The Influence of local wear on the flow field characteristics of cyclone separators

Abstract With the widespread application of cyclone separators in industrial production, the internal flow field characteristics and separation efficiency are increasingly affected by local wear and tear. To seek to improve its stability and efficiency, a study is conducted by constructing physical models with different wear thicknesses and aperture sizes, and a combination of Reynolds stress model and discrete phase model is used to analyze the flow field characteristics, as well as the motion characteristics of solid particles and vortex expansion process in gas-solid two-phase flow. Simulation experiments show that local wear can significantly affect the flow field distribution, pressure drop, and separation efficiency of cyclone separators. Wear leads to a decrease in flow field symmetry, a decrease in tangential velocity, a weakening of vortex intensity, and an increase in fluid pressure loss. When the wear thickness is 0, the pressure drop is the highest, and as the wear increases, the pressure drop gradually decreases. In terms of grading efficiency, the grading efficiency is lower for particles with a diameter less than 2 μm, while the grading efficiency is close to 100% for particles with a diameter greater than 6 μm. The results indicate that local wear has a significant impact on the performance of cyclone separators, with particularly prominent effects on flow field distribution and pressure drop. The research results provide important basis for optimizing design, performance improvement, and maintenance, which can guide equipment selection and maintenance strategies in practical industrial applications.