CFD-DEM simulation of particle revolution and high-speed self-rotation in cyclones with different structural and operating parameters

Abstract

Systematically researching the association of the turbulentflow in cyclone with the particle revolution and high-speed self-rotation may provide new insights for improving the separation performance and expanding the application of cyclones. In this study, the effect of cyclone structural parameters and inlet gas velocity on the continuous phase flow field as well as the revolution and high-speed self-rotation of the dispersed phase particles. It was observed that the particle self-rotation speed increases with the increase of cylinder-to-cone ratio, the decrease of the cone angle, and the increase of the inlet gas velocity. With the cylinder-to-cone ratio, i=1, half-cone angle, α=4.7° and the inlet gas velocity of 20 m/s, the average particle self-rotation speed was determined to be 7124 rad/s. Meanwhile, it was also revealed that the cyclone structure and inlet gas velocity remarkably affected the velocity of the flow field, vorticity, pressure drop and residence time of revolution movement of particles within the cyclone. This study can provide theoretical fundamental for the industrial applications of cyclone in chemical engineering and environmental engineering related to the separation of pollutants on the surface of particles and in pores.

Keywords

• Cyclone separation
• Computational fluid dynamics
• Discrete element method
• Particle revolution
• Particle self-rotation