Publication: Experimental study and simulation of vortex tube performance
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Date
2023-07-01
Authors
Muhammad Salim Bin Mohd Saiful Surash
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Abstract
In this study, an attempt was made to model the flow characteristics in a vortex tube (VT) made from Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) using the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code FLUENT™ 2023 R1. The procedures included steps to fabricate a VT made of PVC and testing it using an air compressor gauge and a mini temperature humidity meter. Next, a comprehensive CFD model based of the fabricated VT material and dimensions from Skyte et al. [1] was developed in this study with two types of measurements study, namely temperature and pressure, carried out for three cases evaluated cases of different inlet pressures (490 kPa, 686 kPa, and 882 kPa) with increments of 196 kPa (2kgf/cm2). For each case, the study extensively discusses the obtained results, which include temperature and pressure contours, XY plot studies, temperature difference values, and cold mass ratios. The average temperature difference of the vortex tube were ranging from 14.17 °C to 21.52 °C. The cold mass ratio calculated for the three cases ranged from 0.208 to 0.3999. In conclusion, this study emphasizes the importance of considering the inlet pressure when analysing vortex tubes (VT). The results obtained provide valuable insights into the relationship between inlet pressure, temperature distribution, and pressure variations within the VT through CFD analysis method.