Patent ID: 8616010

Claim:
An apparatus for cooling an enclosure, said enclosure including at least one opening to receive a stream of cool air and to discharge heated air from said enclosure, said apparatus comprising: a vortex tube having a first end with a first opening for discharge of warm air; a connecting piece for connecting the vortex tube to the enclosure, wherein the connecting piece has a second end opposed to the first end and the second end has a second end with a second opening for discharge of cool air, and an inlet between said ends for directing a stream of compressed air tangentially into the interior of said vortex tube, said tube, openings and inlet configured to achieve a Ranque-Hilsch vortex effect; a first housing covering said first end; a space within said first housing communicating with said first opening and the exterior of said first housing, to channel said warm air to the exterior; an attachment to connect said vortex tube to said at least one opening in said enclosure, wherein said second end of said tube discharges said cool air stream through said attachment into the interior of said enclosure; an air outlet conduit at an end of said attachment proximate to the enclosure, configured to communicate with said at least one opening in said enclosure for discharge of heated air from said enclosure; and at least one impervious barrier to permit the outflow of said warm air from said first housing and said heated air from said air outlet conduit, while blocking the inflow of moisture and other substances.