A Hollow Rod Turbulator is essentially a Rigid Turbulator with the rigid center rod replaced by a hollow tube (or rod) with its ends welded shut. It is especially useful in applications involving extremely viscous fluids as it blocks off the centre of the tube (where heat transfer is at its lowest in comparison to the tube wall) forcing all the fluid to the outer tube wall. The wire loops provide additional turbulation and the fact that it’s also lighter as the tube is hollow, with its ends sealed off, makes for an extremely efficient configuration.
A variation is the immersed tube turbulator. Here the tube is not blocked but actually has a coolant flowing through it.
Case Study - Bearing Oil Coolers
- Bearings generate a lot of heat that is transferred to the oil flooding them. This oil is stationary as the bearings are sealed and have to be cooled by convection.
- Our immersed tube turbulators are formed into a circular circuit and placed around the bearings in the closed oil chamber.
- Cold water flows through the tubes and cools the surrounding oil. Since the wire loops allow free flow of convective currents the cooling is very efficient as the oilside surface are is extended and turbulated.
