An investigation into the influences of refrigerants’ thermal-physical properties on temperature separation effect of a vortex tube

The temperature separation effects of vortex tubes have been widely studied in open systems, using mainly air or N2as the working fluid. When a tube is employed closed thermal system, more fluid choices, such as refrigerants, could be considered. Different to air, refrigerants quite varied thermal-physical properties, and research properties? influence on effect rather limited. Based CFD simulated eight (R152a, R290, R134a, R600a, R143a, R245fa, R227ea R218), this study attempts gain better insight into how their properties related compare performance. analysis shows for small mass flow ratios at cold end, cooling can assessed by relative values isentropic expansion exponent. results also suggest that large diffusivity kinematic viscosity, vapour density Joule-Thomson (J-T) coefficient would lead heating effects.