Flow Pattern and Pressure Drop
An experimental investigation of a 12-inch
glass cyclone has shown that the flow within
the cyclone consists primarily of an outer
downward spiral and an inner upward spiral
of higher velocity. The rotational velocity
a t any point in the cyclone chamber below
the exit duct was found to vary inversely
as the square root of the radius. The fric-
tion loss in the cyclone varied as the square
of the inlet velocity, and for a given velocity,
directly as the inlet height and the inlet
. width, and inversely as the square of the
exit duct diameter. The presence of dust
in the air stream reduced the cyclone pres-
sure drop by as much as 16 per cent a t dust
loadings of 20 to 30 grains per cubic foot.
Straightening vanes inserted in the exit
duct and extending below it reduced the
pressure drop by as much as 50 per cent.
Data on the pressure drop with various
other internal and external modifications
are also reported.
ENTRIFUGAL or “cyclone” collectors are widely used
C for the separation and recovery of industrial dusts from
air or process gases. The usual type of cyclone is simple
to construct and is very low in first cost compared to other
types of dust-collecting equipment. Cyclones are commonly
reported to be suitable for coarse dusts only, but when prop-
erly designed and applied these collectors will give efficient
and economic performance when handling subsieve dust par-
ticles as small as 10 microns (0.0004 inch).
1 Presented as part of the symposium on fluid dynamics a t Carnegie Insti-
tute of Teohnology, Pittsburgh. Other papers appeared in April, pages
408-486, in May, pages 618-629, and on pages 985-988 of this issue.
4” ORIFICE FEED HOPPER
ROTOCLONE’
FEET
FIGURE1. EQUIPMENT
FOR EXPERIMENTAL
CYCLONE
C. B. SHEPHERD AND C. E. LAPPLE
E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, Inc., Wilmington, Del.
Perhaps because of their apparent simplicity, little atten-
tion has been given to the fundamentals of the flow mecha-
nism in cyclones until the past ten years. This is rather sur-
prising, however, in view of the widespread use of cyclones
and the fact that in many exhaust systems the cyclone is often
the largest single item of resistance in the system. I n 1930
Prockat (11) reported experimental studies of the flow pat-
tern and dust collection performance of cyclone collectors.
Later studies were reported by Whiton (17) and Drijver (8).
Lissman (10) in 1930 proposed a theoretical method for cal-
culating pressure drop for one type of cyclone. The mecha-
nism of dust removal in cyclones has been treated theoretically
by a number of investigators, including Seillan (IC), Rosin
( l a ) ,Earth (6),and Slobodskoi (16).
The meager data available on the flow pattern in cyclone
collectors are not sufficient either to verify or disprove the
various assumptions necessary in a theoretical approach to the
prediction of pressure drop and dust removal. Practically no
useful data are available on pressure drop in cyclones for
varying design factors or operating conditions, and the theo-
retical basis for computing pressure drop offered by Lissman
has application only to the particular design considered by
him. Various authorities (2-6, 7) give a general figure for
the pressure drop through cyclone collectors which ranges
from 1 to 3 velocity heads based on the velocity in the pipe
leading to the cyclone, but usually no specifications are given
regarding the design of cyclones considered. On the other
hand, actual installations of various types of cyclones show
pressure drops ranging from 0.25 to 7.0 inlet velocity heads
(1)*
Theoretical methods for computing dust collection effi-
ciency have been developed which appear generally sound and
practical, such as that proposed by Rosin (la),but confirming
data on actual cyclone performances are lacking.
A knowledge of the factors affecting pressure drop and a
- means for computing pressure drop are necessary in order to
A 6” DIAM.
AIR OUT
I
1
ARRESTER
STUDIES
972
WATER USED IN
ALL MANOMETERS
Y
in Cvclone Dust Collectors1
J

vane. The part of the vane extending into the cyclone

was in all cases of the same height as that of the gas
stream entering the cyclone chamber. With the excep
tion of the results reported in Table I, an inlet height of
6 inches was used. Lesser inlet heights were obtained
by blankin off the lower portion of the entrance area
with suitabfy fitted blocks of wood extending 20 inches
back into the entrance duct. Exit ducts of 5.6, 3.8, and
2.75 inches i. d. were used and could be extended to vari-
ous depths into the cyclone chamber. The pressure drop
through the cyclone was measured by means of a tap
placed at P1ahead of the cyclone inlet (Figure 3). The
pressure drop from P Ito a tap in the cyclone wall at PZwas
also taken. The drop from P I t o P z , as measured how-
ever, was found to be inaccurate (too low) a t smafl inlet
width settings, owing to the fact that the tap a t PZre-

VARIABLE INLE
F I X E D INLET VANE-'-

FIQURE2. PHOTOGRAPH
OF EXPERIMENTAL
CYCLONE
EQUIPMENT

arrive at the optimum cyclone design for a specific installa-

tion. A knowledge of the flow pattern in cyclones is useful in
G L A S S CYLINDER---
coordinating theoretical considerations and actual results for Il-7/8" 0.D
the prediction of both pressure drop and dust collection effi-
ciency. T o develop such knowledge, a n experimental study
of flow pattern and pressure drop has been conducted in a
model cyclone constructed largely of glass. The results of
this study and the conclusions therefrom are presented in this
paper. A study of dust collection efficiency was simultane-
ously carried out, b u t this is outside the scope of the present
paper and hence is not reported here.
Apparatus and Procedure
RUBBER SEAL-#

-
The arrangement of the apparatus used in the experimental
study is shown in Figures 1and 2. Air was drawn into the blower
through an adjustable damper and discharged from the blower
through a horizontal duct, provided with an orifice (vena con-
tracts taps) for indicatin flow rate, to a 12-inch diameter cyclone
GLASS COLLECTING
CHAMBER--
5 GAL.
__
collector. From the colfector the air was exhausted directly to
the atmosphere at point A-A (Figure 1) in most of the test runs
for the determination of pressure drops. A Venturi section was FIGURE
3. EXPERIMENTAL CYCLONEDETAILS
provided in the duct ahead of the cyclone for the introduction of (5.6-INCH EXIT DUCT)
dust when desired.
Details of the cyclone are shown in Figure 3. The cyclone
entrance width could be varied by means of an adjustable inlet
corded a portion of the velocity head as well as static head when
the inlet vane was inclined toward the outside. The dro from
P1to Pswas computed as the difference in velocity heads at t\e two
TABLE 1- EFFECTOF INLET ON CYCLONE points, and the ressure drop through the cyclone was taken as the
DROP recorded static tead at PIminus the calculated pressure drop from
Exit Duct Diam., In. Inlet Height, In. FCV PI to P1. When the wood blocks were used in the entrance, the
5.6 6 3 94 pressure drop through the cyclone was taken directly by means of
43/8 3.30 a tube with static holes in the side, placed at Pz with the tube axis
23 / r 2.10 parallel to the air stream.
3.8 6 8.10 To obtain the velocity distribution in the cyclone, holes were
43/8
23/4
5.89
3.72
drilled into the side of the cyclone in the two positions shown in
Figure 4 to permit the insertion of a Pitot tube. This Pitot tube
a For these runs the inlet width wae maintained at 2 S/S in., and the exit consisted of two adjacent copper tubes, '/IO inch in diameter; one
duct was allowed t o extend 18 in. into the cyclone. was used for measuring the impact pressure, and the other con-
tained static holes. The tip of the impact tube was 2 inches long,
973
974 INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING C€IEI\IISTNY VOI,. 31. NO, 8
(e) by nieans of streamers suspended in the cyclone, and (d)
by Pitot tube measuremenb of velocity and static pressures.
Of these, the last two were found to yield the most reliable
apart and were spaced from l*/' to I1/t inch& from the imvae% information on flow pattern. Visual observations of dust
movement in the cyclone emphasized the flow of the thin film
of air a t the cyclone walls and thus tended to give a false pic-
ture OS the over-aU flow pattern. The use of various smokes
was generally unsatisfactory, owing to their rapid dissipation
in the higlrly turbulent air stream within the cyclone.
80 The primary flow pattern was observed to consist of an
& i
010
BO outer spiral moving downward from the cyclone inlet and an
3:uo inner spiral of smaller radius moving upward into the exit pipe.
WII The transfer of fluid from tlie outer to the inner Ruid appar-
' 301 2 3 4 56
RADIAL DISTANCE. INS. ently begins immediately below the bottom of the exit pipe
and continues down into the cone to a point near the dust
outlet at the bottom. A diagrammatic view of this flow p a t
tern is shown in Figure 7. The existence of the double spiral
flow in high-velocity cyclones has been generally recognized
by recent investigators.
The average direction of flow at any point was determined
RADIAL DISTANCE,INS. by the directioii of a small streamer of rayon thread placed a t
this point. The streamer angles for traverses made a t two

