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

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.