Home Solid loading effect on the performance of a cyclone with spiral guide vanes
Article
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

Solid loading effect on the performance of a cyclone with spiral guide vanes

  • Morteza Bayareh EMAIL logo
Published/Copyright: April 24, 2025

Abstract

The present study numerically assesses the influence of solid loading on the performance of gas-solid cyclones equipped with spiral guide vanes (SGVs) featuring 0.5 to 3 turns. Numerical simulations utilize the Reynolds Stress Model (RSM) alongside the Eulerian-Lagrangian particle tracking scheme to separate solid particles ranging from 0.1 to 8 μm. The performance of these SGV-equipped cyclones is compared against conventional cyclones with either roughened cone surfaces (C.R series) or smooth cone surfaces (C series). The results demonstrate that the maximum pressure drop occurs in cyclone C5 with a 2.5-turn SGV. It is found that introducing 1-mm roughness on the cone surface reduces the pressure drop compared to the same design with a smooth cone surface. For instance, the pressure drop of cyclone C5 is about 60 % greater than that of cyclone C.R5. The results indicate that the collection efficiency of SGV-based cyclones for 0.1-μm solid particles ranges from 25 % to 48 %, while conventional cyclones achieve only 4 %, highlighting the significant impact of SGVs on collection efficiency. When the solid loading is 5 %, the cyclone with 0.5-, 1-, 1.5-, 2-, 2.5-, and 3-turn SGVs and smooth cone wall can collect 50 % of the particles with diameters of 0.49, 0.23, 0.2, 0.18, 0.14, and 0.13 µm, respectively. In contrast, the conventional cyclone can collect 50 % of particles with a diameter of 1.24 µm. It is concluded that increasing solid loading enables all cyclone designs to collect smaller particles.


Corresponding author: Morteza Bayareh, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran, E-mail:

  1. Research ethics: Not applicable.

  2. Informed consent: Not applicable.

  3. Author contributions: None declared.

  4. Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: None declared.

  5. Conflict of interest: The author states no conflict of interest.

  6. Research funding: None declared.

  7. Data availability: Not applicable.

References

[1] E. Dehdarinejad and M. Bayareh, “An overview of numerical simulations on gas-solid cyclone separators with tangential inlet,” ChemBioEng Rev., vol. 8, no. 4, pp. 375–391, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1002/cben.202000034.Search in Google Scholar

[2] B. Pei, L. Yang, K. Dong, Y. Jiang, X. Du, and B. Wang, “The effect of cross-shaped vortex finder on the performance of cyclone separator,” Powder Technol., vol. 313, pp. 135–144, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2017.02.066.Search in Google Scholar

[3] F. Q. Zhou, G. G. Sun, X. P. Han, Y. Zhang, and W. Q. Bi, “Experimental and CFD study on effects of spiral guide vanes on cyclone performance,” Adv. Powder Technol., vol. 29, pp. 3394–3403, 2018, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apt.2018.09.022.Search in Google Scholar

[4] S. Wang, H. Li, R. Wang, X. Wang, R. Tian, and Q. Sun, “Effect of the inlet angle on the performance of a cyclone separator using,” Adv. Powder Technol., pp. 1–13, 2018, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apt.2018.10.027.Search in Google Scholar

[5] E. Dehdarinejad, M. Bayareh, and M. Ashrafizaadeh, “A numerical study on combined baffles quick-separation device,” Int. J. Chem. React. Eng., vol. 19, no. 5, pp. 515–526, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1515/ijcre-2021-0007.Search in Google Scholar

[6] E. Dehdarinejad and M. Bayareh, “Impact of non-uniform surface roughness on the erosion rate and performance of a cyclone separator,” Chem. Eng. Sci., vol. 249, p. 117351, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ces.2021.117351.Search in Google Scholar

[7] M. Morin, L. Raynal, S. B. R. Karri, and R. Cocco, “Effect of solid loading and inlet aspect ratio on cyclone efficiency and pressure drop: experimental study and CFD simulations,” Powder Technol., vol. 372, pp. 174–185, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2020.08.052.Search in Google Scholar

[8] K. Elsayed and C. Lacor, “Numerical modeling of the flow field and performance in cyclones of different come-tip diameters,” Comput. Fluids, vol. 51, no. 1, pp. 48–59, 2011, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compfluid.2011.07.010.Search in Google Scholar

[9] B. Zhao, H. Shen, and Y. Kang, “Development of asymmetrical spiral inlet to improve cyclone separator performance,” Powder Technol., vol. 145, no. 1, pp. 47–50, 2004, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2004.06.001.Search in Google Scholar

[10] D. Winfield, M. Cross, N. Croft, D. Paddison, and I. Craig, “Performance comparison of a single and triple tangential inlet gas separation cyclone: a CFD study,” Powder Technol., vol. 235, no. 2, pp. 520–531, 2013, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2012.10.026.Search in Google Scholar

[11] A. Avci and I. Karagoz, “Effects of flow and geometrical parameters on the collection efficiency in cyclone separators,” J. Aerosol Sci., vol. 34, no. 7, pp. 937–955, 2003, https://doi.org/10.1016/s0021-8502(03)00054-5.Search in Google Scholar