v
horizontal positions (Figure 4) are reported in Table 11. For
1' ' 2 3 4 56
R A D I A L DISTANCE, INS. the inlet height used (6 inches) the average downward angle
of flow in tlie outer spiral was observed to be approximately
10' with the horizont.al or just sufficient to prevent coriRict
between successive revolutions OS the fluid stream. Tlie flow
RADIAL DISTANCE, INS in immediate proximity to the cyclone wall and the exit pipe
i%*allwas Sound to haye a greater downward angle than that
RADIAL DISTANCE, INS. in the middle of the annular space bounded by these walls.
FIGUHR4. VELOCITY DISTRIBUTION IN CYCLONE; H o a r z o ~ ~ ~ The
. average upward velocity of the inner spiral was difficult
COMPONENT OF VELOCITY(6-hcn INLET HEIGHT) to determine with any accuracy owing to the high turbulence
E x i t Duct Inlet Inlet
Dinmeter. Width. ve1oo>ty, of flow and the fact t,hat a streamer of sufficient length to be
Curve POSiti"" IO. ID. Bt.lYeo. clearly observed was too long in proportion to the radius of
rotation to give reliable spot indications of flow direction.
Dust markings and dust movement a t the inner wall of the
exit pipe slioxetl an upivard angle of 46"' but tho average

A preliminary series of tosts to determine the &eets of various

modifications on evelone vre~suredron was conducted with tile

~.
~~.
The static pressuk recorded by the tip &ed at P, (Fiure 3)
.- -~
-- -.
w&s taken ab tho cyclone pressure drop. Taking the static pres-
sum at P1 introduced little error in this ease, since for thc inlet
vane settings employed in these runs, the measured and ealcu-
lated drops irom P I t o Ps were praotically identical. Details of
the modificationsused are given in Figure 6.

Flow Pattern
Experimental observations of the flow pattern in the 12-
inch test cyclone were made in four ways: (a) by introducing
a very fine dust into the air stream euteriug the cyclone, (b)
hy introducing smoke at various points within the cyclone,

FIGURE 5. EQUIPMENT FOR EXPERIMENTAL

CYCLONE STUDIES
The cyclone with straight extension is shown
in the background. The Pitot tube is mounted
ahead of the damper. The statio pressure
manometer is on the wall, and the vefocity-
head inclined manometer is on the tripod.
The rain caps and U-bond are in the fore-
ground. The vanes, perforated dischmgepi
and a portion of the "smoke" outfit are a%
shown.
AUGUST, 1939 INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY 97 5

angle was indicated to be considerably less

than this by streamers located within the inner 11. CYCLONE
TABLE VELOCITY
DISTRIBUTION^
spiral below the exit pipe. No definite radius Exit
Duct Inlet
Trav-
erse Inlet Distance -spot VeloCitY--
marking the outer limit of the inner spiral and Diame- Width, Posi- Velocity, in from Streamer Hori- Static
the inner limit of the outer spiral could be ob- ter, e b tionb V Wall direction zontal Pressure
In. In. Ft./sec. In. Ft./sec. AngleC Ft./sec. I n . 1120
served, but a reasonable interpretation of streamer 5.6 2-51, 1 69 0.0 46 100 44 2.66
and Pitot tube determinations indicated that 0.5 52 15 50 2.57
this radius varied approximately with the size 1.0 50 12 49 2.51
1.5 46 8 46 2.44
of exit pipe and was roughly equal to the exit 2.0
2.3
41
32 30
8 41
32
2.37
2.29
pipe radius. 2.6 22 45 19 2.27
5.6 25/s 2 69 0.0 32 34 2.67
0.5 40 40 2.68
1.0 40 0 40 2.60
1.5 40 0 40 2.53
2.0 43 0 43 2.48
2.5 46 0 46 2.37
3.0 51 -2 51 2.16
3.5 52 -2 52 1.86

3
4.0 67 -10 67 1.56
4.5 72 -25 75 1.08
4.7 .. .. .. 0.00
5.6 1 127 0.0 61 7 60 3.28
0.5 68 5 67 3.23
1.0 68 1 68 3.00
1.5 68 0 68 2.87
2.0 54 5 56 2.66
2.4 39 40 35 2.60
2.6 35 60 29 2.52
5.6 2 127 0.0 48 0 48 3.15
0.5 54 0 54 3.15
1.0 54 0 54 3.07
1.5 53 0 53 2.90
2.0 55 0 55 2.80
2.5 62 -2 62 2.39
3.0 67 -2 67 2.15
3.5 77 -2 76 1.50
4.0 84 0 84 1.14
4.6 .. .. .. 0.00
5.6 .. .. .. -1.60
2.75 3.0 1 37 0.0 28 12 26 7.81
0.5 30 8 29 7.81
1.0 32 8 30 7.78
2.0 35 5 33 7.73
3.0 39 12 37 7.62
P!L 3.5
4.0
43
40
33
15
42
39 .
7.44
7.25
DISCHARGE P.PRON 4.3 .. .. .. 7.23
C U R V E D VANES
2.75 3.0 2 37 0.0 26 20 23 7.85
0.5 29 8 29 7.80
STRAIGHT 1.o 30 8 29 7.76
VANES 2.0 32 2 32 7.71
3.0 39 0 39 7.60
3.5 44 -2 44 7.47
4.0 62 -12 65 6.85
4.3 50 -30 53 7.15
5.0 .. .. 60 6.60
5.6 .. .. .. 0.00
Tests made with 12-in.glass cyclone, with 6-in. inlet height and 18-in. exit duct length.
STANDARD RAIN CAP b The traverses were taken along a radius parallel t o the cyclone inlet duct from the side
of the inlet duct. Position 1 was 3l/z in. above the bottom level of the cyclone exit duct.
Position 2 was 3 in. below the bottom level of the cyclone exit duct.
C The angle made by the Pitot, tube with the horizontal; a positive angle indicates a flow
downward, a negative angle indicates a flow upward.

