Research on the Flow Field Characteristics of the Industrial Elliptical Cyclone Separator

A new type of elliptical cyclone separator has been proposed recently, but the flow field characteristics within the industrial device still need to be further investigated. In this paper, the characteristics of the flow field and particle motion inside the circular cyclone and the elliptical cyclon...

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Main Authors: Yongli Zhang, Kangshuo Li, Kaixuan Zhang, Guangfei Zhu, Zhanpeng Sun, Jianfang Shi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Separations
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2297-8739/12/2/50
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author Yongli Zhang
Kangshuo Li
Kaixuan Zhang
Guangfei Zhu
Zhanpeng Sun
Jianfang Shi
author_facet Yongli Zhang
Kangshuo Li
Kaixuan Zhang
Guangfei Zhu
Zhanpeng Sun
Jianfang Shi
author_sort Yongli Zhang
collection DOAJ
description A new type of elliptical cyclone separator has been proposed recently, but the flow field characteristics within the industrial device still need to be further investigated. In this paper, the characteristics of the flow field and particle motion inside the circular cyclone and the elliptical cyclone (with a long-to-short axis ratio of 1.2), with the equivalent hydraulic diameter of 300 mm, are comparatively analyzed using CFD methods. The results show that there is a significant change in the flow field distribution of the elliptical cyclone compared to the conventional circular cyclone. The static pressure gradient of the elliptical cyclone is anisotropic in the radial direction. The overall tangential velocity value is reduced, which reduces friction loss and makes the pressure drop of the elliptical cyclone significantly lower. More importantly, an acceleration/deceleration phenomenon of the airflow velocity occurs in the elliptical separator along the horizontal circumference, that is, the flow field is transformed into a circumferential fluctuating cyclonic field. This phenomenon induces an additional inertial separation effect that compensates for the unfavorable effects caused by the reduced centrifugal strength. Due to the coupling of centrifugal force and additional inertia effect, the residence time of small particles with a diameter of 1 micron in the elliptical cyclone is shorter, which helps to reduce the backmixing of particles and improves the separation efficiency of the elliptical cyclone. This study reveals the unique flow field characteristics of industrial elliptical cyclones, which is helpful to further understand the particle separation mechanism in the circumferential wave swirl field.
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spelling doaj-art-e6dce0f684f84e8f9136622b600057472025-08-20T02:03:32ZengMDPI AGSeparations2297-87392025-02-011225010.3390/separations12020050Research on the Flow Field Characteristics of the Industrial Elliptical Cyclone SeparatorYongli Zhang0Kangshuo Li1Kaixuan Zhang2Guangfei Zhu3Zhanpeng Sun4Jianfang Shi5Collaborative Innovation Center for Shandong’s Main Corp Production Equipment and Mechanization, Qingdao 266109, ChinaDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang 050018, ChinaDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang 050018, ChinaAcademy of Agricultural Planning and Engineering, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing 100125, ChinaDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang 050018, ChinaAcademy of Agricultural Planning and Engineering, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing 100125, ChinaA new type of elliptical cyclone separator has been proposed recently, but the flow field characteristics within the industrial device still need to be further investigated. In this paper, the characteristics of the flow field and particle motion inside the circular cyclone and the elliptical cyclone (with a long-to-short axis ratio of 1.2), with the equivalent hydraulic diameter of 300 mm, are comparatively analyzed using CFD methods. The results show that there is a significant change in the flow field distribution of the elliptical cyclone compared to the conventional circular cyclone. The static pressure gradient of the elliptical cyclone is anisotropic in the radial direction. The overall tangential velocity value is reduced, which reduces friction loss and makes the pressure drop of the elliptical cyclone significantly lower. More importantly, an acceleration/deceleration phenomenon of the airflow velocity occurs in the elliptical separator along the horizontal circumference, that is, the flow field is transformed into a circumferential fluctuating cyclonic field. This phenomenon induces an additional inertial separation effect that compensates for the unfavorable effects caused by the reduced centrifugal strength. Due to the coupling of centrifugal force and additional inertia effect, the residence time of small particles with a diameter of 1 micron in the elliptical cyclone is shorter, which helps to reduce the backmixing of particles and improves the separation efficiency of the elliptical cyclone. This study reveals the unique flow field characteristics of industrial elliptical cyclones, which is helpful to further understand the particle separation mechanism in the circumferential wave swirl field.https://www.mdpi.com/2297-8739/12/2/50industrial cycloneflow fieldmotion characteristicworking performance
spellingShingle Yongli Zhang
Kangshuo Li
Kaixuan Zhang
Guangfei Zhu
Zhanpeng Sun
Jianfang Shi
Research on the Flow Field Characteristics of the Industrial Elliptical Cyclone Separator
Separations
industrial cyclone
flow field
motion characteristic
working performance
title Research on the Flow Field Characteristics of the Industrial Elliptical Cyclone Separator
title_full Research on the Flow Field Characteristics of the Industrial Elliptical Cyclone Separator
title_fullStr Research on the Flow Field Characteristics of the Industrial Elliptical Cyclone Separator
title_full_unstemmed Research on the Flow Field Characteristics of the Industrial Elliptical Cyclone Separator
title_short Research on the Flow Field Characteristics of the Industrial Elliptical Cyclone Separator
title_sort research on the flow field characteristics of the industrial elliptical cyclone separator
topic industrial cyclone
flow field
motion characteristic
working performance
url https://www.mdpi.com/2297-8739/12/2/50
work_keys_str_mv AT yonglizhang researchontheflowfieldcharacteristicsoftheindustrialellipticalcycloneseparator
AT kangshuoli researchontheflowfieldcharacteristicsoftheindustrialellipticalcycloneseparator
AT kaixuanzhang researchontheflowfieldcharacteristicsoftheindustrialellipticalcycloneseparator
AT guangfeizhu researchontheflowfieldcharacteristicsoftheindustrialellipticalcycloneseparator
AT zhanpengsun researchontheflowfieldcharacteristicsoftheindustrialellipticalcycloneseparator
AT jianfangshi researchontheflowfieldcharacteristicsoftheindustrialellipticalcycloneseparator