Experimental study of the thermal separation in a vortex tube

Abstract

The phenomenon of the temperature separation in a vortex tube has been investigated aiming to locate the real reason since its discovery. Several explanations for the separation have been proposed, however there is no well accepted explanation so far. Understanding of the flow behaviour inside a vortex tube is an essential requirement in exploring the thermal separation. This paper reports on an experimental study in progress exploring the thermal separation in a vortex tube. Flow properties in a vortex tube are measured and used to clarify the flow structure inside the tube. The velocity distributions along the tube are presented, which are different from previous studies. Energy analysis was conducted to identify the main reason of the thermal separation in a vortex tube.