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Cyclone Design - Chapter 21
Cyclone Design - Chapter 21
21
Cyclone Design
Cyclones are very common particulate control devices used in many applications,
especially those where relatively large particles need to be collected. They are not
very efficient for collecting small particles because small particles have little mass
that can generate a centrifugal force. Cyclones are very simple devices that use
centrifugal force to separate particles from a gas stream. They commonly are constructed of sheet metal, although other materials can be used. They have a low capital
cost, small space requirement, and no moving parts. Of course, an external device,
such as a blower or other source of pressure, is required to move the gas stream.
Cyclones are able to handle very heavy dust loading, and they can be used in hightemperature gas streams. Sometimes they are lined with castable refractory material
to resist abrasion and to insulate the metal body from high-temperature gas.
A typical cyclone is illustrated in Figure 21.1. It has a tangential inlet to a
cylindrical body, causing the gas stream to be swirled around. Particles are thrown
toward the wall of the cyclone body. As the particles reach the stagnant boundary
layer at the wall, they leave the flowing gas stream and presumably slide down the
wall, although some particles may be re-entrained as they bounce off of the wall
back into the gas stream. As the gas loses energy in the swirling vortex, it starts
spinning inside the vortex and exits at the top.
The vortex finder tube does not create the vortex or the swirling flow. Its function
is to prevent short-circuiting from the inlet directly to the outlet. Cyclones will work
without a vortex finder, although the efficiency will be reduced.
mV 2
r
centrifugal force
mass of particle
velocity of particle, assumed to equal inlet gas velocity
radius of cyclone body
(21.1)
0.5
(21.2)
0.5
(21.3)
where: = gas viscosity. Note that decreasing the gas temperature increases the gas
density, but contrary to intuition, decreases the gas viscosity, which reduces drag
force and results in a small efficiency improvement. However, decreasing the gas
temperature also decreases the volumetric flow rate, which affects efficiency as
described above in Equation 21.2.
Finally, particle loading also affects efficiency. High dust loading causes particles
to bounce into each other as they move toward the wall, driving more particles
toward the wall and their removal.
Pt 2 L1
=
Pt1 L 2
0.18
(21.4)
Figure 21.3 shows generalized efficiency relationships for high-efficiency conventional and high-throughput cyclones. It simply demonstrates that the dimensions
of the cyclones can be tuned to the application. Figure 21.4 and Table 21.1 illustrate
typical cyclone dimensions. Relative dimensions are based upon the diameter of the
body of the cyclones. High-efficiency cyclones tend to have long, narrow bodies,
while high-throughput cyclones generate less pressure drop with fat bodies.
L
1
L + c
H b 2
(21.5)
TABLE 21.1
Typical Cyclone Dimensions
High Efficiency
Inlet height
Inlet width
Gas exit diameter
Body length
Cone length
Vortex finder
Dust outlet diameter
H/D
W/D
De /D
Lb /D
Lc /D
S/D
Dd /D
d px
Standard
0.44
0.21
0.4
1.4
2.5
0.5
0.4
0.5
0.25
0.5
1.75
2.0
0.6
0.4
x
9W
=
100 N e Vi p g
0.8
0.35
0.75
1.7
2.0
0.85
0.4
0.5
where
dpx = diameter of a particle with x% removal efficiency
= viscosity
2002 by CRC Press LLC
High Throughput
(21.6)
W
Ne
Vi
p
g
=
=
=
=
=
inlet width
number of effective turns
inlet velocity
density of particle
density of gas
1
d
1 + p 50
d pj
(21.7)
where
j = collection efficiency of particle with diameter j
dp50 = diameter of particles with 50% collection efficiency
dpj = diameter of particle j
Lapples efficiency curve was developed from measured data for cyclones with
the standard dimensions shown in Table 21.1. The efficiency curve can be tailored
for different industrial cyclone dimensions by adding a slope parameter, B, to the
correlation:
j =
1
d
1 + p 50
d pj
(21.8)
21.1.4 LEITH
AND
Other models have been developed to predict cyclone performance. One is the Leith
and Licht model2 shown in Equation 21.9:
2002 by CRC Press LLC
= 1 exp d M
p
M=
(21.9)
1
m +1
(21.9a)
0.3
T
m = 1 1 0.67D0c .14
283
(21.9b)
K Qp C (m + 1) 2
= 2
18 D3C
where
dp
DC
T
K
Q
p
C
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
(21.9c)
The geometric configuration parameter is estimated based on the cyclone configuration. Table 21.2 shows relative dimensions for three types of cyclones: the
standard cyclone, the Stairmand design,3 and the Swift design.4 Note that the Stairmand and the Swift cyclones have smaller inlet openings than the standard design,
which means a higher inlet velocity for the same size body. This results in more
centrifugal force and increased efficiency. In the Leith and Licht model, a larger
geometric configuration parameter results in a higher predicted efficiency.
