Heating performance test on double-channel heater of single-circuit vortex tube

Single-Circuit Vortex Tube (SCVT) heater possesses high performance on safety and energy saving in terms of online heating of natural gas pipeline pressure regulating system. Its structure has been improved on the basis of the conventional Ranque-Hilsch Vortex Tube (RHVT). In order to verify the heating performance of SCVT, the loop test platform was set up, which has the functions of normal temperature simulation and low temperature simulation on the test working medium. The platform was used to test the heating performance of SCVT under different pressure, pressure ratio, flow rate, temperature, and single and double channel conditions. The results show that within the parameter range of the test, the vortex tube has stronger heating ability to the pilot gas with high flow velocity. Under the same conditions, large pressure ratio, small pressure difference and high inlet temperature are conducive to increase the temperature of the pilot gas. The heating channel near the end of the hot end tube has a better ability to raise the temperature of the pilot gas than the heating channel near the end of the vortex chamber. The heating effect of separate heating of pilot gas in different channels is better than that of simultaneous heating. For the best heating performance, the pilot gas should flow in from the low temperature zone at both ends of the heater and flow out from the middle high temperature zone. The test results can provide technical support for vortex tube heating technology to better meet the heating demands of natural gas pipeline system.