* Warning .... random sciencey ramblings of a non-tasting madman to follow!
IMO in an atty you are either going to get one of two things happening , a linear airpath , where there is a relatively steady airflow from point A to point B , or a turbulent airflow , where the air is interrupted in a path or has to flow around obstacles... linear design atties rely on the wick and coil providing a degree of turbulence .
In essence we are relying on evaporation ( atomisation) from the energy introduced to the coil and the airflow inside the atomiser to transport our goodness to us
With a wick and coil being a "rod" form in effect airflow around it will result in one side having a "heavy" linear airflow and the obverse side relying on low pressure turbulence to bring air to the surface of the wick and coil... one side is being cooled more than the other .. this cooling is brought about by the evaporation of the e-liquid...more evaporation , more liquid being consumed, more capillary effect bringing more juice to the heating area?
So in effect it is not an "optimal" system there are different effects depending on where the air flows ... I think the turbulence factors involved inside a chamber help balance this out ... also why smaller chambers are regarded as more flavourful ... smaller chamber , less "dead" areas, more air influence where it counts?
So I can see merit in Vortice arrangement if a venturi design is in place as it will accelerate airspeeds ( which in turn leads to greater turbulence when obstructions are met) but theoretically anything which exposes MORE of the coil to airflow More evenly will result in greater evaporation and transference... also why vertical wicks work a bit better if fed from below with swirling airflow , you get a column of air whirling around the length of the wick and coil effectively increasing the flow coverage of the coil?
All of that said , everything about vaping is also subjective LOL ... but think of it in fluid dynamics terms ... our vaping relies on energy and evaporation to transfer the eliquid to us ... therefore the more air on more of a coil surface will make it more efficient as long as the power source is capable of maintaining a temperature.
That being said probably the TASTIEST arrangement I could envisage would be a system in which the air came from INSIDE a wick and coil and passed thru the wick and coil itself in an even flow along the entire heating area to the outside thus giving you 100% even exposure ... think of it as a hose capped at one end with a million holes wrapped in wick and coil ... and any air passing thru HAD to encounter either wick or coil in equal amounts over the entire surface of the build ...
And theres an idea for free for all you innovators
( I would be a rich man if I didnt give it all away LMFAO ! )