2) varies inversely with approximately the 0.5 power of the

radius except for a small central core (not shown) of high
U - BEND turbulence and low static pressures. I n the annular space
ASSEMBLY
E N C L O S E D RAIN C A P
above the bottom of the exit pipe
wall (position l), friction a t both
SCALE
I I I the outer and inner surfaces ap-
STRAIGHT EXTENSION
0 I 2 pears to affect the velocity dis-
WITH D I S C H A R G E F L A N G E FEET tribution appreciably. However,
6. DETAILSOF CYCLONE
FIGURE ATTACH- when the annular space is suffi-
MENTS ciently wide so as to minimize the
mall effects, as in the case of the
s m a l l - d i a m e t e r exit pipe, the
The velocity distribution above and below the bottom of velocity distribution varies ap-
the exit pipe was determined by means of a very small Pitot proximately inversely as the 0.5
tube for three different cyclone arrangements. The meas- power of the radius except in the
ured velocities and static pressures are recorded in Table 11.
The velocity distributions are also shown graphically in Figure
4, where the horizontal component of velocity is plotted
against the radial distance from the center of the cyclone. 7.
FIQURE DOUBLE
The Pitot tube was too large to obtain accurate readings a t SPIRAL
radii of less than one inch. Figure 4 shows that the linear Cowrtesy, American Blower
velocity in a plane below the bottom of the exit pipe (position Corporation
I

- -
AUGUST, 1939 INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERlNG CHEMISTRY 977

immediate vicinity of the drop for any given cyclone arrangement, when expressed in
cyclone walls. terms of inlet velocity heads ( A H v ) , is independent of gas rate.
The velocity distribution An inlet velocity head is defined as the average velocity pres-
in a cyclone may be given sure a t the inlet to the cyclone, and for any gas may be com-
by the following general ex- puted as follows:
pression : One inlet velocity head (in. of HgO) = O.OOSp(&/A)*
J7. k
--
I -
rim The fact that the experimental results in each test give a con-
stant value of pressure drop expressed as number of inlet ve-
The value of n deter- locity heads for varying flow rates shows that the pressure
mined in the present ex- drop in all cases varies as the square of the gas rate and en-
periments is 0.5. Although trance velocity. The cyclone pressure drop and friction loss
curves A-1 and B-1 of Fig- will hereafter be expressed in terms of inlet velocity heads,
ure 4 do not permit an,ex- since pressure drop values expressed on this basis will be pre-
pression of the above type sumed to apply for any gas velocity and density.
to be used because of wall
friction, such an expression
does apply, however, in
the inner spiral where it is
of importance for theo-
retical considerations. The
only other available ex-
perimental data on velocity
distribution are reported by
Prockat (11) for a 31-inch
diameter cyclone. When
replotted on log-log paper,
L these data show a n average
value for n of 0.7. Various
FIGURE8. DIAGRAMOF values of n have been as-
DOUBLEEDDY(16)
sumed in the derivation
of theoretical expressions
for both pressure drop and dust collection. Lissman (10)
assumed n = 1 in his pressure drop theory; Rosin (1.2) and
others assumed n = 0; and Seillan (14) used a value of
n = -1. 5 @
For a perfectly frictionless fluid moving in a circular path, 4
the law of conservation of angular momentum requires that
the velocity vary inversely as the radius, or n = 1. Viscous 3

forces within the fluid, however, will tend to prevent a veloc-

ity differential between adjacent layers of the rotating fluid. 2

An extremely viscous fluid might, therefore, be expected to

rotate with a nearly constant angular velocity, in which case
n approaches a value of - 1. For gases, a value of n some-
what less than 1 is to be expected, and the experimental
values of 0.5 to 0.7 thus appear reasonable.
I n all the observations of the flow within the test cyclone FIGURE9. FACTORSINFLUENCING
no definite evidence of secondary flow patterns or minor eddies CYCLONE Loss
FRICTION
Effect of inlet width
was noted. Evidence of the double eddy (Figure 8) noted
by Van Tongeren and reported by Wellmann (16)was sought
4AE.. Effect of
C. Effect of
exit duct diameter
inlet height (Table I)
D . Effect of exit d u a t length
particularly, but in our cyclone the presence of a double eddy
current could not be detected visually by streamers or dust
motion, or from an analysis of the Pitot tube measurements.
The cyclone friction loss (Fc%)is also included in Table 111.
On the other hand, there is some theoretical justification for
This is a more fundamental concept of the energy loss in the
eddy flow in cyclones, a t least in the upper portion, since a
similar phenomenon occurs in circular pipe bends. cyclone than the pressure drop and has been used as a basis
for correlating the experimental results in preference to the
Local eddies or turbulence affecting the flow pattern may
result from irregularities in the cyclone surfaces or from spe- latter. As is pointed out later in the section on “Cyclone
Pressure Drop Theory,” the two can be related by applying
cial design features, but these were not observed in the test
Bernoulli’s theorem as follows:
unit. Drijver (8) attempted to investigate the relative tur-
bulence a t various points in a cyclone by determining the en-
trainment of dust introduced a t these points, but it has not
A H , = ( A / A e ) 2- 1 + F,, + Fev (1)

