Abstract
Cyclone separators are widely used to eliminate particles flowing through pipelines in equipment from various industrial processes. Unlike general filters, cyclone separators can constantly and effectively eliminate foreign substances present in the fluid flowing through the equipment. In this study, we fabricated mini-hydrocyclone separators using the 3D printing method for application in the steam and water analysis system (SWAS) in a thermal power plant instead of the conventional strainer filter. The gravimetric method was used to measure the separation efficiency of the hydrocyclone separators and compare the weights of the sludge discharged from the underflow and overflow outlets. The outlet flow ratio was optimized by adjusting the diameters of the spigot and vortex finder of the separators, which influenced the outlet flow rate. To apply the gravimetric method more objectively, the optimum values of the diameters of the vortex finder and spigot with an outlet flow ratio of 1 were determined using full factorial design (FFD) in the design of experiments (DOE). The obtained values were verified through numerical analysis using the ANSYS Fluent software. Furthermore, after fabrication of the mini-hydrocyclone separators using an SLA-type 3D printer, we conducted a numerical analysis, and the results were compared with that of the actual experiment. It was observed that the use of FFD can effectively optimize the desired outlet flow ratio in the mini-hydrocyclone separator. In addition, the changes in the outlet flow ratio do not affect the separation efficiency of the cyclone separators.
Highlights
Cyclone separators are mechanical devices that separate foreign substances from fluids using centrifugal force
Water comprising solid particles is injected through the inlet of the device, and the particles and water separate owing to the centrifugal force
The diameters of the vortex finder and spigot were optimized to 3.25 mm and 2.5 mm, respectively, by full factorial design (FFD), and the results were verified using numerical analysis
Summary
Cyclone separators are mechanical devices that separate foreign substances from fluids using centrifugal force. They are widely used in household cleaners and air purifiers owing to their simple structure and can be manufactured as they do not require separate driving devices [1]. Cyclone separators can be classified as hydrocyclone and gas cyclone separators. Gas cyclone separators are used to separate solids and liquids from gases [2]. Hydrocyclone separators are used to separate liquids and solids. Water comprising solid particles is injected through the inlet of the device, and the particles and water separate owing to the centrifugal force. The large and heavy particles are eliminated from the underflow outlet, whereas the small and light particles are eliminated from the overflow outlet [3]
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