CYCLONES

Cyclones are commonly employed to separate dust from

extracted air or any gas. They are also used in refineries
to concentrate oils from gases and in the cement industry
as component of kiln pre-heaters.

Depending on the size of the particle differents devices

can be used to remove solids from a gas, the grade
efficiency varies the size of the particles (figure 1).
Figure 1. Devices of separation of solid particles from gases
Gas cyclones are suitable to separate size of particle
from 0.5 µm to 100 µm. Typically, cyclones have diameter
between 0.05 m to 50 m, gas inlet with velocities of 15-
35 m/s and feed concentrations varies from 0.1 Kg/m 3 to
50 Kg/m3.

Cyclones are characterized by a low energy consume,

have no moving parts, inexpensive compared to other
devices of separation, can be operates at high
temperature and extremely reliable.
 Figure 2. Reverse flow cyclone

Reverse flow cyclone description

Figure 2 shows that the gas enters tangentially

to cylindrical section of the cyclone, it is called
the cyclone barrel. The gas executes a helical
outer vortex in the barrel and tapered section
or cone, before moving into the much narrow
inner vortex and leaving through the vortex
finder. The particles are flung out to the wall
while, in a properly designed cyclone, the
helical motion in the outer vortex pushes them
down toward the apex of the cone. A
disengagement hopper is sometimes provided
to control particle discharge.
Operating variables and performance of cyclones
Standard sizing of the cyclones are shown in the figure 3. There are several cyclones design
but the most importants in “industry standards” are the designs of Stairmand. Two kind of
design were developed by Stairmand, which are high efficiency and medium efficiency (high
throughput pattern). High efficiency is cheaper to construct but may give higher pressure drop
across the cyclone (figure 4a), for high throughput lower pressure drop (but increased
construction cost), a volute (or 'scroll' or 'wrap-around') entry can be used (figure 4b).

Figure 3. Standard design of cyclones

Figure 4. Designs Stairmand Cyclone

Standard cyclone designs (Strauss, 1975, after Stairmand 1951). a) High efficiency, medium
throughput pattern. Nominal flow rate=1.5D2 m3s-1. b) Medium-efficiency, high throughput-pattern.
Nominal flow rate=4.5D2 m3s-1. Entrance velocity at these flows is approximately 15.2 m*s-1 in both
types.
 Total Efficiency and Grade Efficiency

A cyclone with solids mass flow in the inlet (m s ) are going to separate into two fractions a coarse (m c )
and a fine (m f ). Coarse product exits by the conical section of the cyclone and fine producto exits
with the clean gas.
Solids mass balance
m s=m c +m f
Solids mass balance for a specific particle size ( D_p )
m s∗x s , D =m c∗x c , D +m f ∗x f , D
p p p

From solids mass balance

mc mf
xs=
( ) ( )
ms
∗x c +
ms
∗x f

x s= ηT ∗x c +(1− ηT )∗x f

The efficiency with which the cyclone collects particles of a certain size isdescribed by the grade
efficiency , ηG , which is defined as:
m c ∗x c , D p
ηG=
m s∗x s , D p
 xc , D p
ηG = ηT ∗
xs , D p

Figure 5 shows the effienciency grade curves for Stairmand cyclones of high efficiency
and high throughput
Figure 5. Grade efficiency curves
Cyclones are a type of classifiers that use an inert force to separate solid particles from a
gas or air stream. Particles in the gas are subjected to centrifugal forces (inert force)
which move them radially outwards, against the inward flow of gas and towards the inside
surface of the cyclone on which the solids separate. The theory for cyclone separation will
be described below (figure 6):
Figure 6. Theoretical analysis of cyclones Remembering the following equation
ρ ρ∗C D∗A p∗v 2 ∂ v⃗
v tan
v tr
( p )
1− ρ ∗⃗a −
2∗m
=
∂t
If a⃗ is a centrifugal field force as
v tR centripetal force then
2
a=r∗w
v tan , R
Where
r : trayectory
vg w :angular velocity
ρ 2 ρ∗C D∗A p∗v 2 ∂ ⃗v
v tan ( 1− ρ ∗rw −
) =
p 2∗m ∂t
FB When the particles reaches the termina velocity
v tr
2
ρ ρ∗C ∗ A ∗v
( 1− ρ ∗rw 2 −
) D p t ,r
=0
p 2∗m
 m=ρ p∗V
2
2 S∗ρ∗C D∗v tr
r∗w ∗( ρ p −ρ )=
2∗V
For a sphere
π∗D 2p π∗D 3p
S= and V =
4 6
2
2 6∗ρ∗C D∗v tr
r∗w ∗( ρ p −ρ )=
8∗D p
24∗μ
From Stokes law : C D =
D p∗ρ∗v tr
2 18∗μ∗v tr
r∗w ∗( ρ p −ρ )=
D2p
If we assume that all particles with an equilibrium orbit
radius greater than or equal to the cyclone body radius
will be collected, then substituting r= R.
2 v 2tan , R
R∗w =
R
2
v tan , R 18∗μ ∗v tR
∗( ρ p −ρ )= 2
R Dp
2 2
v ( ρ −ρ )∗D p
v tR = tan , R ∗ p
R 18∗μ
 Drop pressure (Euler number , Eu)
2 2
2∗Δ P π ∗D ∗Δ P
Eu= = 2
ρ∗v g 8∗q ∗ρ
v g :superficial gas velocity
D : characteristic cyclone dimension (generally diameter of barrel )
q : gas volumetric flow rate

Cyclone Reynolds number ( R c )

ρ∗v g∗D 4∗ρ∗q
Rc= μ =
π∗μ∗D

Stokes number (Stk )

ρ p∗D 2p∗v g 2 ρ p ∗D 2p∗q
Stk=
18∗μ∗D
= ( )
9∗π
∗
μ ∗D 3

The particle size which can be collected by a cyclone is commonly

expressed in terms of the cut size, D p50 , i.e. the particle size which
is collected(at low particle loading) with 50% efficiency , η=0.5
 Scale-up of Cyclones

ρ p∗D 2p 50∗v g 2 ρ p∗D 2p 50∗q

Stk 50 =
18∗μ∗D
= ( )
9∗ π
∗
μ∗D 3
Perry and Green (1984) give the grade efficiency expression:
Dp 2

ηGm=
( )
D p 50
2
Dp
[ ( )]
1+
D p 50

The general trend can be described by the following approximate empirical correlation :
12
Eu= (
√Stk 50
)
Example

D p 50
 ηT =68.56 %

ηG

xc
xs
 Plotting data for grade efficiency

ηG

Dp

2
ρ ∗D p 50∗v g
Stk 50 = p
18∗μ∗D
D p 50