Grant: Applied Research and Development Grants - Level 2

Ranque - Hilsch Vortex Tube, briefly named "RHVT", is a simple device that has no moving parts and can generate cold and hot gas from compressed gas using a phenomenon called "energy separation". It was first invented in 1933 and improved in 1947. Since then, numerous experiments have been conducted to improve its performance and diversify its industrial applications. It is commercially used in cooling parts of machines, setting solders, electronic control cabinets, environmental chambers, food production, testing of temperature sensors, and dehumidification of gas samples.This proposed collaboration between Nex Flow and Sheridan College research team aims to (1) investigate the effects of i) vortex tube geometry such as the number of inlet nozzles, and ii) tube length with or without heat sink, on temperature separation and isentropic efficiency; (2) study the wall temperature distribution along the whole length of the hot air tube; and (3) experimentally test the new design using several industrial applications. Students from Sheridan College will be involved in this research, through which they will gain practical experiences in air pressurized equipment and enhance their creativity skills. They will learn about advanced manufacturing and advanced numerical modeling software.