been found possible to draw any definite conclusions from the
published results.
Pressure Drop
The experimental pressure drop results are given in Tables
I and 111. A survey of these tables shows that the pressure
Effect of Cyclone Proportions on Pressure Drop
The chief design variations aside from diameter in com-
mercial cyclones occur in the inlet width, b, the inlet height,
h, the exit duct diameter, e, and the depth to which the exit
duct extends into the cyclone, m. The effect of these vari-
ables on cyclone friction loss is shown in Figure 9.
 978 INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY VOL. 31, NO. 8
?i
With three different sizes of exit ducts, Figure 94 shows quired to produce the inner spiral plus the total loss of the
that cyclone friction loss varies approximately with the first entrance velocity pressure. On this basis, and with a fur-
power of the inlet width. All other geometrical factors were ther assumption that the velocity distribution exponent n =
held constant. A first-power relation fits the data reasonably 1.0, Lissman obtained the simple result that the friction loss,
closely except for small values of b. On account of the rela- Feu, amounted to four inlet velocity heads. The theoretical
development does not indicate the effect of varia-
tion of the cyclone proportions on friction loss;
TABLEIV. COMPARISON BETWEEN ACTUALAND CALCULATED FRICTION moreover, the assumed value of n is not ob-
Loss AND PRESSURE DROP tained in practice. Hence Lissman’s method
-Pressure Drop,a In. HnO- is not suitable for general application.
-Few*--- V = 50 ft./sec. = 5 cu. ft./sec. I n an attempt to explain the experimental
e/a h/a b/a Actual Calcd. Actual Calcd. ‘Actual Calcd.
pressure drop results on a theoretical basis, a
0.500 0.533 0.234 3.94 3.74 1.92 1.81 1.58 1.49
0.533 0.211 3.45 3.37 1.59 1.55 1.63 1.58 new theoretical approach has been made in
0.533 0.178 2.91 2.84 1.23 1.19 1.76 1.70 which it is assumed that the loss in a cyclone is
0.533 0.117 1.85 1.87 0.55 0.56 1.82 1~86
0.533 0.089 1.31 1.42 0.21 0.27 1.20 1.54 equivalent to the energy required to produce
0.389 0.234 3.30 2.73 1.42 1.10 2.21 1.71
0.244 0.234 2.10 1.71 0.67 0.45 2.65 1.78 the high-velocity inner spiral. The derivation
0.338 0.533 0.264 8.73 9.26 5.92 6.21 3.85 4.05 is based on a material and energy balance and
0.533 0.234 8.10 8.20 5.21 5.28 4.31 4.36 shows the following cyclone friction loss for n =
0.533 0.156 5.08 5.47 2.84 3.04 5.30 5.68
0.533 0.078 1.91 2.73 0.64 1.11 4.76 8.27 0.5 (the complete derivation is presented in the
0.389 0.234 5.89 5.98 3.41 3.45 5.30 5.44
0.244 0.234 3.72 3.76 1.79 1.81 7.08 7.16 section on “Cyclone Pressure Drop Theory”) :
0.244 0.533 0.266 17.33 16.63‘ 15.32 14.98 9.82 9.60
0.533 0.234 15.38 14.62 12.81 12.42 10.60 10.26
0.533 0.211 13.28 13.20 10.75 10.71 10.96 10.93 (4)
0.533 0.156 8.91 9.75 6.55 7.02 12.23 13.12
0.533 0.089 3.73 5.57 2.22 3.26 12.70 18.67
* Friction loss or pressure drop throueh the resoeotive exuerimental arranmment It was previously concluded from the flow
a Baaed on an air densitv of 0.075
pattern observations that the outer radius of the
inner spiral, To, varied directly with the exit
duct diameter and was eaual to the exit duct
radius, or ro = e / 2 . Values of ro can be obtained
tively greater effect of any leakage under or over the adjust- from Figure 4. The quantity r d remains as the only unknown
able vane used for varying the width of the entrance opening which cannot be determined directly from experimental data.
(Figure 3), the data for small values of b are thought less re- By substituting experimental values of F,,, rot and ro in
liable than those for the larger values. The usual range of Equation 4,it was found, however, that the ratio (ro/rd) was
(bla) values found in commercial cyclone designs is within constant and equal to 64 within limits of experimental error.
that for which the first-power relation fits the data of Figure T h a t this ratio should be constant appears entirely reason-
9A. ,x T
able. By substituting the value 64 for (ro/rd) in Equation 4
I n Figure 9 8 the variation of friction loss with the cyclone and combining with Equation 2:
exit duct diameter, e, is shown; these curves were obtained
, bh
by cross plotting from the lines of Figure 9A for two values of ro = 0.47 -
\ e
b. The friction loss varies inversely as the 2.0 power of e.
I n Figure 9C the friction loss is plotted against the inlet This expression fits the curves of Figure 4 and defines the ve-
rectly as the first power of the inlet height. -
height for two exit duct diameters. F,, appears to vary di-

Practically no variation in pressure drop was found when

locity distribution in the cyclone for various geometric con-
figurations.
the length, m,of the exit duct within the cyclone was varied
from 0 to 3h. This is shown graphically in Figure 9D where TABLEV. EFFECT
OF DUSTLOADING DROP&
ON PRESSURE
the pressure drop data for three values of m all fall along the Entrance Pressure Drop, 88 No.
same line when F,, is plotted against b. Dust Air Entrance Velocity Pressure Inlet Velocity Heads
Loadb Flow Velocity Head DropC Aotual Average
From the above correlations it is possible to obtain the Grains/ Cut ft./
following empirical expression for Feu: cu. ft. mm. Ft./sec. -Inches Hz0-
0 425 64.7 0:910 3.75 4.12
331 50.5 0.552 2.33 4.22 4.10
198 30.2 0.197 0.78 3.96
2-3 425 64.7 0,910 3.30 3.63

7 -k
and AH, = 7.5 bh
e
($-)a+ Feu - 1 20-30
33 1
198
425
50.5
30.2
64.7
0.552
0.197
0.910
2.16
0.77
3.10
3.92
3.91
3.41
3.82

33 1 50.5 0.552 1.93 3.49 3.43

Calculated values of F,, and pressure drop are compared 198 30.2 0.197 0.67 3.40
with the experimental values in Table IV; they show good 0 Tests made with 12-in. model cyclone with 2 6/s in. inlet width, 6-in. inlet
height, 5.6-in. diameter exit duct, and 18-in. length of exit duct extending
agreement in the ranges encountered in practice. I n Table into cyclone.
b Dust fed in b y Jeffrey vibrating feeder.
IV the values b, h, and e are listed as ratios of a so that they C Taken by manometer 4 (Figure 1 ) ; includes the pressure drop through

may be applied to cyclones in general. Although the cyclone
diameter was never varied in the experimental tests, the sub-
sequent discussion will bring out the fact that the friction loss
is independent of the cyclone diameter.
The only theoretical expression available for computing
pressure drop is one developed by Lissman (IO)for a specific
design of cyclone with fixed dimensional proportions. The
theoretical development was based on the assumption that
the pressure drop in a cyclone was made up of the energy re-
the dust arrester.
Thus, from purely theoretical considerations, a relation has
been established between cyclone friction loss and velocity
distribution in the cyclone. The agreement between theory
and actual measurements gives support to the assumption that
the friction loss is made u p largely of the energy loss in the
inner spiral and a t the same time lends weight to the general
AUGUST, 1939 INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY 979

use of the empirical equation for

cyclones of different proportions
and different absolute sizes from
those investigated in the experi-
mental study. The cyclone en-
trance loss is proportionately neg-
ligible and is discussed in more
detail in the theoretical section a t
the end.

Effect of Dust Loading on

Pressure Drop
All of the experimental data re-
ported above were obtained with
air only passing through the
cyclone. I n order to determine
the effect of dust loading on pres-
sure drop, tests were conducted
a t two different dust concentra-
tions in the standard cyclone set-
up shown in Figure 1 with the
cyclone discharge passing through
the dust arrester. The pressure
drops recorded in Table V are the
static pressures recorded by ma-
nometer 4. The pressure drop de-
creased as the dust concentration
increased; thus a t a dust loading
of 2-3 grains per cubic foot the
pressure drop was 7 per cent less
than with no dust loading; a t
20-30 grains per cubic foot it was
16 per cent less. It is believed
that the inertia of the dust par-
ticles, as they settle out perpen-
dicular to the gas flow, will tend
2 . c to equalize the gas momentum in
adjacent layers, the net result
being a lowering of the value of n.
Equation 21 shows that a de-
crease in n will result in a lower
friction loss.

