The Open Mechanical Engineering Journal

2013, 7 : 98-107
Published online 2013 November 29. DOI: 10.2174/1874155X01307010098
Publisher ID: TOMEJ-7-98

Experimental Evaluation of the Energy Performance of an Air Vortex Tube when the Inlet Parameters are Varied

E. Torrella , J. Patiño , D. Sánchez , R. Llopis and R. Cabello
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Construction, Campus de Riu Sec. Jaume I University, E- 12071 Castellón, Spain.

ABSTRACT

The paper presents the analysis of the energy performance of an air vortex cooling tube under variations of the air inlet properties, with three independent experimental tests validated through the energy balance in the device.

The experimental analysis includes the following variations of the input conditions: First, the effect of the air inlet pressure to the vortex tube, focused on the analysis of temperature variations in the output cold stream and in the cooling capacity when the cold flow fraction varies. Second, we studied air inlet temperature variations to the vortex tube under different cold flow fractions, which is an analysis not found in the literature. And finally, is studied the performance of the vortex tube when the insulation is provided or in absence of insulation.

Keywords:

Vortex tube, refrigeration system, energy analysis.