NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF TEMPERATURE SEPARATION PHENOMENA INSIDE VORTEX TUBE

The objective of present article is an atempt to simulate numerically temperature separation phenomena (Ranque-Hilsch affect) inside the vortex tube. For this simulation computational fluide dynamic (CFD) analysis, applying standard κ-[varepsilon] turbulence model, is used. Geometry is drawn in 3D space using Autodesk Inventor Professional and transferred in Autodesk Simulation CFD to solve the problem. Initial conditions for inlet air stream: temperature 22°C, flow rate 40l/min and gauge pressure 6 bar are set. As a result air flow velosity field and temperature field is found. Predicted temperatures at cold and hot end are 4 and 42°C. It can be concluded that vortex tube can be analysed and further optimisated by CFD modeling.