The Ranque-Hilsch Vortex tube has several well known characteristics:
Stephan [1] suggested that a similarity relationship exists between the cold side temperature drop and and the cold mass flow function for geometrically similar tubes of differing diameters
In order to verify the relationship, a large number of readings were taken using the vortex tubes, and a cubic fitted through them as shown in figure 3.7.
Figure 3.8 shows a typical result for the variation of the temperature of the cylindrical wall (vertical axis) with distance from the vortex tube orifice(z). In this case the 18 mm diameter tube was used.
Normalising a number of such curves for geometrically similar tubes under various conditions, collapses them to nearly the same line. The relationship can be modelled empirically be an expression of the form:
Figure 3.9 shoes the normalised results along with a fitted curve.
[1]
K Stephan, S Lin, M Durst, F Huang, D Seher
A similarity relation for energy separation in a vortex tube.
International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 27(6); pp911-920 (1984)
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