The vortex tube, also known as the Ranque-Hilsch vortex tube, is a mechanical device that separates gas into hot and cold streams. It has no moving parts. Pressurized gas is injected into a swirl chamber and accelerates to a high rate of rotation (over 1,000,000 rpm). The gas is split into two streams, one giving kinetic energy to the other, and resulting in separate flows of hot and cold gases. This is somewhat analogous to a Peltier effect device, which uses electrical pressure (voltage) to move heat to one side of a dissimilar metal junction, causing the other side to grow cold. They are also characterized by a lack of moving parts and low efficiency.
