Flow Pattern and Pressure Drop for Small Long-Cylinder Cyclones Operating at High Flow Rates

To address the gas flow pattern and pressure drop characteristics for small long-cylinder cyclones (SLCCs) in the high operating flow rate range, experimental investigation and computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-based simulation were performed. The pressure drop coefficient depends insignificantly on the Reynolds number at high flow rates. The tangential and axial velocities present the Rankine vortex and the roughly inverted V-shaped distribution, respectively, similar to those in typical cyclones. The CFD simulation approximated well the experimental data of pressure drop. The pressure drop caused by vortex loss, turbulent energy loss, and resistance loss accounted for 72.5 % of the total pressure drop. The Stairmand model was found to be relatively accurate among the classical pressure drop models for the proposed cyclone. The results may help in the design and applications of cyclone separators and reactors.