1. IV th International Conference on Advances in Energy
Research
Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay
10th to 12th December 2013
Effect Of Orifice Diameter and
Exit Valve Angles on
Converging Vortex Tube
PAPER CODE: 316
By:
Mr. Kiran D. Devade, Indira COEM, Pune, Maharashtra
Dr. Ashok T. Pise, Dy. Director, DTE (Maharashtra State)

2. Contents
2




Introduction
Relevance, State of art, Proposed work
Development
Design, Types
Experimental Method
Test Rig , Expt. Procedure, Data Reduction
Results and Discussion
Effect of Pressure and, Conical Angles, COP,
Cooling Effect


Conclusion with Scope for future
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References
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3. Introduction
3
Vortex tube is a very simple, cost
effective, reliable, maintenance-free
compact size and no moving parts
 It separates compressed air into the
two streams i.e. hot and cold stream

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4. Principle of Working
4
Compressed Air In
Vortex Chamber
Water Jacket
Cold Orifice
Water Jacket
Cold
Air
Out
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Hot
Air
Out

5. Theories Proposed
5






Adiabatic Compression and Expansion
Effect of Friction and Turbulence
Free and Forced Vortex theory
Acoustic Streaming model
Secondary Circulation
Heat Transfer Theory
Black Magic ??
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6. Literature Review
6
Sr
.
Year
N
o
Researchers
Research
Results
Georges
Ranque
Ranque effect
Hot and Cold air streams
Ranque-Hilsch
Tube
Same
Separation of gas
separate gas mixtures,
1.
1931
2.
1945 Rudolph Hilsch
3.
1967
Linder stormLang
4.
1979
Takahama
Steam in VT
Energy Separation
5.
1979
Takahama
Two Phase
Propane
Separation
6.
1988
R.T. Balmer
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Liquid WaterICAER 2013 Energy separation
tube

7. State of Art
Sr.
7
No.
Investigator
1.
Mohammad
Sadegh et.al.
2.
K. Dincer,
et.al.
3.
4.
Year
2011
2009
CMR
0 to 1
0 to 1
Volkan Kırmacı 2009
0.5
K. Dincer, et.al. 2010
0.1 to
0.9
L/D Pressure
21
15
2bar,
3 bar
Valve
Angles
500
200
To
300 to 1800
400 Kpa
15
150
To
700
Kpa
15
260 &
300
Kpa
Nozzle
Number
Results
2
The performance of
curved vortex tube is
depends on
the value of turning
angle
2
4
6
most
efficientplug diameter of
5 mm , 300 valve angle,
2
3
the temperature
4
gradient between the
5
hot and cold outlets has
6 c/s
decreased with nozzle
area
numbers
2x2
2,3,4,5,
6 with Variation of the exergy
3x3,4x4 efficiency decreased
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with decreasing Pi, x,
C/s
v

8. Sr.
No
.
8
5.
Investigator
Year
Burak Markal,
2010
et.al.
CMR
0
To
1
Prabakaran.j
6. Vaidyanathan. 2010
s
-
Prabakaran.j
7. Vaidyanathan. 2010
s
-
8.
9.
Kun Chang
et.al.
Maziar
arjomandi
2011
2007
0
To
1
0.17
To
L/D
10
20
30
40
Valve
Pressure Angle
s
3,
4,
5 bar
30
45
60
75
10
2
To
4 bar
-
20
4 to 7
bar
-
12
0.4 Mpa
-
Nozzle
Number
Results
2
conical valves with a
smaller angle in order to
improve the performance
of the vortex tubes with
smaller
L/D.
Nozzle
better cooling effect the
diameter
optimum value of orifice
2,3,5
diameter is 5mm and
Single
nozzle diameter is 3 mm
Nozzle
Nozzle
When the diameter of the
diameter
orifice is 6 mm (0.5 D), it
2,3,5
produces best cooling
Single
effect
Nozzle
3
4
6
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-
-
-
1
Increasing number of
nozzle intakes can obtain
the highest possible
temperature
he efficiency of the tube is
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maximised when
the area ratio is between

