Cyclone Separator

STAR-CCM+ v6.02
 Introduction

• Cyclones are employed for removal of particulate

contaminants from polluted air streams in a wide variety of
engineering applications
• Nature of flow-particle dynamics in the cyclone lends itself
as an excellent example for demonstrating the Lagrangian
Particle Transport (LPT) approach
• In this tutorial, we have outlined the methodology to set-up
a simulation to characterize the performance of a cyclone;
• Incidentally, results of the current effort also serve to
validate the applicability of STAR-CCM+ for similar
applications (strong swirling flows)
• Further, additional information elucidating the fluid and
particle behaviour inside the cyclone are presented

Simulation of Cyclone Separators with STAR-CCM+

 Geometry and Operating Conditions
De D = 0.2 m
PRESSURE
OUTLET (1 bar) a/D b/D De/D S/D h/D H/D B/D
.5 .25 .5 .625 2. 4. .25
S

Air
h

a
velocity, m/s 20
b
density, kg/m3 1.205
H

D
VELOCITY INLET
Solid Particles
Air + Solid particles
velocity, m/s 20
Reference: Numerical Study of Gas-Solid
Flow in a Cyclone Seperator, Wang et al., density, kg/m3 3320
Third International Conference on CFD in
volume fraction 3%
the Mineral and Process Industries,
CSIRO, Australia, PP 371-376, 2003 size, mm 5x10-3

Simulation of Cyclone Separators with STAR-CCM+

Models & Reference Conditions

• The following models were involved in the problem setup:

 Three-dimensional, Gravity
 Constant Density Gas (Air)
 Implicit Unsteady
 Turbulent, Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes
 Reynolds Stress Turbulence
 Two-layer All Y+ Wall Treatment
 Linear Pressure Strain Two-layer
 Segregated Flow
 Segregated Fluid Isothermal
• Reference Conditions
– Pressure: Atmospheric
– Temperature: 300 K
– Turbulent Intensity and Viscosity Ratio: 1 % & 10
Modeling Information

• CAD model of the geometry was created in star-design®

based on data provided in the reference
• Geometry imported into STAR-CCM+
• Surface and Volume meshing performed using the Surface
Remesher and Polyhedral Volume Mesher
• Prism layer option was activated at the volume meshing
stage to generate prism layers on all wall boundaries
• Final computational mesh comprised polyhedral cells and
two prismatic cells (of total thickness 5 mm) at all wall
boundaries
• Mesh count (trimmer + 2 prism layers on the walls)
– 35732
 Polyhedral Mesh

2 prism layers

Number of cells:
35732

Simulation of Cyclone Separators with STAR-CCM+

 Boundary Conditions

• Velocity inlet (with base case value of 20 m/s)

• Pressure outlet (with atmospheric pressure)
• Rest all boundaries treated as no-slip walls
• Simulations performed in the implicit unsteady fashion
with a time step 0.01 sec
• Continued till the residuals attained a steady value @
which time a four-order reduction in the residuals was
observed
• Further, a plot of mass-flow averaged inlet pressure value
was also monitored to judge convergence
• For validation purposes, simulations were repeated at six
more inlet velocity values (ranging from 5 to 35 m/s) to
generate the pressure drop curve as a function of velocity
Simulation of Cyclone Separators with STAR-CCM+
 Velocity and Static Pressure Contours(@ 20 m/s)

Simulation of Cyclone Separators with STAR-CCM+

 Velocity and Static Pressure Contours(@ 20 m/s)

Simulation of Cyclone Separators with STAR-CCM+

 Velocity Vectors and Streamlines

Simulation of Cyclone Separators with STAR-CCM+

Axial and Tangential Velocity @ Line Probe

Location
Simulation of Cyclone Separators with STAR-CCM+
 Comparison @ Different Inlet Velocities
(35, 20 and 5 m/s)

Simulation of Cyclone Separators with STAR-CCM+

 Validation (Expt & FLUENT data from reference)

Simulation of Cyclone Separators with STAR-CCM+

Performance Characterization

• Performance of a Cyclone is normally characterized by

its ability to classify particles of different sizes
• For a particular geometrical configuration, a unique
curve expressing the classification (particle collection
efficiency in the outflow stream) as a function of particle
size is obtained for a particular flow rate
• The detailed procedure to generate the classification
curve for the base case (20 m/s) is outlined in the next
few slides
• Further salient features with respect to particle tracking
are illustrated using
Particle Tracking

• One-way coupling (from gas to particle) was assumed

between the gas and particle phases
• Particle tracking performed under the steady flow mode
• Spherical particles (parcels) with client supplied density
were tracked on the converged flow field
• Drag (Schiller-Neumann), Virtual Mass and turbulence
dispersion forces were considered to act on the particles
• Particles (parcels) impacting on the wall surfaces were
assumed to be rebounding except the bottom one where
they were assumed to escape
• Particles were released on the presentation grid and
tracked till they exited either the bottom wall (or) the top
outlet
 Injection Definition
• Particle injection into the domain can be achieved by different mechanisms
• In the present case, a presentation grid (as shown in the illustration below)
was defined and located just downstream of the inlet patch
•Injection points were uniformally distributed in a grid 8 x 16 = 128 total points

Simulation of Cyclone Separators with STAR-CCM+

Methodology

• Specified number of mono-disperse particles (parcels) of

different sizes (ranging from a minimum to a maximum
value) are seeded at the inlet boundary and tracked in
succession through the frozen flow field
• A no-slip condition is assumed for the parcels seeded at the
inlet boundary
• Efficiency of separation for each particle (parcel) size is
estimated by calculating the fraction of the total number of
parcels seeded at the inlet boundary that reach the either
boundary (top/bottom outlet)
• In the present case, we have estimated the separation
efficiency based on the fraction collected at both the bottom
as well as the top outlet
 Classification Characteristics [@ 20 m/s]

Simulation of Cyclone Separators with STAR-CCM+

 Observations

• Results of the LPT indicate that the cut point diameter

(particle size corresponding to 50% separation) is of the
order of 1.2 mm
• Separation performance for particle sizes 1.5 mm and
above is ~ 95% and above, whereas, that for 0.75 mm
and below is ~ 5 % and below
• Classification curve seen to be pretty steep with a
sharpness of cut (D95%/D5%) of ~2

Simulation of Cyclone Separators with STAR-CCM+, CD-adapco Torino Office

 Tracks for 1 mm, 1.25 mm, 1.5 mm Particles

Simulation of Cyclone Separators with STAR-CCM+

 Velocity/Residence Time for 0.5 mm & 2.0 mm

Simulation of Cyclone Separators with STAR-CCM+

 Animation Depicting 25 Tracks (1.25 mm)
(individual tracks)

Simulation of Cyclone Separators with STAR-CCM+

 Animation Depicting Transport of 25 Tracks (1.25 mm)
(gradual progress as a group)

Simulation of Cyclone Separators with STAR-CCM+

 Summary

• Detailed step-wide procedure involved in setting up a

LPT routine to simulate fluid-particle flow in a cyclone
separator was demonstrated
• Predicted pressure drop curve @ various flow rates
generated from simulation results seen to be in very
good comparison to experimental results
• Methodology to generate the particle classification curve
for the cyclone was elucidated
• Classification curve generated for the base flow rate
value seen to be pretty steep (value ~2) ; cut point
diameter seems to be ~ 1.2 mm

Simulation of Cyclone Separators with STAR-CCM+