Non-thermal separation of capillary liquid from macropores of solid particle in seconds by cyclone

Abstract

Non-thermal cyclonic separation, driven by particle self-rotation and revolution, revolutionizes energy efficiency and pollution reduction. However, understanding fluid oscillation separation remains incomplete in terms of the mechanism. In this study, the liquid oscillation separation characteristics from particle macropores by cyclones were analysed by mathematical models and high-speed cameras. The coupled centrifugal acceleration of the liquid from the particle macropores can reach 579.3 m/s2 and oscillate with a period as short as 8.2 ms. At 25 ℃, the non-thermal separation efficiency of liquid from the particle macropores reached 92 % in just a few seconds by a cyclone. The rate at which the liquid in the particle macropores was separated by the cyclone can be up to 19,377 times the rate at which it was separated by evaporation. The feasibility of non-thermal oscillatory separation by cyclones is confirmed, offering a theoretical foundation for the separation of liquid in porous particles, such as sludge, biomass, and lignite.