Numerical Investigations of Energy Separation into a Vortex Tube

The flow behaviour inside the vortex tube is quite complex. The fundamental mechanism underlying the energy separation effect is still elusive due in part to a lack of satisfying understanding of flow field and temperature distributions inside the vortex tube. With the aim to disclose the essential mechanisms of energy separation in a vortex tube, it is significant to acquire the distributions of velocity and temperature inside the tube. To investigate this, a three-dimensional simulation was performed to predict these distributions inside a counter-flow vortex tube. Based on this prediction, the velocity field and temperature distributions were discussed in detail and the predicted results are supported strongly by previous work. In addition, experiments were carried out with the same physical dimensions and operating conditions used in the numerical simulation model to verify the simulation results. Satisfactory agreement is observed between experimental data and simulation results.