Numerical Optimization of Mechanical Air-Oil Cyclone Separator for Air Compressor

Response surface method to study the effect of conical surface and vortex-finder lengths on de-foulant hydrocyclone with reflux ejector

The author discusses the size-frequency analysis of cinders and fly ash, and the variation of the efficiency of dust separation with varying dust-particle size. He shows how these two factors may be combined to determine the overall efficiency of separation. He outlines a rational method for the calculation of dust separation and emission in complex fuel-burning units, in which the dust originates in the furnace, and must pass, prior to its emission into the atmosphere, through numerous heat-absorbing units, including some in which a measure of dust removal may occur. He points out what experimental data must be made available to designers before they may fully utilize any method of predetermining the operating characteristics of equipment with respect to cinder and fly-ash emission. He attempts a theoretical analysis of the efficiency of dust separation in settling chambers, centrifugal concentrators, and cyclone separators.

Heat Exchange and Separation Efficiency in a Cluster of Gas-solid Separators in a Complex Cement Production Plant

A numerical software analysis of the turbulent and strongly swirling flow field of a cyclone separator with downward exhaust gas and its performances is described. The ANSYS 14.0 simulations based on DPM model are also used in the investigation. A new set of geometrical design has been optimized to achieve minimum pressure drop and maximum separation efficiency. A comparison of numerical simulation of the new design confirm the superior performance of the new design compared to the conventional design. The influence of the structure parameters such as the length of the guide pipe, the shape of the guide, the inlet shape on the separation performance was analyzed in this research. This research result has certain reference value for cyclone separator design and performance optimization.

In the circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boilers, the cyclone separator is a critical component of the external solid recycle loop. It is used to separate solid particles from flue gas efficiently. In this paper, numerical simulations are conducted to study the dependence of cyclone separation efficiency on the configurations of separator entrance and central cylinder. The RSM turbulence model is adopted to describe the gas phase, and the particle stochastic trajectory model is used to describe the solid phase. The results show that the separation efficiency of the cyclone can be improved at a certain entrance section angle. When the inclination α = 10°, the separation efficiency of the cyclone is highest. When the entryway has the ladder configuration, the streamlines in the cyclone separator tend to bend downward after passing through the ladder, which is conducive to improve the particles’ separation efficiency. A proper cutting angle at the bottom of the central cylinder can improve the internal gas flow and increase the separation efficiency of the cyclone separators.

The use of axial cyclone separator in the separation of wax from natural gas: A theoretical approach

Asa widely used separation device, a cyclone separator is especiallyimportant to improve its separation efficiency. In this paper, a newtwo-stage cyclone separator is designed and modeled by the Reynoldsstress model. Under the premise of determining the diameter of thesecond-stage cyclone (D), the effects of five first-stage cyclonediameters (Du) on the performance of the two-stage cyclone are simulated.The performance of the single-stage cyclone separator is also obtained.The results show that Du has significant effects on the internal pressurefield, flow field, and vortex core of the two-stage cyclone. Comparedwith the single-stage cyclone separator, the separation efficiencyof the two-stage cyclone separator is significantly improved. WhenDu = 6D, the separation efficiency is improved by 15.5% compared withthat of the single-stage cyclone. In addition, the two-stage cycloneseparator can effectively reduce the Euler number.

Ultrasound standing waves can be used to separate emulsions. So far, they have been applied to oil-in-water emulsions with low continuous phase viscosity. This technique has the potential to be used for novel applications such as separating lipids from algal biomass; however, this requires the methodology to be optimized to process viscous emulsions. We have addressed this issue by studying the effects of bulk phase viscosity (1–23 mPa·s), emulsion droplet size (4.5–20 μm), power (10–54 W/L), and frequency (1 and 2 MHz) of ultrasound on the separation efficiency of model mineral oil-in-water–glycerol-mixture emulsions. For the small droplet size (4.5 μm) emulsion in water, the maximum separation achieved increased from 36 to 79% when ultrasound power increased from 10 to 54 W/L. However, for the large droplet size (11 μm) emulsion, the maximum separation was greater than 95% and was independent of ultrasound power. The maximum separation efficiency for small droplet size (4.5–6 μm) emulsions decreased from 80 to 14% when the viscosity increased from 1 to 23 mPa·s. However, for the large droplet size (11–20 μm) emulsion, the maximum separation efficiency decreased from 98 to 62% when the viscosity of the bulk phase was increased from 1 to 23 mPa·s. The experimental results were then interpreted using analytical and numerical simulations by calculating the time required for the emulsion droplets to migrate to the nearest pressure antinodal plane under the influence of ultrasound standing waves. Further experiments showed that increasing the ultrasound frequency from 1 to 2 MHz increased the maximum separation from 36 to 86% for fine emulsions and water as the continuous phase.

