The Texas A&M University System has inked an exclusive license with Advanced Cooling Technologies Inc. (ACT) of Lancaster, Penn., for momentum-driven vortex phase separator (MDVPS) technology developed by researchers from the Texas Engineering Experiment Station (TEES).
The Interphase Transport Phenomena Group of the TEES Space Engineering Research Center (SERC) developed the technology that relies on centripetal driven buoyancy forces to form a gas-liquid vortex within a fixed, right-circular cylinder that allows separation of different density fluids to occur.
The unique aspect of the MDVPS is that separation relies on the incoming momentum of the fluid to produce the radial acceleration gradient reducing the power and mass of the device while enhancing the reliability. Texas A&M has flown several sized separators under reduced gravity conditions to investigate device scaling, stability and transient behavior.
ACT specializes in advanced thermal technology development and custom thermal product manufacturing, including the design and development of heat pipes, pumped liquid and two-phase loops, and thermal storage devices for aerospace, military, commercial, and government R&D customers. The company plans to apply the A&M System technology to design systems with higher heat transport and lower overall system size for applications such as air conditioning, humidity control, purification, and vapor compression.
The addition of MDVPS technology expands ACT’s portfolio of two-phase technology, which uses evaporation and condensation to absorb and reject heat, allowing for direct contact heat and mass transfer. The technology has performed well in all orientations and under microgravity conditions, suggesting suitability both for aerospace and ground applications.