Numerical simulation of square cyclones in small sizes

Abstract

The idea of using square cyclones was first introduced in early 1990s because of some problems of big conventional (round) cyclones in Circulating Fluidized Bed (CFB) industries, such as huge volume and long start-stop time of cyclones. Now there is this question, in spite of the main reason for making square cyclones, how square cyclones behave in small sizes. In this paper, two small cyclones with the same hydraulic diameter, which one is square and the other one is round, are numerically compared. The Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes equations with Reynolds Stress Turbulence Model (RSTM) are solved by use of the finite volume method based on the SIMPLE pressure correction algorithm in the computational domain. The Eulerian–Lagrangian computational procedure is used to predict particles tracking in the cyclones. The velocity fluctuations are simulated using the Discrete Random Walk (DRW). The results show that the pressure drop in small square cyclone is less than the pressure drop in small round one. Also at each flow rate collection efficiency of small square cyclone is less than round one, but by increasing flow rate this difference decreases.