9. 9
Sr. Investigato
Year
No.
r
CMR
Maziar
arjomandi
10.
2007
Yunpeng
xue
-
B
Ahlborny,
11. J Camirey 1996
and J U
Kellerz
0.05
to
0.95
Nozzle
Pressu Valve
Additional
L/D
Numbe
re
Angles
Work
r
Vortex
Generator
2
is used of
3
1
Varying
4
angles,
5 bar
2.479 to
23.069
33 to
2.5
67 Kpa
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-
4
Low
pressure is
used with
Vacuum
Pump
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10. Proposed Work
10
To develop a vortex tube of L/D = 16
having converging type of cone.
 Use of conical valves of
300,450,600,900
 2 nozzle entries
 Orifice diameters of 5,6,7 mm are
used
 Brass tube is fabricated.

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11. Constructional Details
11
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12. Vortex Tube Geometry
12
No.
Parameter
Dimensions and number
1.
Tube diameter entry
36mm
2.
Tube diameter exit
14mm
3.
Inlet nozzle diameter
4mm
4.
Cold orifice diameter
5,6,7mm
5.
Length of tube
225mm
6.
Cone angle, φ
60
7.
Conical valve angles ϴ
300,450,600,900
8.
No. of entry nozzles
2
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13. Experimental Setup
13
Rotameter
Temp.
Indicator
Compresso
r
FRL Unit
Test Rig
Vortex Tube
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14. Components
14
Valves of Varying Angles
a
b
c
d
(a) 30 degree conical Valve
(b) 45 degree conical Valve
(c) 60 degree conical Valve
(d) 90 degree conical Valve
Details of the Vortex tube
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15. Experimental Data
15
45 Degree valve , 7 mm orifice
p
Ta
Tc
Th
Mc
Ma
CMF
Ma Kg/s
2
28
28
28
28
23
16
13
5
30
30
30
29
140
190
260
280
170
200
280
300
0.8235
0.9500
0.9286
0.9333
0.0028093
0.0038127
0.0052173
0.0056187
3
4
5
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16. Data Reduction
16

Cooling Effect/ Heating EffectQh c
:
mc C p Ti
Qhh
Tc
mh C p Th Ti
P2
w
Compressor Work : P1V1 log e
P
1
.



COP =
CoolingEffect
Comp.Work
COP =f(μ,pi, ϴ)
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17. Results & Discussion
(Effect of pressure)
cold end temperature dgrees
17
30
30
25
20
45
15
60
10
5
90
0
2
3
4
5
air supply pressure in (bar)
With Increase in pressure the
Temperature drop Increases
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18. Effect of orifice diameter on COP
COP of converging tube
18
0.160
0.140
0.120
0.100
0.080
0.060
0.040
0.020
0.000
5
6
7
2
3
4
air supply pressure in bars
5
COP increases with cold orifice
diameter
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19. Effect on static & actual temperature
drop
19
static and actual
temperature drop
static vs. actual temperature
90.00
80.00
70.00
60.00
50.00
40.00
30.00
20.00
10.00
0.00
Static 5
Actual 5
Static 6
Actual 6
Static 7
Actual 7
2
4
supply 3 pressure in bars
air
5
Actual temperature drop is less than
static temperature drop at all pressures
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20. 20
Effect on Adiabatic
Effectiveness
adiabatic effectiveness of
vortex tube
adiabatic effectiveness at CMF =0.9
30
25
30
20
45
15
60
10
90
5
0
4
4.5 5 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5
cold end orifice diameter in mm
8
45 degree conical valve in converging
mode of tube is more effective for
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21. Theoretical and Actual COP
COP of vortex tube
21
0.20
0.18
0.16
0.14
0.12
0.10
0.08
0.06
0.04
0.02
0.00
Theoretical
5
Actual 5
Theoretical
6
Actual 6
Theoretical
7
Actual 7
15
30
45
60
conical valve angles in degrees
75
90
Theoretical COP is greater than
Actual COP
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22. Effect of area ratio on COP
COP of converging tube
22
0.180
0.160
0.140
0.120
0.100
0.080
0.060
0.040
0.020
0.000
0.04
COP at 3 bar pressure
30
45
60
90
0.05
area ratio Ao/ At
0.06
Vortex tube gives good performance at
certain area ratio and when d/D=0.5
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23. Conclusion
23
converging type of vortex tube has proved to
be promising as far as the optimization of cold
mass fraction and lower cold end
temperatures
 It
has
satisfactorily
produced
lower
temperature of about 50C
 cold mass fractions of the order of 0.9 with
COP as high as 0.202.

