Experimental and Numerical Investigation of a Miniature Additively Manufactured Vortex Tube

Journal Article · 04 August 2020 · Journal of Thermal Science and Engineering Applications

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4047527 · OSTI ID:2435638

Wallace, Gregory ^[1]; Bunge, Carl ^[2]; Leachman, Jacob  ^[2]; Matveev, Konstantin I.  ^[2]

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1. Washington State University, Pullman, WA (United States); Washington State University
2. Washington State University, Pullman, WA (United States)

Ranque–Hilsch vortex tubes are simple devices that can produce a cooling effect using compressed air. A key advantage of vortex tubes is the lack of moving solid parts; however, their efficiencies are relatively low. The present study focuses on the development of a miniature variable-diameter tube using additive manufacturing. A metal-based 3D printing technique was utilized to fabricate this vortex tube monolithically. Computational fluid dynamics simulations employing software _STAR-CCM+ with a compressible Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) approach and the elliptic-blending lag k-epsilon turbulence model have been applied to model thermofluid processes inside the vortex tube, to good agreement with the experiment. In conclusion, a temperature decrease of 13.3 °C and a cooling power of approximately 4 W were experimentally achieved with a pressure ratio of 4 in the air at normal conditions. This result shows promise for the goal of utilizing additive manufacturing to design and build complex-geometry vortex tubes intended for use with cryogenic fluids.

• Research Organization: Washington State University, Pullman, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• Grant/Contract Number: EE0008429
• OSTI ID: 2435638
• Journal Information: Journal of Thermal Science and Engineering Applications, Journal Name: Journal of Thermal Science and Engineering Applications Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 13; ISSN 1948-5085
• Publisher: ASMECopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English