Influence of cyclone construction parameters on the efficiency of dust removal

Abstract

Gas dedusting involves the removal of aerosol particles from them. The gas dedusting process is carried out in devices called dust collectors. The use of a specific dust removal process depends on the characteristics of the pollutant emission source and the required degree of gas dedusting. The dust removal process is a complex system of forces acting in the dust collector to remove dust particles from the gas and to deposit them on the collector surface. The centrifugal dust collectors use the mechanism of centrifugal forces by introducing an aerosol stream into rotational motion. These types of dust collectors are often used in industry due to the simple construction, the lack of moving parts, the ability to work in conditions of high temperature and high pressure, low manufacturing costs and easy operation. A cyclone with a tangential inlet is one of the types of centrifugal separators in which the gas flows tangentially to the cylindrical part, then spirals downwards where it changes direction to the opposite and leaves the cyclone with the central exhaust pipe. Cyclones are commonly used in Poland in small heating plants equipped with WR grate boilers where coal is burned. The most important factors affecting the efficiency of dust removal are the physicochemical properties of aerosol particles and their sizes. For example, a reduction in the particle size leads to a reduction in the efficiency of the forces emitting particles from the gas, and thus the efficiency of dust removal decreases. The geometric shape of the cyclone is relatively simple, but its structural dimensions have an effect on the gas movement and, as a result, the efficiency of dust removal. Increasing the efficiency of the cyclone is the subject of many studies. This publication presents information on cyclones with tangential inlet and the effect of their design parameters on the efficiency of dust removal. A total of 5 types of cyclones with tangential inlet were analyzed, including two high efficiency cyclones, two general use cyclones and one high performance cyclone. The analysis showed that the size of cyclone construction parameters affects the size of the particle’s limit diameter, the pressure drop and, as a result, the cyclone efficiency.