A numerical investigation of the carbon particles concentration distribution in a hydrocyclone for the treatment of printing and dyeing wastewater

Abstract A hydrocyclone was used to achieve the integration of adsorption and separation in the treatment process of printing and dyeing wastewater. The effects of operating parameters, namely inlet flow rate and inlet carbon particle concentration, on the distribution of carbon particles in the hydrocyclone were investigated by means of a combination of experiments and CFD‐DDPM numerical methods. Through analyzing different combinations of inlet flow rate and inlet carbon particle concentration, the operating parameters at which the distribution of activated carbon particles in the flow field is most uniform, namely an inlet flow rate of 8 L/min and an inlet carbon concentration of 0.6 g/L, as well as the axial cross‐section at which the particle concentration distribution is most uniform, namely the height h = 480 mm, were obtained. Furthermore, a functional relationship was established among the inlet flow rate, inlet carbon particle concentration, and particle concentration within the radial region near the axis. These findings provide a multi‐faceted reference basis for the hydrocyclone‐based integrated adsorption and separation processes. The optimal combination of operating conditions offers a quantitative reference for initial parameter selection; the empirical correlation, applicable within the range of simplified conditions investigated, serves as a rapid estimation tool for particle concentration distribution under varying operating parameters; and the most uniform cross‐section provides a reference for the design of mixing chamber height and the placement of sampling ports.