Mathematical modeling of the heating process in a vortex tube at the gas distribution stations

2019;
: pp. 311–319
https://doi.org/10.23939/mmc2019.02.311
Received: March 08, 2019
Revised: May 04, 2019
Accepted: June 20, 2019

Mathematical Modeling and Computing, Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 311–319 (2019)

1
Department of Heat, Gas Supply and Ventilation, Institute of Building and Environmental Engineering, Lviv Polytechnic National University
2
Lviv Polytechnic National University
3
Department of Heat, Gas Supply and Ventilation, Institute of Building and Environmental Engineering, Lviv Polytechnic National University
4
Department of Heat, Gas Supply and Ventilation, Institute of Building and Environmental Engineering, Lviv Polytechnic National University

In all sectors of the national economy of Ukraine, issues of energy efficiency and saving of fuel and energy resources are important.  Legislative changes in the branches and scientific developments of scientists allow reducing the energy dependence of Ukraine on imported fuels.  One of the energy-saving measures for the transportation of natural gas is the use of a vortex tube for heating natural gas at gas distribution stations.  Natural gas is heated before the process of reducing it in the gas pressure regulator to prevent the formation of crystalline hydrates within the gas pressure regulator.  The complexity of the implementation of such a measure is the explosion of the fire hazard of natural gas, which makes it impossible to conduct a sufficient number of experimental studies to determine the required characteristics of the vortex tube for operation at the gas distribution station.  Therefore, for the wide introduction of a vortex tube at gas distribution stations, a generalized mathematical model should be developed that would allow describing the process of heating the vortex tube of a working gas with different thermophysical parameters.  In this paper, the thermodynamic and physical bases of the process of heating the compressed gases in the vortex tube are considered and the main parameters that influence the operation of the vortex tube are determined.  The mathematical model of the process of heating the natural gas in a vortex tube is scientifically substantiated and improved.  To improve the mathematical model of the natural gas heating process in the vortex tube, loss of dynamic pressure was determined on each characteristic section of the vortex tube and the degree of heating therein.  Moreover, the mathematical model proposed by the authors allows us to determine the thermal power of the vortex tube and the amount of heat needed to heat the working gas in the vortex tube.       

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