Effect of Internal Cyclone

Modifications on Pressure
Drop
Awide variety of internal ap-
pendages and devices has been
employed or proposed for the pur-
pose of improving dust collection
efficiency or reducing pressure
3
a drop. Some of the more com-
*
.- monly used devices for reducing
I
pressure drop that were investi-
6
c gated in these experiments in-
e
.-2 clude straightening vanes within
the exit duct, straightening vanes
located on a baffle below the exit
pipe, and a helical cyclone roof
(1). Also tested was a horizontal
disk or cone-shaped baffle, said to
improve dust collection efficiency
when placed a t some point below
the bottom of the gas exit duct.
The tests were conducted in two
separate series, and the results
are summarized in Table VI.
980 INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
Straightening vanes located entirely within the exit pipe
had little effect on cyclone friction. This was true for vanes
with curved blades as well as vanes with straight vertical
blades (Figure 6 shows the type of vanes used). These re-
sults indicate that the present commercial practice of install-
ing the vanes within the exit pipe effects very little reduction
in the presswe drop across the cyclone alone. However, the
extension of the vanes 3 to 9 inches below the bottom of the
exit pipe was found to result in a considerable reduction of
pressure drop. Curved vanes appeared slightly better than
straight vanes in this respect on the basis of a single test with
the former. For the standard test cyclone arrangement (5.6
inch diameter exit pipe) the pressure drop reduction amounted
to 35-50 per cent of the original value (30-40 per cent on a
friction loss basis).
v) 0.8
s SJ 07
‘5
’
I- 0.6
C p 0.5
51
3 k
> 3 04
tP>
2
The effectiveness of the vanes in reducing friction loss did
not vary appreciably as inlet width b was changed in the case
of the 5.6-inch exit pipe (Figure 10). Decreasing the exit
pipe siae, however, reduced the effectiveness of the straighten-
ing vanes, particularly a t high values of b. This may be due
to the increasing relative magnitude of wall friction due to
the vanes as the exit duct size is decreased. The test data
recorded for the small exit duct were secured with a smooth
Pyralin straightening vane. Originally a crude, rough metal
vane was used, and the pressure drop was found to be higher
than with no vane a t all. For computing cyclone friction
loss when using straightening vanes, the friction loss com-
puted for a cyclone without vanes need be corrected only by
the proper factor given in Figure 10.
Schaak (IS) reports that by the installation of vanes
completely in the exit duct, the cyclone pressure drop was re-
duced from 4 to 1.2 inches of water. In this case, however,
the exit duct was flared out when vanes were installed, so that
part of the pressure drop reduction can be attributed to an
inner spiral of larger radius (lower velocity).
A cone-type baffle (Figure 6) installed with its base 6 inches
below the bottom of the exit pipe was found to increase the
cyclone pressure drop by 25 per cent (friction loss by 20 per
cent). A flat disk baffle placed 6 inches below the exit pipe
and used in conjunction with straightening vanes extending
down to the baffle gave a 23-37 per cent higher pressure drop
(14 per cent higher friction loss) than that obtained with the
vanes alone. A flat disk baffle without vanes would be ex-
pected to act similarly to a cone-shaped baffle, since dust will
normally build up on the disk in the shape of a cone. For
computing cyclone friction loss when using a disk or cone
baffle below the exit pipe, i t should be conservative to increase
the friction loss computed for a cyclone without this device
by 20 per cent. A small baffle located well down in the cone
of the cyclone will probably give a smaller increase in pres-
sure drop, but no data are available for this case.
VOL. 31, NO. 8
The use of vanes supported on a baffle below the exit pipe
but not extending up to the exit pipe was reported by Alden
as a means of reducing pressure drop (I), but the results of the
authors’ tests indicate that vanes extending from the exit pipe
without a baffle underneath are probably more effective in this
respect.
Two tests were made with small straightening vanes located
in the dust discharge pipe a t the bottom of the cyclone cone
when the cyclone was fitted with the small 2.75-inch air exit
pipe. These vanes resulted in a definite decrease in cyclone
pressure drop of 7-10 per cent. The same results were ob-
tained whether the vanes were entirely within the dust outlet
pipe or extended ll/zinches into the cyclone cone above the
outlet. Vanes located a t this point, however, might have a
considerable effect on dust collection efficiency. A 9-inch
diameter, 45-degree apron (Figure 6) placed on the bottom of
the air exit pipe had no appreciable effect on cyclone pressure
drop. The use of a perforated exit pipe (5.6-inch diameter)
caused practically no change in cyclone pressure drop when
open a t the bottom but gave an appreciable reduction in
pressure drop (10 per cent) when the bottom was closed and
all the air was forced to exit through the perforations in the
side of the exit pipe.
A helical-shaped cyclone roof was described in the litera-
ture (1) as effecting a 50 per cent reduction in pressure drop
by preventing any conflict between the entering stream and
the whirling stream after one revolution. The installation of
such a roof in the 12-inch test cyclone actually resulted in a
10-15 per cent increase in pressure drop. A special deflector
vane a t the cyclone inlet has also been stated to reduce pres-
sure drop for the same reason, but this was not considered
likely on the basis of the results obtained with the helical roof
and hence was not investigated in the test cyclone. No con-
flict between the swirling stream and the entering stream was
noted during the flow pattern observations in the standard
cyclone arrangement.
Pressure Drop in External Cyclone System
The cyclone collector has been treated so far as a n entirely
separate unit, and no consideration has been given to its ef-
fect on a system in which it is installed. The design of the
system following the cyclone is particularly important in
evaluating the net effect the cyclone will have on the over-all
system pressure drop. No data have been found in the lit-
erature showing the effectof the swirling flow, persisting a t the
exit of most cyclones, on the pressure drop in pipe lines, rain
caps, etc., but it is conceivable that this type of flow might
have a considerably different effect than a straight flow. This
point was therefore investigated experimentally in the present
study.
The method employed to compare the effects of swirling
flow us. straight flow was to measure the over-all pressure drop
of the cyclone and various external additions, with and with-
out straightening vanes in the cyclone exit pipe. Observa-
tion with streamers and dust showed that straightening vanes
in the cyclone exit pipe, whether completely in the pipe or ex-
tending below it, practically eliminated the swirling motion
of the exit stream. Pressure drop measurements were made
for the following systems a t the cyclone exit: standard rain
cap, enclosed rain cap, an extension of 6-inch diameter straight
pipe (18 diameters long), and a 4-inch diameter extension
including a U-bend (55 diameters estimated equivalent length
of straight pipe). The results obtained with these various
appendages are reported in Table VII. The most convenient
means for comparing the relative pressure drops of the ex-
ternal systems is in terms of the entrance velocity heads
based on the entrance area to the extension piece. This
term may be readily converted to cyclone inlet velocity heads
AUGUST. 1939 INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY 981

