex tube coolers includes between approximately fifteen and twenty vortex tube coolers.

3. The vortex tube cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vortex tube coolers includes approximately sixteen vortex tube coolers.

4. The vortex tube cooling system of claim 1 , wherein an expansion ratio of the vortex tube cooler inlet pressure to the vortex tube cooler cold outlet pressure (PI/PC) between approximately 3.0 and 3.4.

Assignees

• Univ Arizona State

Inventors

• Chen Kangping
• Chen Ruijin

Classifications

• F25B9/004

  the refrigerant being air · CPC title

• E21B21/16

  using gaseous fluids (E21B21/14 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21B36/001

  Cooling arrangements · CPC title

• F25B9/04 Primary

  using vortex effect · CPC title