Cyclone separation efficiency is one of critical factors analysed in designing cyclone separators; in which its efficiency is dependent on design parameters such as cyclone separator dimension, operating temperature, and particle density. This report aims at investigating the complex stochastic relationship between the separation efficiency of particle density and geometrical dimension (tuning ratio) while maintaining similar size of cyclone separator and operating temperature. Experimental data shows that the separation efficiency behaves unstably at particle size of less than 0.3 μm and demonstrates stable behavior at particle size beyond 0.3 <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">${\upmu}\mathbf{m}$</tex> , and thus, the feasibility of using Machine Learning Algorithm (MLA) is explored. Comparative studies on various nonlinear regression models, e.g., Neural Network (NN), Boosted Regression Tree (BRT), etc. are presented. Optimal parameters for each model are tuned using manual search to find the best suited method. It is found that BRT has the lowest error accuracy with an average MAE of 0.349 while NN shows the most reliable performance with a standard deviation of 0.1557.

Cyclone separators are suitable to remove particles in extreme conditions with high pressure and temperature during the gas-solid separation process. The important performance of cyclone separators is determined by the separation efficiency and pressure drop. The inlet parameters including the number of inlets, inlet geometry and inlet gas velocity affects the performance of cyclone separators. In this paper, the experimental investigation has been conducted to determine the effects of dual inlet to the separation efficiency of cyclone separators. The cyclone separator was fabricated using the acrylic materials to accommodate the flow observation and trajectories inside the chamber. The experiments were conducted at 9, 11 and 13 m/s of inlet velocity using three particle sizes at 277.5, 42.5 and 625 um. Results showed that as the particle sizes increases, the separation efficiency also increases up to 94.5% for 625 um particles. The findings indicate that the dual inlet cyclone separators increases the performance of cyclone separators especially to remove fly ash in the biomass processing plant and other gas-solid process.

The performance of surface oil–water cyclone separators impacts the measurement accuracy of crude oil produced from exploration and appraisal wells, thereby influencing the formulation of exploration and development plans. To obtain the optimal structural configuration for cyclone oil–water separators, this study optimizes the design of a high-efficiency oil–water cyclone separator suitable for special conditions in well testing. A numerical simulation was performed using the discrete phase model to analyze the three-dimensional turbulent swirl field of the oil–water phases within the separator. Separation efficiency and pressure drop were used as evaluation criteria. The Plackett–Burman experimental method was employed to evaluate six factors affecting separation performance, with oil outlet diameter and cyclone chamber cone angle identified as significant factors. Mathematical models for separation efficiency and pressure drop were developed based on these factors. The central composite design method was then applied to investigate the interactive effects of oil outlet diameter and cyclone chamber cone angle on separation efficiency and pressure drop. The optimal parameter combination was determined: oil outlet diameter of 4.241 mm and cyclone chamber cone angle of 9.622°. The predicted separation efficiency was 93.870%, and the predicted pressure drop was 48.287 kPa. Field tests of the optimized cyclone separator verified the rationality of these optimized parameters, achieving a separation efficiency of 92.9%. This research offers a foundation for optimizing the design of oil–water cyclone separators.

