Investigating The Energy Separation Mechanism And Structural Optimization Design Method Of Vortex Tubes

The Vortex tube has garnered significant attention for its distinctive energy separation effect.Despite its extensive utilization in various industrial refrigeration and heating fields,it remains a challenge to establish a universally accepted theoretical explanation,thereby hindering the design of its operational adaptability and the exploration of its application potential.Firstly,this study analyzed the structural characteristics of vortex tubes and the transport processes of fluids inside them.The trajectory equation of the incident fluid in the spatial region of the vortex chamber and its influencing factors were explored.Secondly,an incompressible fluid dynamics model in non-radial hole space was established,and the trajectory deviation behavior of water was numerically solved as an example.Furthermore,the isothermal compression and expansion characteristics of compressible fluids were introduced into the trajectory deviation model.A calculation model for vortex parameters after the compressible fluid passed through the vortex chamber was derived,and a solution method was given.Using the established theoretical model,a prediction method for the energy separation effect of vortex tubes was proposed and the effectiveness of the prediction equation was corrected by experimental data.The study showed that the structural turbulence characteristics of the vortex chamber space were usually insufficient to allow incompressible fluids to naturally vortex.Although the formation of vortex flow in compressible fluids can be achieved by structural optimization,it is not easy to achieve the dense arrangement of vortices along the wall,resulting in an insufficient energy separation effect.The main way to ensure and improve the energy separation performance of vortex tubes is through parameter-controllable vortex construction design.Finally,a real-time temperature data acquisition system was established by designing and preparing a three-turn tightly packed spiral vortex generator structure and a vortex tube.Energy separation experiments were conducted on the vortex tube under varying input pressures.The comparison between the experimental data and theoretical model showed that the prediction model for temperature difference at the hot end achieved an R~2 value of0.95,while the prediction model for temperature difference at the cold end reached an R~2value of 0.954.These results demonstrate the good predictive ability of the established formula model for the energy separation characteristics of the vortex tube.