Flow field and particle motion characteristics of rotary triboelectric separator based on CFD simulation

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper studies particle motion and flow field characteristics with fly ash as an example and combine the experiments to analyze the separation process of rotary triboelectric separator in detail. Under boundary reference conditions of 22 kV plate voltage, 3 m/s feed flow, and 1815 r/min (189.95 rad/s) friction wheel speed, it simulated single-particle and particle group movement with different plate voltages and different feeding positions. Simulation of particle movement shows that particles may collide with a plate to cause serious particle mixing when plate voltage is higher. The initial velocity direction of particles is vertical downward and particles enter the separation chamber from the middle of the feeding port as much as possible to achieve better separation. The analysis of the flow field shows that the increase of the feeding airflow speed leads to a higher flow velocity inside the friction chamber and increases turbulence intensity; increases in friction wheel speed enhances flow field uniformity in the friction chamber and it is accompanied by an increase in velocity gradient; The co-flow speed mainly affects airflow field in the sorting room, the increase of co-flow speed within a certain range effectively stabilizes airflow field in the sorting room.