CFD MODELLING AND EXERGY ANALYSIS OF A VORTEX TUBE USING CO_2 AS THE WORKING FLUID

摘要

The aim of this paper is to use a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling and an exergy analysis to investigate the energy separation and flow phenomena within a vortex tube. Carbon dioxide (CO_2) is selected as the working fluid and compared to air. Flow and heat transfer within the vortex tube have been determined by solving continuity, momentum and energy equations using the Reynolds Stress Model (RSM), Results allow to obtain the flow and heat transfer behaviours within the tube and to compute mean pressures and temperatures at the cold and hot ends. These parameters are used in an exergy analysis.