TABLE 21.2
Geometric Configuration Parameter
Inlet height
Inlet width
Gas exit diameter
Body length
Cone length
Vortex finder
Dust outlet diameter
Geometric configuration paramater
H/D
W/D
De /D
Lb /D
Lc /D
S/D
Dd /D
K
Standard
Stairmand
0.5
0.25
0.5
2.0
2.0
0.625
0.25
402.9
0.5
0.2
0.5
1.5
2.5
0.5
0.375
551.3
Swift
0.44
0.21
0.4
1.4
2.5
0.5
0.4
699.2
21.1.5 COMPARISON
OF
Efficiency models are adequate for getting a fair idea of performance, but there can
be a rather wide variation in model predictions. Part, but not all, of the variation
can be explained by empirical factors for the cyclone configuration. Figure 21.7
shows cyclone efficiency curves as a function of particle diameter based on several
sources. Each curve is based upon the same gas flow and gas and particle conditions.
The lowest efficiency is predicted by Lapples curve for a standard cyclone. Interestingly, the Leith and Licht model for the same standard cyclone predicts a significantly higher efficiency. The Leith and Licht model for the higher efficiency Stairmand and Swift cyclone designs shows incremental improvement over the standard
design. Vendor data also were collected for the same set of gas and particle conditions, with significant predicted performance improvement. Perhaps the vendors
were being overoptimistic about their designs, or perhaps there have been significant
improvements in cyclone design over the years. It does point out that performance
guarantees for cyclones must be written with specific information about the gas and
particle properties, including the particle size distribution, to ensure that vendor
guarantees can be measured and substantiated after installation.
P =
where
P
g
Vi
NH
=
=
=
=
1
V2 N
2gc g i H
(21.10)
pressure drop
gas density
inlet gas velocity
pressure drop expressed as number of the inlet velocity heads
One of the correlations for number of inlet velocity heads is by Miller and
Lissman:5
D
N H = K P1
De
(21.11)
where
KP1 = constant based on the cyclone configuration and operating conditions
D = diameter of the cyclone body
De = diameter of the exit tube
A typical value for KP in the Miller and Lissman correlation is 3.2. For the
standard cyclone configuration described above, the Miller and Lissman correlation
results in 12.8 inlet velocity heads.
Another correlation for number of inlet velocity heads is by Shepherd and
Lapple:6
N H = K P 2
where
KP2
H
W
De
=
=
=
=
HW
De2
(21.12)
The value for KP in the Shepherd and Lapple correlation is different, typically
ranging from 12 to 18. The Shepherd and Lapple correlation results in 8 inlet velocity
heads for the standard cyclone dimensions, 6.4 inlet velocity heads for the Stairmand
cyclone design, and 9.24 inlet velocity heads for the Swift cyclone design. As can
be seen, there is a substantial difference among the correlations. Again, it is best to
rely upon vendors experience when your own experience is lacking; however, to
enforce a performance guarantee, ensure that the specification is well-written and
can be documented for the expected conditions.
21.3 SALTATION
The previous discussion of efficiency and pressure drop leaves the impression that
continually increasing the inlet gas velocity can give incrementally increasing efficiency. However, the concept of saltation by Kalen and Zenz7 indicates that, more
than just diminishing return with increased velocity, collection efficiency actually
decreases with excess velocity. At velocities greater than the saltation velocity,
particles are not removed when they reach the cyclone wall, but are kept in suspension as the high velocity causes the fluid boundary layer to be very thin. A correlation
for the saltation velocity was given by Koch and Licht:8
p g
Vs = 2.055D0.067Vi0.667 4g
32g
where
Vs =
D =
Vi =
g =
=
p =
g =
W =
0.333
W 0.4
0.333
1 W
(21.13)
REFERENCES
1. Lapple, C. E., Processes use many collector types, Chem. Eng., 58, 5, May 1951.
2. Leith, D. and Licht, W., The collection efficiency of cyclone type particle collectors
A new theoretical approach, AIChE Symp. Series, 126 (68), 1972.
3. Stairmand, C. J., The design and performance of cyclone separators, Trans. Ind.
Chem. Eng., 29, 1951.
4. Swift, P., Dust control in industry, Steam Heating Eng., 38, 1969.
5. Miller and Lissman, Calculation of cyclone pressure drop, presented at meeting of
American Soc. of Mech. Eng., New York, December 1940.
6. Shepherd, C. B. and Lapple, C. E., Flow pattern and pressure drop in cyclone dust
collectors, Ind. Eng. Chem., 32(9), 1940.
7. Kalen, B., and Zenz, F., Theoretical empirical approach to saltation velocity in cyclone
design, AIChE Symp. Series, 70(137), 1974.
8. Koch, W. H. and Licht, W., New design approach boosts cyclone efficiency, Chem.
Eng., 84(24), 1977.