2006 Spring Meeting & 2nd Global Congress on Process Safety

(118a) Numerical Simulation on Particle Distribution in Cyclone Separators

Authors

Xue, X. - Presenter, China University of Petroleum,Beijing
Sun, G. - Presenter, China University of Petroleum,Beijing
Shi, M. - Presenter, China University of Petroleum,Beijing
Wan, G. - Presenter, China University of Petroleum, Beijing


The particle concentration distribution in cyclone separator is numerically simulated with the Particle-Source-In-Cell (PSIC) method, the interaction between particles and gas phase is taken into account, and the Advanced Renolds Stress Model ( ARSM) and Stochastic Particle Tracking Model (SPTM) are adopted. Predictions are in reasonable agreement with the experimental results. Numerical simulation reveals that particle concentration near the wall of cyclone separator represent a helix-dust-ring distribution, but the dust ring is unstable and switches up and down with a frequency. There is also an unequal and non-axisymmetric dust ring near the top plate of cyclone separator. The axial distribution of particle concentration in the inner vortex (r/R≤0.3) is shown that the fine particles are entrained seriously from the dust hopper in a range of height 1.5D above the dust discharge port, but the secondary separation of particles by the strongly swirling flow is also obvious. The radial distribution of particle concentration is divided basically into two regions, the concentration of particles is low and equal in the inner region of r/R≤0.75, but raise sharply in the outer region of r/R>0.75. Moreover, the influence of particle diameter ( 3~23µm), temperature ( 20~1000 °C), inlet dust loading ( 30 g/m3~10 Kg/m3 ) and inlet velocity ( 12~30 m/s) on the particle concentration distribution are investigated respectively.

Key words: Cyclone Separator, Particle concentration distribution, Numerical Simulation, Dust rings.