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Abstract
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Energy separation procedure of vortex tube can be improved by using truncated cone throttle valve.
Experiments are performed to study the effect of the geometrical parameters on vortex tube refrigeration
capacity by using air as the working fluid. In this experimental investigation, the parameters are focused
on the cone length of throttle valve, inlet pressure and number of nozzle intakes. The effect of the cone
length of throttle valve is also investigated in the range from 0 to 10 mm. The results present that there is
an optimum cone length for obtaining the highest efficiency and 4 ¼ 6 mm is the optimal candidate
under our experiments. The most objective of this investigation is the demonstration of the successful
use of CFD in order to develop a design tool that can be utilized with confidence over a range of operating
conditions and geometries, thereby providing a powerful tool that can be employed to optimize vortex
tube design as well as assess its utility in the field of new applications and industries. A computational
fluid dynamics model was developed to predict the performances of the vortex tube system. The numerical
investigation was carried out by full 3D steady state CFD-simulation using FLUENT 6.3.26. This
model utilizes the ke 3 turbulence model to solve the flow equations.
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