Analysis of of heat and mass transfer in counter current Ranque Hilsch Vortex Tube

Apart from spot cooling or heating, Ranque Hilsch Vortex Tube (RHVT) is also mentioned in literature as gas species separation device, but very little work on gas species separation with the RHVT has been reported in the literature. The primary aim of the present work is to experimentally investigate the heat and mass transfer phenomenon of RHVT. Experiments in a laboratory scale experimental setup has been carried out to generate process data involving parameters like inlet and outlet volumetric flow rate, temperature and pressure of gas mixture from the RHVT. A Nitrogen and Oxygen gas mixture has been used for experimental purpose. Gas temperature as well as gas concentrations at inlet, cold outlet and hot outlet are measured. Further the isentropic efficiency and separation factor of the lighter species for a binary separation has been calculated. It was observed while isentropic efficiency increases continuously with inlet Reynolds number there is an optimum value of inlet Reynolds number for which the separation factor becomes maximum. An 1-d model for the determination of heat and mass transfer has been included. (author)