Numerical Investigation of Modifying the Design Parameters in Vortex Tube Separators for Enhanced Cooling Performance

In This paper presents a thorough numerical analysis of how different design parameters and operating conditions affect the thermal performance of vortex tube separators. We investigated two models: one with a complete cone valve and the other with a truncated cone valve. The purpose of the research was to simulate and evaluate the efficiency of both designs using the RSM turbulence model in Ansys Fluent. The simulations validated the model's reliability by showing strong agreement with experimental data. The findings showed that improved thermal performance is an obvious result of higher intake pressure. More specifically, compared to the truncated cone model, the complete cone valve model performed better, exhibiting a 122% increase in heat pump efficiency and a 57% increase in cooling capacity. Furthermore, the research determined the ideal cold fraction values to optimize the vortex tube's performance. These results indicate that vortex tube separators may be made far more successful in real-world applications by implementing certain design changes, including adding a complete cone valve. The knowledge gathered from this study provides important direction for enhancing vortex tube technology in different thermal management systems.