IWNET12
IWNET12
The Vortex Tube of Ranque and Hilsch Thermodynamic Foundations
and New Applications
J.U. Keller1, M.U. Goebel1
1 Inst. Fluid and Thermodynamics, University of Siegen, 57068 Siegen
Abstract
In the Vortex Tube by Ranque (1931) and Hilsch (1945) a pressurized ow of gas or vapor is expanded and
separated in two partial ows the temperatures of which are respectively above and below the temperature of
the incoming ow (vortex tube eect). Some basic physical aspects of this separation process will be discussed.
Also , a simple thermodynamic model will be described allowing to calculate the temperatures of the outgoing
partial uid ows at given conditions of the entrance ow and a characteristic parameter of the vortex tube.
The tube can be used to increase on principle the coe cient of performance (COP) of a variety of engineering
cycle processes like the Clausius - Rankine-process, compression refrigeration - and heat pump - processes. It
also may be applied in air separation or gas puri cation processes like the Skarstrom pressure swing adsorption
process to increase the yield ow or to reduce energy demands of these processes.
Several examples will be presented in brief, some of them including a (patented) Thermo Valve which is kind
of an augmented vortex tube allowing to expand compressed liquids non - isenthalpically, i.e. with simultaneous
gain of heat. Preliminary calculations and experiments have shown that this non-isenthalpic liquid expansion
process can be of economic interest in refrigeration cycles using carbon dioxide (CO2) as working uid and then
may increase the COP of the process by (5-10)%
E-mail: keller@ift.maschinenbau.uni-siegen.de