Applied Thermal Engineering 23 (2003) 1971–1980

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Experimental modeling of vortex tube refrigerator

M.H. Saidi *, M.S. Valipour
Center of Excellence in Energy Conversion, School of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology,
P.O. Box 11365-9567 Tehran, Iran
Received 15 September 2002; accepted 20 April 2003

Abstract
An experimental investigation has been performed to realize thorough behavior of a vortex tube system.
In this work attention has been focussed on the classification of the parameters affecting vortex tube op-
eration. The effective parameters are divided into two different types, namely geometrical and thermo-
physical ones. A reliable test rig has been designed and constructed to investigate the effect of geometrical
parameters i.e. diameter and length of main tube, diameter of outlet orifice, shape of entrance nozzle.
Thermo-physical parameters which have been designated and studied are inlet gas pressure, type of gas,
cold gas mass ratio and moisture of inlet gas. The effects of these parameters on the cold temperature
difference and efficiency are discussed and presented.
Ó 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Vortex tube; Experimental modeling; Refrigeration; Energy separation

1. Introduction

The vortex tube is a simple device operating as a refrigerating machine without any moving part
e.g. rotating shafts or piston cylinders. It consists of a principal tube, which a high-pressure gas
stream enters tangentially, and splits in two low pressure hot and cold temperature streams. Cold
gas stream leaves the tube through a central orifice near the entrance nozzle, while hot gas stream
flows toward regulating valve and leaves the tube. Fig. 1 shows the schematic diagram of a vortex
tube.
Ranque [1] was the earliest one who reported the phenomenon of energy separation in a vortex
tube. Hilsch [2], Elser and Hoch [3], Martinovski and Alekseev [4], Takahama [5], Hartnet and

*
Corresponding author. Tel.: +98-21-600-5716; fax: +98-21-600-0021.
E-mail addresses: saman@sharif.edu (M.H. Saidi), valipour@mehr.sharif.edu (M.S. Valipour).

1359-4311/$ - see front matter Ó 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/S1359-4311(03)00146-7
1972 M.H. Saidi, M.S. Valipour / Applied Thermal Engineering 23 (2003) 1971–1980

Nomenclature

D diameter of main tube [mm]

dc , dc
diameter and dimensionless diameter of cold air orifice [mm, –]
L length of main tube [mm]
m_ mass flow rate [kg/s]
OD orifice diameter [mm]
P pressure [bar]
T temperature [C]
yc cold mass ratio
Greek symbols
c specific heat ratio, ½¼ Cp =Cv 
d inlet diameter of the entrance nozzle
DT temperature difference
Subscripts
i inlet
c cold
cs isentropic
a atmospheric

Eckert [6], and Bruun [7] conducted important experimental investigations on vortex tube pa-
rameters. Theoretical and analytical descriptions of the energy separation and the temperature
and velocity profiles in a vortex tube are given by Folton [8], Schultz-Grunow [9], Deissler and
Perlmutter [10], Young and Cutcheon [11] and Ahlborn et al. [12]. Stephan and coworkers [13,14]
have performed the mathematical investigation of energy separation in the vortex tube. Saidi and
Yazdi [15] have investigated an exergy analysis on a vortex tube. Frohlingsdorf and Unger [16]
numerically simulated the flow in the vortex tube by CFX Code. Valipour [17] verified an ex-
perimental model of vortex tube refrigerator.
In the present paper, new experimental modeling of energy separation in a vortex tube has been
investigated and effects of thermo-physical and geometrical parameters on energy separation in a
vortex tube have been presented.

Fig. 1. Schematic diagram of vortex tube.

 M.H. Saidi, M.S. Valipour / Applied Thermal Engineering 23 (2003) 1971–1980 1973

Fig. 2. Schematic diagram of the experimental apparatus and measuring devices.

2. Experimental apparatus

The schematic of the experimental apparatus and measuring devices which is used for the
determination of the energy separation in a vortex tube is shown in Fig. 2. Compressed air is
passing through the inlet valve (2) and filter section (3), since then it is conducted tangentially into
the vortex tube (1). The compressed air expands in the vortex tube meanwhile is divided into cold
and hot streams. The cold air leaves the central orifice near the entrance nozzle, while the hot air
discharges the periphery at the far end of the tube. The control valve (needle valve) may control
the flow rate of the hot air (7). Two rotameters namely 9 and 6 measure the mass flow rates of the
hot and cold air, respectively. Thermocouples numbered 5 and 8 measure the temperature of the
leaving cold and hot air in the vortex tube, respectively. The pressure of inlet gas is measured by
pressure gauge (Pi ) and the temperature of inlet gas is measured by thermocouple (4). To inves-
tigate the effect of geometrical parameters on the operational characteristics of vortex tube, vortex
tubes with different tube sizes and different number of nozzle intakes were constructed and ex-
amined. The optimum geometrical data of the vortex tube are as below:
inner diameter: D ¼ 18 mm.
length: L ¼ 55:5, D ¼ 1000 mm.
diameter of the inlet air nozzle (for nozzle with three intakes): d ¼ 3:5 mm.
diameter of the orifice at cold air exit: dc ¼ 9 mm.
The experimental tests of the vortex tube were performed with the variation of the pressure of
the inlet air, Pi , and the cold air mass ratio ðyc Þ.

