Experimental Investigation of Vortex Tube Performance: Influence of Inlet Pressure and Cold Mass Fraction on Thermal Outputs

This research examines the performance of a vortex tube with two intake nozzles at a diameter ratio of 2:1, a cold tube diameter (dc) of 0.6 cm, a cold tube length (Lc)of 1 cm, and a cone valve angle (θ) of 45°. The vortex tube has a 25 cm hot tube length (Lh) and a 1.3 cm hot tube diameter (Dh) with the length to diameter ratio (L/D) equal to 20. The study examined the impact of different entrance pressures (ranging from Pi= 1 to 3 bar) and cold mass fractions ( . ) on the temperatures of the hot (Th) and cold (Tc) streams. Results show that although decreasing the overall cooling and heating performance (COP), raising the input pressure increases the temperature differential between the cold and hot streams. These results offer information for enhancing vortex tube performance and open a window over possible industrial applications.