Experimental investigation of Ranque-Hilsch vortex tube and techno - Economical evaluation of its industrial utility

Vortex Tube (VT) is simplistic, yet attractive device for spot cooling applications due to its ability of spontaneous generation of cold and hot flows of air. This also aids in reducing production cycle time. Present experimentation reports VT's performance enhancement by use of various materials. Subsequently, a novel association between temperature gradient magnitude with thereto-physical properties of VT material has been proposed. Results indicate performance improvement with increase in entry pressure for all materials tested. VT made from PA6 has higher performance than VTs of other materials. Cooling energy is higher by 6.55% for VT made from PA6 than mild steel VT at 3 bar pressure, while it's higher by 10.47% at 4 bar pressure. Thermal conductivity and diffusivity of VT material are key factors for performance enhancement. Results are consistent with other works when compared on non-dimensional basis. Techno-economical evaluation of VT's industrial application carried out in weld cooling clearly indicates substantial reduction in cycle time due to VT's use. This consequently increases profits for a nominal investment, which gives payback period of 15 days only.