3. Operational characteristics

The operational characteristics of vortex tube may be investigated considering those parameters
governing the operation of this device. These characteristics are as follows:
Cold air temperature difference:
DTc ¼ Ti  Tc ð1Þ
1974 M.H. Saidi, M.S. Valipour / Applied Thermal Engineering 23 (2003) 1971–1980

Isentropic efficiency:
DTc
gis ¼ ð2Þ
DTcs
Isentropic temperature difference:
"
ðc1Þ=c #
Pa
DTcs ¼ Ti  Tcs ¼ Ti 1  ð3Þ
Pi

Cold mass ratio:

m_ c
yc ¼ ð4Þ
m_ i
Dimensionless diameter:
dc
dc
¼ ð5Þ
D

4. Geometrical parameters

Considering the effects of length and diameter of principal tube, different tube sizes have been
selected and examined. Fig. 3 shows variation of efficiency versus different L=D of vortex tube. It
can be shown that for L=D 6 20 energy separation decreases leading to decrease in cold air tem-
perature difference and efficiency decreases as well. For L=D P 55:5, the variation of efficiency with
L=D is not considerable. Consequently, the optimum value of L=D is within the following ranges:
L
20 6 6 55:5 ð6Þ
D
To realize the effect of the cold air orifice diameter ðdc Þ on the cold air temperature difference and
efficiency, orifices with different diameters were designed, fabricated and examined at different

50

45 yc= 0.55
Nozzle whit 4 intake
40

35

30
η(%)

25

20

15

10

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Fig. 3. Efficiency versus L=D of vortex tube.

 M.H. Saidi, M.S. Valipour / Applied Thermal Engineering 23 (2003) 1971–1980 1975

40

Pi=3 bar
yc=0.7

30

∆Tc (°C)
20

10

0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8

Fig. 4. Cold air temperature difference versus the dimensionless cold air orifice diameter.

inlet pressures ðPi Þ and different cold mass ratios ðyc Þ. Fig. 4 shows the cold air temperature
difference versus the dimensionless cold air orifice diameter ðdc
Þ. It is shown that for dc
< 0:5,
increasing dc
causes the cold air temperature difference to increase and for dc
> 0:5, increasing dc

tends the cold air temperature difference to decrease.
The efficiency versus the dimensionless cold air orifice diameter ðdc
Þ is plotted in Fig. 5. It is
shown that for dc
< 0:5, increasing dc
causes the efficiency to increase and for dc
> 0:5 , the ef-
ficiency decreases. The result is that the optimum value of dc
for the maximum cold air tem-
perature difference and efficiency is:
dc
¼ 0:5 ð7Þ
To study the effect of type of inlet nozzle, two shapes of nozzle were designed and fabricated,
having 3 and 4 intakes, with constant inlet cross-sectional area. The schematic diagram of

40

Pi=3 bar
yc=0.7

30
η(%)

20

10

0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8

Fig. 5. Efficiency versus the dimensionless cold air orifice diameter.

1976 M.H. Saidi, M.S. Valipour / Applied Thermal Engineering 23 (2003) 1971–1980

entrance nozzles is shown in Fig. 6. Variation of the cold air temperature difference and efficiency
versus the cold mass ratio are shown in Figs. 7 and 8 respectively. As the number of intakes in the

Fig. 6. Cross-sectional area of entrance nozzle (with 3 and 4 intakes).

55

50 Nozzle with 3 intake

Nozzle with 4 intake
45 O.D.=7 mm
Pi=1.5 bar
40

35

30
η(%)

25

20

15

10

0
0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1

Fig. 7. Cold air temperature difference versus the cold mass ratio for the different inlet nozzles.

40

Nozzle with 3 intake

35 Nozzle with 4 intake
O.D.=7 mm
Pi=1.5 bar
30

25
∆Tc(ºC)

20

15

10

0
0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1

Fig. 8. Efficiency versus the cold mass ratio for the different inlet nozzles.
 M.H. Saidi, M.S. Valipour / Applied Thermal Engineering 23 (2003) 1971–1980 1977

nozzles increase, flow in the main tube becomes more turbulent due to more interactions of inlet
flows. Therefore the cold and hot streams are mixed in the main tube, leading to energy sepa-
ration, cold temperature difference and efficiency reduction. The result is that the nozzle with three
intakes shows better performance than four intakes nozzle from the point of view of refrigeration
efficiency.