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24. 24
The adiabatic effectiveness of the tube is on
higher side and is 208%.
 small deviation of 0.39 is observed in theoretical
and actual COP of the tube.
 d/D =0.5 is preferred for optimum performance
of the tube, the result is in agreement of
Nimbalkar (2009)

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25. References
[1] G. Ranque, Experiments on expansion in a vortex with simultaneous exhaust of hot air and cold air, J. Phys. Radium (Paris) 4 (1933) 112–114.
[2] G. Ranque, Method and Apparatus for Obtaining from a Fluid under Pressure Two Outputs of Fluid at Different Temperatures, US Patent 1:952,2
81, 1934.
25
[3] Maxwell Demon, Maxwell demon comes to life, May 1947
[4] M. Hilsch, The use of the expansion of gases in a centrifugal field as cooling process, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 18 (2) (1947) 108–113
[5] P. K. Singh, R.G. Tathgir, D. Gangacharulyu, G. S. Grewal, an Experimental Performance Evaluation of Vortex Tube, IE (I) Journal—MC, Vol.84 (
2004) 149-153
[6] C.M. GAO, Experimental Study on the Ranque–Hilsch Vortex Tube, PhD Thesis, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, (2005)
[7] M. Arjomandi and Y. Xue, An investigation of the effect of the hot end plugs on the efficiency of the Ranque–Hilsch vortex tube, J. Eng. Sci. Techn
ol. JESTEC Vol.2, No.3, (2007) 211–217
[8] K. D. Devade and A. T. Pise, Investigation of Refrigeration Effect Using Short Divergent Vortex Tube, International Journal of Earth sciences and
engineering, Vol.5 No.1, (2012) 378-384.
[9] O. Aydın, B. Markal, M. Avci., New vortex generator geometry for a counter-flow Ranque-Hilsch vortex tube, Applied Thermal Engineering 30 (20
10) 2505-2511
[10] P. Promvonge and S. Eiamsa-ard, Investigation on the Vortex Thermal Separation in a Vortex Tube Refrigerator, Science Asia 31 (2005) 215-22
3
[11] K. Dincer, S. Baskaya, B.Z. Uysal, I. Ucgul, Experimental investigation of the performance of a Ranque–Hilsch vortex tube with regard to a plug l
ocated at the hot outlet, international journal of refrigeration, 32 (2009) 87 – 94
[12] S. Nimbalkar and M. R. Muller, An experimental investigation of the optimum geometry for the cold end orifice of a vortex tube, Appl. Therm. Eng
. 29 (2009) 509–514
[13] K. Dincer, A. Avci, S. Baskaya , A. Berber, Experimental investigation and exergy analysis of the Performance of a counterflow Ranque-Hilsch v
ortex tube with regard to nozzle cross-section areas, international journal of refrigeration 33 (2010) 954 -962
[14] O. Aydın, B. Markal, M. Avci., New vortex generator geometry for a counter-flow Ranque-Hilsch vortex tube, Applied Thermal Engineering 30 (20
10) 2505-2511.
[15] Eiamsa-ard, Experimental investigation of energy separation in a counter-flow Ranque–Hilsch vortex tube with multiple inlet snail entries, Interna
tional Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer 37 (2010) 637–643
[16] Y.T. Wu, Y. Ding, Y.B. Ji, C.F. Ma, M.C. Ge, Modification and experimental research on vortex tube, International Journal of Refrigeration 30 (20
07) 1042-1049.
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[17] Y. Xue and M. Arjomandi, The effect of vortex angle on the efficiency of the Ranque–Hilsch vortex tube, Exp. Therm. Fluid Sci. 33 (2008) 54–57.

26. 26
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