[12] F. Kaya and I. Karagoz, “Experimental and numerical investigation of pressure drop coefficient and static pressure difference in a tangential inlet cyclone separator,” Chem. Pap., vol. 66, pp. 1019–1025, 2012, https://doi.org/10.2478/s11696-012-0214-7.Search in Google Scholar

[13] E. Dehdarinejad and M. Bayareh, “Performance improvement of a cyclone separator using spiral guide vanes with variable pitch length,” J Braz. Soc. Mech. Sci. Eng., vol. 44, p. 516, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40430-022-03788-1.Search in Google Scholar

[14] E. Dehdarinejad and M. Bayareh, “Performance analysis of a novel cyclone separator using RBFNN and MOPSO algorithms,” Powder Technol., vol. 426, p. 118663, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2023.118663.Search in Google Scholar

[15] E. Dehdarinejad and M. Bayareh, “Experimental and numerical investigation on the performance of a gas-solid cyclone with twisted baffles and roughened cone surface,” Powder Technol., vol. 420, p. 118401, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2023.118401.Search in Google Scholar

[16] G. E. O. Celis, J. B. R. Loureiro, P. L. C. Lage, and A. P. Silva Freire, “The effects of swirl vanes and a vortex stabilizer on the dynamic flow field in a cyclonic separator,” Chem. Eng. Sci., vol. 248, p. 117099, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ces.2021.117099.Search in Google Scholar

[17] Q.-P. Li, Y.-J. Xu, and L.-H. Du, “Numerical simulation of JLX cyclone separator with guiding vane,” Chin. J. Chem. Eng., vol. 43, no. 1, pp. 37–41, 2015.Search in Google Scholar

[18] C. J. Pan, Z. W. Jin, and X. Feng, “Research on the spiral guiding and the back-mixing preventing of cyclone separating devices,” Chinese J. Chem. Ind. Eng. Prog., vol. 31, no. 6, pp. 1215–1219, 2012.Search in Google Scholar

[19] G. Gong, Z. Yang, and S. Zhu, “Numerical investigation of the effect of helix angle and leaf margin on the flow pattern and the performance of the axial flow cyclone separator,” Appl. Math. Modell., vol. 36, no. 8, pp. 3916–3930, 2012, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apm.2011.11.034.Search in Google Scholar

[20] F. Zhou, G. Sun, X. Han, Y. Zhang, and W. Bi, “Experimental and CFD study on effects of spiral guide vanes on cyclone performance,” Adv. Powder Technol., pp. 1–10, 2018, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apt.2018.09.022.Search in Google Scholar

[21] G. Cao, G. Sun, S. Yuan, and Y. Wu, “Study on the influence of spiral guide vanes on gas/particle flow characteristics in FCC cyclone separator,” Sep. Purif. Technol., vol. 353, p. 128352, 2025, Part B, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2024.128352.Search in Google Scholar

[22] X. Mo, R. Cai, X. Huang, M. Zhang, and H. Yang, “The effects of wall friction and solid acceleration on the mal-distribution of gas–solid flow in double identical parallel cyclones,” Powder Technol., vol. 286, pp. 471–477, 2015, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2015.08.017.Search in Google Scholar

[23] H. Zhou, Z. Hu, Q. Zhang, Q. Wang, and X. Lv, “Numerical study on gas-solid flow characteristics of ultra-light particles in a cyclone separator,” Powder Technol., vol. 344, pp. 784–796, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2018.12.054.Search in Google Scholar

[24] K. Chu, Y. Chen, Li Ji, Z. Zhou, A. Yu, and J. Chen, “Coarse-grained CFD-DEM study of Gas-solid flow in gas cyclone,” Chem. Eng. Sci., vol. 260, p. 117906, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ces.2022.117906.Search in Google Scholar

[25] Y. Yao, M. Shang, X. Ke, Z. Huang, T. Zhou, and J. Lyu, “Effects of the inlet particle spatial distribution on the performance of a gas-solid cyclone separator,” Particuology, vol. 85, pp. 133–145, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.partic.2023.03.024.Search in Google Scholar

[26] M. Sommerfeld and M. A. Taborda, “Understanding solid particle transport in a gas cyclone separator,” Int. J. Multiphas. Flow, vol. 181, p. 104992, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmultiphaseflow.2024.104992.Search in Google Scholar

[27] H. Guo, et al.., “Analysis on the gas-solid variation characteristics and dust spatial distribution in a return micro-cyclone with a tangential inlet,” Chem. Eng. Res. Des., vol. 207, pp. 466–481, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cherd.2024.06.015.Search in Google Scholar

[28] A. J. Hoekstra, “Gas flow field and collection efficiency of cyclone separators,” Doctoral Thesis, Delft University of Technology, Netherlands, 2000.Search in Google Scholar

Received: 2024-09-11
Accepted: 2025-04-08
Published Online: 2025-04-24

© 2025 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Downloaded on 28.10.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/ijcre-2024-0187/html
Scroll to top button