The flow field evolution in the first turn of the spiral concentrator is decisive for the separation efficiency of solid particles. A laboratory-scale Φ300 mm spiral concentrator was employed as the study subject. The fluid phase was simulated using the RNG k-ε (Renormalization Group) turbulence model and the VOF (Volume of Fluid) multiphase model, while the particles were calculated with an Eulerian multi-fluid VOF model that incorporates the Bagnold effect. The influence of the cross-sectional curve equation on the evolution of flow field parameters in the first turn and on the separation behavior of hematite and quartz particles was systematically investigated. The results indicated that the evolution characteristics of fluid parameters, such as the depth of flow film, the tangential velocity of surface flow, the velocity of secondary circulation, and radial flux, were similar. All parameters were observed to undergo an initial decrease or increase, eventually stabilizing as the longitudinal travel progressed. A negative correlation was identified between the index of the cross-sectional curve equation and both the depth of flow film and the tangential velocity of surface flow in the inner half of the trough, whereas an inverse relationship was noted in the outer half. With an increase in the index of the cross-sectional curve equation, the outward circulation velocity in the initial stage and its radial flux in the outer zone were enhanced, while the fluctuations in the evolution of local fluid parameters were suppressed, with more active fluid radial migration observed at the indices of the cross-sectional curve equation of 2.5 and 3. As the flow field evolved, axial separation between hematite and quartz particles was progressively achieved by gravity due to their density difference. In the middle and inner-outer zones, the migration directions of hematite and quartz were observed to become opposite in the later stage of evolution, while the difference in their migration magnitudes was also found to be widened. With an increase in the index of the cross-sectional curve equation, the disparity in the axial separation and movement between hematite and quartz was enhanced, albeit with a diminishing rate of increase. The maximum separation efficiency between hematite and quartz particles was significantly improved with increased longitudinal travel, reaching over 60% by the end of the first turn; higher indices were determined to be more favorable for achieving this performance. Based on the previous research, the variation in separation indices in the third turn was investigated under both independent adjustment of the index of the cross-sectional curve equation and its combined adjustment with the downward bevel angle. Relatively high and stable separation performance was achieved with the indices of the cross-sectional curve equation of 2.5 and 3, where a maximum separation efficiency of 82.02% was obtained, thereby validating the high efficiency and suitability of the selected spiral concentrator profile. This research elucidated the decisive role of the flow field evolution through the first turn in particle separation behavior from the perspective of quantitative description of hydrodynamic parameters, providing beneficial references for the cross-sectional structure design of spirals and the prediction of the separation index of specific feed.

Jigging has a very important role in mineral processing Industry. Upgrading of Iron Ore by jigging has been an emerging trend. A detailed investigation is carried out to understand the role of jig feed distribution and process parameters during jigging operation. Noamundi jig plant data shows that variation in jig feed granulometry, feed quality and operating conditions are major contributors to fluctuation in jigging performance. At Noamundi the Jig feed size (-10.0+0.5mm) fraction is used for fines jigging operation. To understand the effect of particle size distribution on jig plant performance such as yield, separation efficiency and Fe recovery. In this context The performance of jigging was evaluated by daily average data from jig operation was used to study the influence of feed distribution on jigging performance .Coarser fraction (+6mm) has a positive influence, whereas fines fraction (-0.5mm) tends to lower performance .During Jigging rearrangements of Particles takes place due to an alternate expansion and compaction of Jig Bed .These particles are arranged by increasing density from top to bottom. During the particle stratification, Jig bed physically cut at desired horizontal particle density plant to separate the desired product. Investigation shows that optimum bed height is required at different Jig feed quality to achieve desired product quality, maximum separation efficiency and Fe recovery. This Paper will illustrate role of feed distribution and process parameters control on Jigging plant performance and deals with optimization of process parameters to recover iron value from fines.

In order to provide a safe and sustainable astronaut crew environment at a lunar or extraterrestrial outpost, dust mitigation techniques appropriate for the crew vehicle or space environment must be developed. Cyclonic separation is an attractive method because of equipment durability and maintainability. Further dust mitigation studies are required to optimize cyclone separator performance under the reduced air pressures anticipated in crew habitat and air-lock environments. In this paper we examine the collection efficiency of several cyclonic separators under ambient and reduced pressures. Performance testing of a commercial cyclone separator is used as a baseline for comparison with a custom-designed cyclone. Details of the experimental test system along with the design, performance, fabrication, and implementation of a custom cyclone separator are examined. We also describe the customization and implementation of specialized optical diagnostic instrumentation providing particle size, count, and flow data. Test results are compared with cyclone computational flow dynamic modeling to evaluate model parameters and optimize collection efficiency under anticipated flow conditions.

Gas cyclone has two main parameters for evaluating separation performance, separation efficiency and pressure drop through cyclone. They are closely influenced by the geometrical design variables of the cyclone. This study performed optimization of the cyclone performance for the cyclone shape based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD), GMDH type neural network and genetic algorithm (GA). First, CFD was used to obtain the data of the cyclone performance parameters. As result of the CFD validation, the errors of the reference model and CFD were 0.5 % and 2 % for the pressure drop and the separation efficiency. Secondly, the meta-model of the cyclone performance was derived by using GMDH algorithm based on supervised learning of machine learning. The fitness of the modelling results was shown using the correlation coefficient. As results of the GMDH, the correlation coefficients of meta models of the separation efficiency and the pressure drop were 98.9 %, 99.7 %, respectively. Finally, we performed optimization of the meta model by applying GA. When the optimal point was compared with the reference model, the performance of the optimal point was improved by 24.31 % and 8.32 % for pressure drop and the separation efficiency, respectively.