by multiplying by the square of the ratio of the cyclone inlet friction data is approximately 1.9 velocity heads, including
area to the extension piece entrance area. the reduction loss from 6- to 4-inch pipe a t the cyclone exit.
The pressure drop through a standard cone-type rain cap I n terms of cyclone entrance velocity heads, the observed
(Figure 6) was found to be slightly higher for swirling flow difference between swirling and straight flow was 0.65 velocity
than for straight flow. The test data were not very con- head.
sistent for this device, but for practical purposes it should be As the data in Table VI1 show, the presence of an expan-
safe to use a pressure drop of 1.5 velocity heads (based on the sion section a t the cyclone discharge to the atmosphere (ex-
duct diameter preceding the rain cap) for swirling flow and panding from 3.8- to 5.7-inch diameter in a length of 4 inches)
1.0 velocity head for straight flow. I n terms of cyclone en- resulted in an appreciable recovery of kinetic head only
trance velocity heads this difference between the two types of when straight flow existed in the exit duct. This recovery was
flow is only 0.17 velocity head for the cyclone arrangement approximately equal to that computed by the usual formulas
used. for expansion sections. Swirling flow permitted no kinetic
The special double-cone enclosed type of rain cap was head recovery.
found to have a much lower pressure drop than the previous No unqualified conclusions can be drawn from the above
type, and very little difference was observed between swirling results in regard to the difference in pressure drop occasioned
flow and straight flow. A pressure drop of 0.5 exit duct by swirling flow compared to straight flow. On the basis of
velocity head might be safely used for computation purposes the limited data obtained, it is suggested that very little
for this style of rain cap. difference will be obtained between the two types of flow,
The addition of a straight extension pipe to the cyclone provided no large item of pressure drop is placed in the system
exit gave no appreciable increase in pressure drop either for beyond the cyclone exit until the high swirl velocity has been
swirling or straight flow. On the basis of pipe-line friction considerably reduced. I n such cases the pressure drop in the
calculations, a pressure drop of 0.25 velocity head is to be system can be computed from available pipe friction data for
expected for straight flow. The actual additional pressure nonswirling flow.
drop to be expected for this piece is less than the experi- In cases where items of relatively large resistance are
mental error, and no further conclusions are justified. present in the system following the cyclone, it may be possible
The U-bend assembly of 4-inch duct had an appreciably to secure sizable over-all pressure drop reductions by placing
higher pressure drop for swirling flow (2.4 velocity heads straightening vanes in the cyclone exit duct. However, still
based on pipe area) than for straight flow (1.9 average veloc- larger reductions in pressure drop will be secured if the vanes
ity heads). The pressure drop computed from pipeline in the exit duct are allowed to extend into the cyclone chamber
beneath the exit duct.
It is evident that a cyclone will not affect
the pressure drop in the system preceding it,
TABLE VII. EFFECT OF EXTERNAL MODIFICATIONS ON CYCLONE except for the loss in the transformation section
PRESSURE DROP"
required to transform the pipe-line velocity to
Pressure Drop, as No.
Cyclone Entrance the cyclone inlet velocity. This transformation
Velocity Heads, AH" may represent either an increase or a decrease
For For
cyclone cyclone Additional Pressure Drop in velocity. In the former case the pressure
with ex- with in- Due t o Modification drop due to the transformation section is ap-
ternal and ternal Cvclone Piece
internal modi- egtrance entrance proximately equivalent to the difference in the
modi- fication velocity velocity
fication only headsb headsc velocity heads of the pipe-line velocity and the
Standard rain cap: cyclone inlet velocity. If the velocity is de-
No internal modification 2.98 2.54 0.44 1.33
Straight vanes 6 in. above exit 2.69 2.48 0.21 0.63 creased to enter the cyclone through a gradual
Straight vanes 6 in. below exit 1.70 1.34 0.36 1.09 transformation, some static pressure will be re-
Enclosed rain cap:
No internal modification 2.30 2.24 0.06 0.18
gained, generally between 50 and 90 per cent
Straight vanes 6 in. above exit 2.09 2.26 0.17 0.51 of the converted velocity pressure. If, however,
Straight vanes 6 in.below exit 1.40 1.45 -0.05 -0.15
Curved vanes 6 in. below exit 1.23 1.09 0.14 0.42 the transformation is rather abrupt, as is often
Straight extension at exit: the case in commercial installations, the fluid
No internal modification
Curved vane8 6 in. below exit
2.25
1.06
2.24
1.09
0.01
-0.03
0.03
-0.09
may not expand to fill the cyclone inlet area
and the velocity entering the cyclone may be
5.54 2.39 3.15 2.44 greater than anticipated. The net result will be
4.91 2.37 2.54 1.97 a higher cyclone friction loss than would be ob-
3.86 1.39 2.47 1.925
4.42 2.17 2.25 1.75 tained if full expansion a t the inlet was realized.
Curved vane8 6 in. below exit 3.53 1.09 2.44 1.89a
Perforated discharge, o en bottom 4.40 '2.20 2.20 1.71 Thus, care should be taken to provide a proper
Perforated discharge, &sed bottom 4.67 2.01 2.66 2.06 transformation a t the cyclone inlet in plant in-
Apron on discharge duct 5.78 2.15 3.83 2.81
Cone below discharge duct 6.33 2.80 2.53 1.96 stallations if the velocity is being reduced to
Expansion piece at exit:/ enter the cyclone and if pressure drop is an
No internal modification important factor.
Inlet width 281/a2 in. 10.45 10.53 -0.08 -0.03
Inlet width: 7 / 8 in. 1.14 1.15 -0.01 -0.05
Straight vanes 5*/2in. below exit, inlet
width 25/8 in. 6.80 7.43 -0.63 -0.338
Effect of Cyclone Size on Pressure Drop
a Tests employed a 12-in.cyclone and unless otherwise noted were made with the equip- The experimental studies were all conducted
ment shown in Figures 3, 5, and 6,with'an inlet width of 2 3 / e ih., and inlet height of 6 in. with the same 1-foot diameter cyclone. Although
an exit duct diameter of 5.6 in., and 18inches of exit duct extending into the cyclone chamber:
b Computed b subtracting second column from first column. ~
the studies showed the effect on pressure drop
C Represents txe same value a8 the adjacent column expressed in terms of velocity heads
based on the crosa-sectional area of the extension piece or on the entrance area to the externai of varying cyclone proportions, they gave no
attachment with various areas.
d This assembly is e uivalent to a proximately 55 pipe diameters of straight pipe.
indication as to the effect of the absolute cyclone
e For straight flow %rough the $bend assembly, an approximate value of 1.90 can be size. Plant tests conducted with geometrically
theoretically calculated. similar cyclones of sheet metal construction rang-
f This piece was tested with the equipment shown in Figurea 1 and 2. with an exit duct
diameter of 3.8 in., an inlet height of 6 in., and an exit duct length of 18 in.
For straight flow through this expansion piece, an approximate value of -0.36 can be
ing in diameter from 3 to 7 feet showed no trend
calculated from fluid flow data. in pressure drop with cyclone size. The meas-
ured pressure drops ranged from 3.0 to 3.7
 982 INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY VOL. 31, NO. 8
inlet velocity heads. The pressure drop predicted on the Ajr volume handled 100 cu. ft./seo.
Air temperature 70’ F.
basis of the experimental tests on the 1-foot model is 3.3 Air density 0.075 lb./cu. ft.
velocity heads. The variation from 3.0 to 3.7 in the plant
tests is considered within the limits of accuracy of measure- Ares, Velocity Velocity Head,
Location Sq. Ft. Ft./Sec.’ In. HpO
ment under plant conditions. The plant tests therefore Duct preceding
1.76 56.8 0.725
indicate that the pressure drop depends solely on cyclone 8;i;;;iztduat 2.00
3.15
50.0
31.8
0.662
0.227

The actual pressure drop calculation is outlined as follows:

