Ударно-волновые и пульсационные аспекты эффекта Ранка-Хилша в вихревых трубах, используемых при стратификации газов

Abstract

Vortex tubes based on Rank-Hilsch effect are widely used in gas separation technologies, cleaning of harmful gas emissions in the atmosphere protection, capture of oil-associated gas, cooling systems in chemical, petrochemical and other industries. However, up to the present moment in their design the calculation methods produce significant errors and require experimental improvement. Until now, existing theories of vortex effect don’t provide an adequate response to phenomena observed in experiments. In this paper have been presented examples of enthalpy balance disorders during operation of three-flow vortex tubes on hydrocarbon gases, as well as two-flow vortex tubes on air, based on analytical and critical analysis of a large number of various authors’ studies. Has been proposed shock wave and pulsation hypothesis for description of vortex effect and its main demonstrations. It has been shown that the proposed hypothesis can complement existing theories of vortex effect, and its accounting allows explain these processes. Have been presented thermodynamic characteristics of a bench double-flow vortex tube in laboratory experiment. Have been performed measurements of amplitude-frequency characteristics of vibrations performing external (mechanical) work under effect of gas-dynamic pulsations in vortex tubes. It has been demonstrated that vibration leads to gas kinetic energy dissipation into environment, resulting in enthalpy imbalance on the vortex tube. Has been performed analysis of additional cooling capacity, as well as heating of the vortex pipe mixed flow compared to throttling effect. The mechanism of shock wave and pulsation processes has been explained qualitatively based on analysis of a large number of various authors’ works and own experimental studies. It is emphasizing that the proposed qualitative mechanism requires further development and mathematical description based on the developed physical model.