Study of the performance and flow field of a new spiral-roof cyclone separator

Abstract

This paper addresses deficiencies in the separating efficiency of conventional spiral-roof cyclone separators compared to flat-roof cyclone separators. A novel design is proposed, adding spiral guide vanes into the spiral-roof cyclone separator's annular space. The performance of the new spiral-roof cyclone separator is evaluated through cold-model experiments and numerical simulations and compared with conventional flat-roof and spiral-roof counterparts. The results demonstrate a more than 20% reduction in pressure drop compared to the flat-roof cyclone. The new design exhibits 3%–5% higher efficiency than the conventional spiral-roof cyclone and surpasses the flat-roof cyclone by 2%–3%. The numerical simulations investigate tangential velocity distribution, airflow residence time, short-circuit flow air volume, particles carried away by short-circuit flow, and vortex core stability. The findings confirm the new spiral-roof cyclone as a low-pressure and highly efficient separator with promising practical applications in diverse gas-solid separation operations.