Particle Separation in an Annular Converging Channel with an Inner Rotating Permeable Baffle

Abstract

The relation between the separation efficiency of solid particles and the stability of the helical flow of a viscous fluid in a converging channel with an inner rotating permeable cylindrical baffle has been studied. The profiles of the axial and tangential velocities and the separation efficiency of solid particles have been calculated based on the numerical solution of a system of equations describing the hydrodynamics of two-phase media. Analysis of the obtained solutions shows that vortices having an effect on particle separation can appear in the converging channel. Moreover, the larger the size of the converging annular channel, the earlier a loss of stability occurs. It has been found that the formation of vortices is impossible for some flow regimes and, as a result of fluid flow stabilization, the fraction of particles settled on the permeable cylindrical baffle decreases. It has been shown that those regime parameters at which a helical flow exists should be selected for the development of combined action units involving filtering and the separation of the solid dispersed phase.