CFD analysis of a hydrocyclone used to remove fine particles from a liquid stream, tracking how particles of different sizes move through the swirling flow.
Sector
Water treatment and process industries
Client
Separation equipment supplier
Flow type
Swirling, particle-laden
Project Snapshot
Challenge
Hydrocyclones separate particles with no moving parts, but the finest particles tend to escape with the overflow. Separation depends on a delicate balance between centrifugal force and drag in a highly swirling flow.
Approach
A 3D swirling-flow simulation with a turbulence model suited to strong swirl, combined with Eulerian–Lagrangian particle tracking using the Discrete Phase Model (DPM) for a range of particle sizes.
Key Findings
- Larger particles moved quickly to the wall and left through the underflow, while the finest followed the inner vortex to the overflow.
- Short-circuit flow near the vortex finder carried some particles directly to the overflow.
- Vortex-finder and cone geometry had the strongest influence on fine-particle separation.
Deliverables
Particle trajectories, flow and pressure fields, and geometry recommendations to improve fine-particle separation, supporting product development and design optimization.
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