Structural Design and Performance Study of a Reciprocating Vortex Ring Generator

Vortex rings can maintain their structure during motion and achieve long-distance transport with low energy consumption, which is a fluid transport method with great energy-saving potential. In this paper, a reciprocating vortex ring generator structure is designed, which can generate two vortex rings during the reciprocating motion of one piston, making full use of the thrust in the reciprocating motion period of the piston and improving the vortex ring generation frequency compared with traditional vortex ring generators. For the characteristics of long-distance transport of vortex rings, an experimental platform is designed and built, and ۲۷۷ sets of experiments are carried out with different geometric parameters. The results show that the effect of generating two vortex rings could be achieved under other parameter conditions, except for some parameter conditions where the diameter ratio D۱/D۲ = ۴. By analyzing the influence of baffle width ratio, length ratio, and diameter ratio on the moving distance of vortex rings, the performance of the vortex ring generator is preliminarily studied. In ۲۷۷ sets of experiments, the maximum moving distance ratio x۱ of vortex ring ۱ is ۱۳.۷ when L۱/L۲ = ۲.۴, D۱/D۲ = ۲, and w۱ = ۰.۲. And the maximum moving distance ratio x۲ of vortex ring ۲ is ۲۰ when L۱/L۲ = ۲, D۱/D۲ = ۲.۵, and w۲ = ۰.۲.

Keywords:

Vortex ring generator , Structural design , Moving distance , Piston , Fluid transport