zq06 summer 2013
Article Spiral Hegira
Author: Tom McKeag
Descartes, for example, had described math- lon storage tank using the same energy footematically the equiangular spiral in 1638. It is print as three 100-watt light bulbs. The impeljust that Mr. Harman would like the world to ler initiates a vertical spiral water column from realize that in three dimensions, this common which a ring vortex current develops within the phenomenon has mechanical properties, like water with very little further energy input. PAX pressure, electrical charge, temperature and Water Mixers using the Lily impeller are installed velocity, and that these properties can be put in over 600 municipal water tanks throughout to work. Since 1990 he has been presenting de- the US. vices that capitalize on the mechanical efficienHis success with the Lily impeller as a water cies of vortices. His greater goal is to lessen our mixer and his belief in the eminent scalability impact on the environment: “I am on a mission of ring vortices has prompted him to initiate the to halve the world’s energy use and greenhouse Atmospheric Mixer Project. If he can translate gas emissions through biomimicry and the elimthe company’s expertise in moving fluids to a ination of waste.” different scale and application, it will bring the company unto a new international stage where problem solving is desperately needed. The Company PAX Scientific (PAX) is a common stock, research and development and licensing company that controls four subsidiaries formed around applications identified originally by the parent company: PAX Water, PAX Fan, PAX Pure, and PAX Mixer. Refrigeration, turbines, fans, mixers and pumps have all been products that PAX has developed; all based on the geometry of a vortex. The company is based in Northern California and has over 40 employees spread throughout the system. Almost half work for PAX Water where they build and sell mixers for municipal water storage. The Lily impeller is perhaps their best-known product. Named after the Calla Lily that it resembles, the device was designed by Harman by freezing and reverse-engineering a naturally occurring vortex (imagine freezing the whirlpool in your bathtub) and crafting a solid object based on its streamlines. The company claims that the six-inch device can mix a 10 million galPAX Impeller Photo courtesy of Jay Harman and PAX Scientific
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