Spehro Pefhany wrote:
On Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:49:23 -0400, Ecnerwal
wrote:

In ,
wrote:

I'd consider a long coil of mini copper tubing inside
an ice - filled cooler before I'd consider a Hilsch tube.

Or park the copper (or aluminum) tubing inside a mini (or larger) fridge
(or chest freezer, I suppose - depends on what you have handy and space
available) - enter the fridge section, and exit after a bunch in the
freezer section. Drain-leg in the fride section would help with
condensation.

Good idea!

Quieter and far less power used than with the vortex tube.
If it comes out of the freezer at 0F under pressure, it should be quite
chilly by the time it expands at the nozzle.

Nice out of (or in) the box solution- I bet the cost wouldn't be much
different from buying a commercial vortex tube.

A little muffin fan inside the fridge could help.

Or go cheaper, smaller and colder with a 'saturated - salt ice water'
slurry in your ice chest.
http://van.physics.illinois.edu/qa/listing.php?id=1722

--Winston