5. Thermo-physical parameters

The thermo-physical properties of the gas which is used for the experimental investigations such
as inlet flow pressure and temperature, moisture content of the gas etc. are thermo-physical pa-
rameters which have been investigated in this research. Fig. 9 shows the variations of cold air

45
Pi=1 bar
40 Pi=1.5 bar
Pi=2 bar
Pi=2.5 bar
35 Pi=3 bar
O.D.=9 mm
30
∆Tc( °C)

25

20

15

10

0
0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1

Fig. 9. Cold air temperature difference versus the cold mass ratio for the different inlet pressures.

60

Pi=1 bar
55
Pi=1.5 bar
Pi=2 bar
50 Pi=2.5 bar
Pi=3 bar
45 O.D.=9 mm

40
η(%)

35

30

25

20

15

10
0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1

Fig. 10. Cold air temperature difference versus the inlet pressure.
1978 M.H. Saidi, M.S. Valipour / Applied Thermal Engineering 23 (2003) 1971–1980

temperature difference versus cold mass ratios for the different inlet pressures. As it is shown,
increasing the inlet pressure, causes the cold air temperature difference to increase. The flow ve-
locity in the outlet of the entrance nozzle increases by increasing the inlet pressure up to the point
that choking of the flow takes place. Since then the cold air temperature difference increases slowly
as the pressure goes up more. Fig. 10 shows variations of efficiency versus the cold mass ratio for
different inlet pressures. Figs. 11 and 12 show the effect of inlet pressure on the cold air tem-
perature difference and efficiency, respectively. It can be seen that efficiency increases, by in-
creasing the inlet pressure up to Pi ¼ 2:5 bar and it decreases at higher pressures. The reason is
that by increasing the inlet pressure, the flow velocity in the outlet of the entrance nozzle increases
up to the point that it becomes choked. Since then the energy separation decreases.
To investigate the effect of air moisture on energy separation in the vortex tube, water was
injected into the inlet flow and the cold and hot flow temperatures were measured. Results of these

40

O.D.=9 mm
yc = 0.7
30
∆Tc ( °C)

20

10

0
0 1 2 3 4

Fig. 11. Efficiency versus the cold mass ratio for different inlet pressures.

50

40

O.D.=9 mm
yc = 0.7
30
η (%)

20

10

0
0 1 2 3 4

Fig. 12. Efficiency versus the inlet pressure.

 M.H. Saidi, M.S. Valipour / Applied Thermal Engineering 23 (2003) 1971–1980 1979

Table 1
Cold and hot air temperatures before and after water injection into the inlet flow
Tc (°C) Th (°C) Pi (bar)
Before injection )12 28 3
After injection )8 22 3
Before injection )6 30 3
After injection )3 21 3
Before injection )7 30 2
After injection )2 22 2

40

35

30

25 yc=0.3
∆Tc (°C)

Heluim
20 Oxygen
Air

15

10

0
1 2 3 4 5

Fig. 13. Cold air temperature difference versus the inlet pressure [13].

experiments are presented in Table 1. Considering this results, we conclude that the cold tem-
perature difference and efficiency decrease by increasing the air moisture content of the air.
Using the results of Stephan et al. [13], the cold air temperature difference versus inlet pressure
for different inlet gases was drawn in Fig. 13. It can be seen that curves of oxygen ðc ¼ 1:393Þ and
air ðc ¼ 1:4Þ graphs are fairly closed to each other, and curve of helium ðc ¼ 1:667Þ is located
above them. Consequently, the cold temperature difference increases by increasing the specific
heat capacity ratio ðc ¼ Cp =Cv Þ.

6. Conclusions

The effective parameters on energy separation in the vortex tube are divided in two groups,
thermo-physical and geometrical parameters. In this paper, governing of these parameters on the
performance characteristics of the vortex tube are investigated by the experimental modeling of
the vortex tube. The result is that the optimum value of L=D is determined. The optimum value of
dc
is determined having the maximum efficiency and cold temperature difference. Nozzle with
more number of flow intakes causes cold air temperature and efficiency to decrease. So far, the
cold air temperature difference increases by increasing the inlet pressure, meanwhile there is an
1980 M.H. Saidi, M.S. Valipour / Applied Thermal Engineering 23 (2003) 1971–1980

optimum efficiency at a specific inlet pressure. Energy separation decreases in the presence of
moisture in the inlet flow. Specific heat ratio ðcÞ is an inlet gas characteristic that affects the
amount of energy separation in the vortex tube.

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