Numerical Study of Flow and Thermal Field on a Parallel Flow Vortex Tube

Dedy Zulhidayat Noor, Heru Mirmanto, Joko Sarsetiyanto, Denny M. E. Soedjono, Sri Bangun Setyawati

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology, Surabaya, Indonesia.

DOI: 10.4236/eng.2012.411099                

Abstract

Flow and thermal field of a parallel flow vortex tube has been simulated and analyzed numerically. A secondary zone model is found at the core region near the inlet to the middle of the vortex tube. Blockage effect due to a narrow area of the hot exit has deflected air flow towards the cold exit, caused expansion and compression at the cold and hot outlet, respectively. The cooling and heating effect due to energy separation is contributed by expansion and compression of air near the outlet. Coeficient of performance (COP) for a refrigerator is higher as cold mass fraction increases due to a higher temperature difference and cold mass flow rate.

Keywords

Parallel Flow Vortex Tube; Energy Separation; Expansion; Compression; Secondary Flow; COP

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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