CYCLONE SEPARATOR
Cyclone separators are gas cleaning devices that utilize the
centrifugal force created by a spinning gas stream to separate
particles from a gas.
A standard tangential inlet vertical reverse flow cyclone separator
is shown in Figure. The gas flow is forced to follow the curved
geometry of the cyclone while the inertia of particles in the flow
causes them to move toward the outer wall, where they collide and
are collected.
TANGENTIAL INLET
VERTICAL REVERSE
FLOW CYCLONE.
The gas flow is forced to follow the curved geometry of the cyclone
while the inertia of particles in the flow causes them to move
toward the outer wall, where they collide and are collected.
A particle of mass mp moving in a circular path of radius r with a
tangential velocity is acted on by a centrifugal force of
At a typical value of = 10 m s-1, r = 0.5 m, this force is 20.4
times that of gravity on the same particle.
Thus we see the substantially enhanced force on the particle over
that of settling alone that can be achieved in a cyclone geometry.
In a cyclone the particles in the spinning gas stream move
progressively closer to the outer wall as they flow through the
device.
As shown in Figure, the gas stream may execute several complete
turns as it flows from one end of the device to the other.
TYPES OD CYLNONE
There are a variety of designs of cyclone separators, differing in the
manner in which the rotating motion is imparted to the gas stream.
Conventional cyclones can be placed in the following categories:
1. Reverse-flow cyclones (tangential inlet and axial inlet)
2. Straight-through-flow cyclones
3. Impeller collectors
REVERSE-FLOW CYCLONES
(TANGENTIAL INLET AND
AXIAL INLET)
Reverse-flow tangential cyclone
The dirty gas enters at the top of the cyclone and is given a
spinning motion because of its tangential entry.
Particles are forced to the wall by centrifugal force and then fall
down the wall due to gravity.
At the bottom of the cyclone the gas flow reverses to form an inner
core that leaves at the top of the unit.
In a reverse-flow axial-inlet cyclone, the inlet gas is introduced
down the axis of the cyclone, with centrifugal motion being
imparted by permanent vanes at the top.
In straight-through-flow cyclones the inner vortex of air leaves at
the bottom (rather than reversing direction), with initial centrifugal
motion being imparted by vanes at the top.
This type is used frequently as a pre_cleaner to remove fly ash and
large particles.
The chief advantages of this unit are low pressure drop and high
volumetric flow rates.
In the impeller collector, gases enter normal to a many-bladed
impeller and are swept out by the impeller around its circumference
while the particles are thrown into an annular slot around the
periphery of the device.
The principal advantage of this unit is its compactness;
Cyclones can be constructed of any material, metal or ceramic, for
example, that is capable of withstanding high temperatures,
abrasive particles, or corrosive atmospheres.
It is necessary that the interior surface be smooth so that the
collected particles may slide easily down the wall to the hopper.
There are no moving parts to a cyclone.
so operation is generally simple and relatively free of maintenance.
Their low capital cost and maintenance-free operation make them
ideal for use as pre_cleaners for more efficient final control devices,
such as electrostatic precipitators.
Although cyclones have traditionally been regarded as relatively
low efficiency collectors, some cyclones currently available from
manufacturers can achieve efficiencies greater than 98% for
particles larger than 5 micron.
Generally, cyclones routinely achieve efficiencies of 90% for
particles larger than 15 to 20 microns
CYCLONE DIMENSIONS
Cyclone collection efficiency increases with increasing
(1) particle size,
(2) particle density,
(3) inlet gas velocity,
(4) cyclone body length,
(5) number of gas revolutions,
(6) smoothness of the cyclone wall.
On the other hand, cyclone efficiency decreases with increasing
(1) cyclone diameter, (2) gas outlet duct diameter, and (3) gas inlet area.
For any specific cyclone whose ratio of dimensions is fixed, the
collection efficiency increases as the cyclone diameter is
decreased. The design of a cyclone separator represents a
compromise among collection efficiency, pressure drop, and size.
Higher efficiencies require higher pressure drops (i.e., inlet gas
velocities) and larger sizes (i.e., body length).
