Porous particles containing organic waste, such as residue hydrogenation waste catalysts and oily sludge, are important hazardous pollutants. In 2017, self-rotation and revolution of particles in hydrocyclones were first experimentally measured and numerically studied for enhancing the hydrocyclone separation function of removing coating oil on spent hydrocracking catalysts. To date, however, their mechanisms are still not clearly explained using mathematical models. Accordingly, in this study, a modified mathematical model of 3-D swirling flow field in a hydrocyclone was established based on Bloor & Ingham’s model proposed in 1987, and a non-inertial self-rotation-velocity prediction model of microspheres in the hydrocyclone was established by coupling the swirling flow field and particle motion. The flow field, microspheres revolution, microspheres self-rotation, and coupled centrifugal separation in the hydrocyclone were calculated using the aforementioned two models. Results show that, compared with Bloor & Ingham’s model proposed in 1987, fluid velocities calculated using the modified model were closer to the experimental results. In the cylindrical coordinate system, the self-rotation velocity of microspheres in the forced vortex of hydrocyclones was zero; whereas that in the quasi-free vortex decreased as the revolution radius increased; that in the boundary layer rapidly increased to above 1000 rad/s with the increase of revolution radius, which was dozens of times the revolution velocity. Where the direction of inertial microsphere self-rotation in quasi-free vortex and boundary layer was opposite to the revolution direction. Besides, it could also be concluded that the periodic-oscillation coupling centrifugal force, which was generated by the revolution and high-speed self-rotation of particles near the wall, promoted the outward migration of pollutants in pores of the particles, and the calculation equation of its oscillation period was obtained. Therefore, the hydrocyclone-removal mechanism of particle-pore pollutant was revealed.
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