1. FRICTION Loss FROM A TO B (CYCLONE LEAD-INDUCT)

CYCLONE INLET- l2”X24”
- above); length of duct is 6 feet, diameter of duct is 2 feet. Hence
W 7. TOTAL
FIGURE11. INSTALLATION
DETAILS,ILLUSTRATIVE
EXAMPLE
proportions and is independent of the absolute cyclone size.
This is in accord with theoretical expectations.
Practical Application
In the evaluation of a cyclone design, efficiency of dust
separation as well as pressure drop is a primary considera-
tion. Where fine dusts are handled, the former may be the
controlling factor; where a cyclone is to be installed in an
existing system, the latter will be important. Under any
circumstances, a knowledge of pressure drop through the
cyclone is essential in specifying the size of fan to be installed.
Auxiliary cyclone modifications may also be employed to
secure power savings if no reduction in efficiency is consid-
ered likely or of any great consequence. The following prob-
lem is intended to illustrate the application of the data pre-
sented to the design of a simple cyclone installation.
It is desired to determine the static pressure which must be
developed by a fan to pass 6000 cubic feet per minute of air
a t 70” F. through the system depicted in Figure 11. This
involves the determination of the pressure drop from point A
to the atmosphere (point E ) . The method employed will
be that of summing up individual friction losses and then
correcting for the velocity heads a t the inlet and exit to the
system, respectively. This method is, in general, shorter
than that of summing up individual pressure drops when the
system contains numerous changes of cross-sectional area.
A preliminary series of calculations are presented in outline
form as a convenient source of reference in the final computa-
tion of pressure drop.
This is calculated from Fanning equation in which the friction
factor is assumed as 0.0055 (for the given conditions, in which
the Reynolds number is 5.3 X 105,a value of the friction factor
of 0.0049 is calculated by the equation recommended by Gener-
eaux, 9); length of duct is 30 feet, diameter of duct is 1.5 feet.
Hence friction loss = 4fL/D = (4)(0.0055)(30/1.5)= 0.44 duct
velocity head = (0.44)(0.725)= 0.318 inch of water.
2. FRICTION Loss FROM B TO C (TRANSFORMATION PIECE).
As a reasonable estimate assume this loss to be 0.1 duct velocity
head = (0.1)(0.725) = 0.073 inch of water.
3. FRICTION Loss FROM C TO C’ (CYCLONE).Since b = 1
foot, h = 2 feet, and e = 2 feet. F,, = (7.5)(1)(2)/(2)2 = 3.75
cyclone entrance velocity heads and cyclone friction loss = (3.75)
(0.562)= 2.11 inches of water.
4. FRICTION Loss FROM C’ TO D (EXIT DUCT). This is
calculated from the Fanning equation in which f = 0.0055 (for
the conditions in this case, where the Reynolds number is 4 x
106,the value of 0.0051is obtained from the equation referred to
friction loss = 4f L,/e = (4)(0.0055)(6/2) = 0.066 exit duct veloc-
ity head = (0.066)(0.227) = 0.015 in. of water.
5. FRICTION Loss FROM D TO E (RAINCAP). Assuming this
rain cap to be similar to the standard rain cap tested experimen-
tally, the frictionloss through this cap is taken to be 1.5 exit duct
velocity heads. To this must also be added the expansion loss of
1 exit duct velocity head. Hence the total loss is 2.5 exit duct
velocity heads or 2.5 X 0.227 = 0.567 inch of water.
6. TOTALFRICTION Loss. This is obtained by adding the
values of steps 1 to 5 above = 3.08inches of water.
PRESSURE DROPFROM A TO E. The pressure drop
is equal to the friction loss plus the downstream velocity head
minus the upstream velocity head. Here the downstream pres-
sure is atmospheric and the velocity head (at point E ) is zero.
+
Hence pressure drop ( A to E) = 3.08 0 - 0.725 = 2.36 inches
of water.
Cyclone Pressure Drop Theory
From Bernoulli’s theorem, the loss in head, AH = Ho -
He, in a cyclone exceeds the change in velocity head between
the exit duct and the cyclone inlet by the loss, F, of mechanical
energy due to friction:
This covers the pressure drop from the cyclone entrance to
any desired position in the exit duct. H e is an effective
(not necessarily an actual) pressure head, due to the possible
presence of swirling flow in the exit duct. H e should not be
interpreted as being the reading obtained with a static tap
placed in the exit duct wall unless the position is so far down-
stream that the swirl has been damped out.
Customarily AH and F are expressed in terms of velocity
heads, and the fact that velocities can be related by cross-
sectional areas makes it unnecessary to involve more than
one velocity. Hence, we can express Equation 6 in the
form :
A H / ( V 2 / 2 g ) = AH, = F, - 1+ (A/Ae)’ (7)
or AH, = F,, + +
F,, - 1 (A/AA2 (8)
where F,, is the friction loss associated with the cyclone
proper and Fe9is that in the exit duct work.
The value F,, may be computed from the usual fluid flow
formulas. By the Fanning equation,
AUGUST, 1939 INDUSTRIAL AND EN GINEERING CHEMISTRY 983

F,, = ($)* The total kinetic energy associated with mass M is the
integral of the product of the velocity head, the velocity, and
the differential cross-sectional area:
where j may be read from an appropriate curve or as an ap-
proximation assumed to be 0.0055 for usual cyclone operating
conditions. Any additional friction or recovery effects due (13)
to the presence of swirling flow will then be classed with
FW. If a is the angle made with the horizontal by the velocity
The value, F,,,is composed of the following items: vector Va in the inner spiral, the kinetic energy of rotation of
mass M is given by:
1. Loss due t o expansion of the gas when it enters the cyclone
chamber.
2. Loss as kinetic energy of rotation in the cyclone chamber.
3. Losses due to wall friction in the cyclone chamber.
4. Any additional frictional losses in the exit duct resulting
from the swirling flow above and beyond those incurred by The rotational kinetic energy per unit mass inherent in the
straight flow.
5. Any regain of the rotational kinetic energy as pressure inner spiral is given by dividing Equation 14 by Equation 12:
energy.
The last three factors are believed to be small for ordinary
cyclone designs and are neglected.
At the entrance to the cyclone chamber the gas stream may
expand laterally if the inlet width is less than the annular
width. In any case a vertical expansion can occur. The
lateral expansion will be inversely proportional to b/c, but But since Vi = V. cos a and since a is assumed independent
the magnitude of the vertical is not known and will be rep- of r:
resented by some factor kl. The usual hydrodynamic
formula for a sharp expansion loss then applies:
Fo = (V - VJ2/2g = V*/2g[l - ki(b/c)]' (10)
In developing the equation for the rotational kinetic J ra
energy of the gas stream in the cyclone, it is assumed that Since by definition, for the inlet velocity,
the flow consists essentially of an outer downward spiral and
an inner upward spiral. The direction of rotation in both
spirals is the same so that little friction is to be expected at
the point of junction. In view of the fact that the reversion it follows from Equation 11 that
in going from the outer to the inner spiral is rather gradual,
it is assumed that the kinetic energy of the outer spiral con-
tributes to the kinetic energy of the inner spiral and induces
no loss in itself. The inner spiral is assumed to have a con- By substituting Equation 18 in Equation 16, the latter
stant height of spiral and constant angle of inclination to the may be directly integrated to give (for n # 1):
horizontal, and to have the same rotational velocity a t the
same radius at any vertical position. The method of cal-
culation will be to determine the average rotational kinetic
energy per unit mass of gas in the inner spiral. Since it is
assumed that none of this energy is recovered, this will con- Summing up the significant losses in the cyclone chamber,
stitute the friction loss due to the inner spiral.
It will be further assumed in the derivation that the
Fc4V2/2g)= Fa + Wa/M (201
rotational velocity distribution in a cyclone may be expressed and from Equations 10 and 19,
in the form:

