Fluid flow control is vital for different industrial, engineering and environmental purposes. From pipelines, water treatment plants to HVAC systems and hydraulic machines, effective flow control is vital for their operation. An innovative approach that attracts increasing attention is vortex flow control.
Vortex flow control involves the use of rotational nature of liquid or gas motion to manipulate flow rates, limit energy losses and increase the performance of systems and facilities. Creating a controlled vortex inside the chamber or special structure allows influencing the pressure, velocity and flow direction without depending much on mechanical elements.
What Is Vortex Flow Control?
The vortex is a rotating movement of fluid along the axis. The whirlpools, tornadoes, and water rotating around itself during the bath drain are the most common examples of vortices.
In vortex flow control systems, this rotation is generated and regulated artificially. This way the vortex manipulates the flow of fluid changing its pressure and velocity.
Contrary to the traditional methods of flow control that involve a lot of moving mechanical elements, vortex-based approach is based mainly on the special geometry design of the facility.
How Vortex Flow Control Works
The principle of the vortex flow control is rather simple. As the fluid enters the specially designed chamber, it starts rotating. Thus, the vortex is created, which impacts the flow pressure and velocity.
As flow parameters vary, the vortex changes its features automatically. Thus, as the flow rate increases, the rotation increases too creating additional resistance to the flow that limits the discharge rate. Therefore, vortex flow control is effective when a relatively constant discharge rate is needed despite varying conditions of the incoming flow.