Vi = k/rp (11)
where the exponent n lies between the limits fl (frictionless
fluid) and -1 (solid). It should be noted that for positive
values of n, Vi would approach infinity a t zero radius. Since
there are reasons to believe that n is positive for a gas, this
distribution clearly cannot hold all the way to the center.
A core of stagnant fluid may conceivably exist a t the center.
Hence the inner radius of the inner spiral will be taken as ?d
(rather than zero) to allow for any such core or break point in
velocity distribution.
The mass flow per unit time in the inner spiral through a
plane of unit height, perpendicular to the direction of the
stream velocity, is given by the product of the density, the
velocity, and the cross-sectional area. I n integrated form:
Equation 21 represents the generalized form of F,,, ac-
cording to the assumptions made in this derivation. For
practical designs the value [l - k1(b/c)l2 is a relatively small
part of the total (rarely more than 10 per cent) and may be
neglected. This term approaches unity as (b/c) becomes
small, and in such a case the entrance loss is the primary one.
Such a condition, however, is not even approached in most
commercial cyclone designs.
For n = 0.5 and neglecting the entrance loss (first term on
the right of Equation 21) , Equation 21 becomes:
Equation 22 was discussed in terms of experimental data
earlier in the paper.
On the basis of the previous assumptions regarding the
form of the inner spiral, it is possible to calculate the value of
984 INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY VOL. 31, NO. 8
angle Q! in terms of the cyclone dimensions. It follows from = pressure drop through cyclone and exit duct, No. of
a resolution of velocities that cyclone inlet velocity heads
= constant of velocity distribution defined by Vi = k / r p
V#= Va sin a = Vi tan a = expansion factor to correct for vertical expansion of
(23) gas stream entering cyclone
= duct length, ft.
The volume of gas entering the cyclone per unit time, &, = equivalent length of exit duct (including corrections for
must be equal to that leaving the exit duct. Hence: bends, etc.), ft.
= distance to which cyclone exit duct extends into cyclone
chamber, ft.
= fluid mass flow er unit time in inner spiral through a
Q = Vbh = 2nriV.dr (24) plane of unit feight, Ib./(sec.)(ft.)
J c = exponent of velocity distribution, defined by V<= k / r p
= fluid flow rate, cu. ft./sec.
but V , = Vi tan a = k tan +in = Vrantan a / r p (25) = radius a t which the spiral velocity Vi is equal t o the
entrance velocity V , f t .
Substituting Equation 25 in Equation 24 and integrating, = inner radius of inner spiral, f t .
= distance from cyclone center line, ft.
= distance from cyclone center line to inner edge of outer
Vbh =
2nVr,n tan a (r2-n - rd 2-n )
spiral (or outer edge of inner spiral) in cyclone, ft.
(26)
(2 - n ) = av. linear velocity of fluid stream at cyclone entrance =:
&/A, ft./sec.
or solving for tan a, = actual velocity of fluid stream at radius ri, ft./sec.
= av. velocity of fluid stream in cyclone chamber (outer
spiral) = ( V k l b j c ) , ft./sec.
= av. linear velocitv of fluid stream in cvclone exit duct =
Q/Ab, ft./sec. ”
= rotational velocity of fluid stream at a radius ri, ft./sec.
= total kinetic energy associated with mass M , f t . lb./(sec.)
Since the term [l - ( ~ d / r ~ ) 2 -is~ ]practically negligible, (ft:)
Equation 27 becomes, for n = 0.5: = rotational kinetic energy associated with mass M , ft.
Ib./(sec.)(ft.)
= angle made with the horizontal by velocity vector Va in
0.238 bh inner spiral
tan a = -
~ ~ 0 ~. 5~ 1 . 5 = fluid density, Ib./cu. ft.

Aclrnowledgment Literature Cited

The authors wish to express their thanks to T. H. Chilton,
T. B. Drew, and W. H, McAdams, for their suggestions and
criticisms~ and to c* and
H. B. Heffelfinner for assistance in
the experimentai work.
Nomenclature
Unless otherwise noted, any con-
sistent system of units may be em-
ployed; the English system is given
by way of example. Figure 12 shows
a diagrammatic representation of
symbols.
u = diameter of cyclone, ft.
A = area of cyclone entrance, s . ft.
A, = cross-sectionalarea of cyclone
exit duct, sq. ft.
b = width of cyclone entrance, ft.
c = annular width of cyclone
chamber, ft.
d = “derivative of”
D = diameter of duct, ft.
e = cyclone exit duct diameter, ft.
= Fanning friction factor
fF = friction loss (cyclone plus exit
dnnt2). ft,. fluid flowinp
(1) Alden, J. L., Heating & Ventilating, 35, 48-53 (1938).
(2) Am. Blower Gorp., “Air Conditioning and Engineering,” 1st
ed., Detroit, 1935.
(3) Am. Foundrymen’s Assoc., Tentative Recommended Good Prao-
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Construction, Operation, and Maintenance of Exhaust Sys-
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(4) Am. SOC.of Heating & Ventilating Engrs., “Heating, Ventilating,
and Air Conditioning Guide,” 1938.
(5) Am. Standards Assoc., “Fundamentals Relating to the Design
and Operation of Exhaust Systems,” New York, 1936.
(6) B a r t h , W., Rauch und Staub, 22, 93-8 (1932).
(7) Buffalo Forge Go., “Fan Engineering,” 4th e d . Buffalo, (1938).
(8) Drijver, A,, Wlirme, 60, 333-9 (1937).
(9) Genereaux, R. P . , IKD.ENQ.CHEM.,29, 385-8 (1937).
(10) Lissman, M. A., Chem. & Met. Eng., 37, 630-4 (1930).
(11) Prookat, F., Glasers Ann., 107, 43-5, 47-54 (1930).
(12) Rosin, P., Rammler, E . , and Intelmann, W., 2. Ver. deut. I n g . ,
76, 443-7 (1932).
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(14) Seillan, M., Chaleur et ind., 10, 233-8 (1929).
(15) Slobodskoi, R. R., Trans. Leningrad I n d . Inst., No. 9, 47-70
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(16) Wellmann, F., Feuerungstech., 26, 137-45 (1938).
(17) Whiton, L. C., Chem. & Met. Eng., 39, 150-2 (1932); Power, 75,
344-6 (1932).

FIQURE12. DIA-
GRAM ILLUSTRAT-
ING NOMENCLA-
TURE
locitv heads.

H, = pregsure hiad at cyclone exit duct, ft. fluid flowing

HO = pressure head at cyclone entrance. ft. fluid flowing
AH = prcEsuSe (roq ihrough cyclone and exit duct = HO -