Lesson 2
Cyclones
Lesson Goal and Objectives
Goal
To familiarize you with che particulate-removal device used by
many industries—the cyclone—its collection mechanisms, dif-
ferent designs in use, and operating principles.
Objectives
Ac the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
explain how particles are collected in cyclones,
list the four major cyclone design features.
recall why a variety of inlet designs have been developed.
identify different uses for different cyclone designs.
list three advantages of using cyclones to collect
particulate matter.
list three possible problems associated with cyclone use.
7, relate efficiency and pressure drop to cyclone operation.
Incroduction
The cyclone is a simple mechanical device commonly used to
remove relatively large particles from gas streams. Cyclones
hhave a distinctive and easily recognized form (Figure 2-1) and
can be found in almost any industrial area of a town or
city~at lumber companies, feed mills, cement plants,
smelters—and at many other industrial sites. They can be
located on the roof of a plant or beside a building. They range
in size from a few centimeters in diameter when used in
analytical equipment to several meters in diameter when used
for air pollution control.
In industrial applications, cyclones are often used as
precleaners for the more sophisticated air pollution control
equipment such as electrostatic precipicators or baghouses.
Cyclones are more efficient for removing particulate matter
than are settling chambers, but are less efficient than either
wet scrubbers, baghouses, or electrostatic precipitators.
Cyclones used as precleaners are often designed to remove
more than 80% of the particles that are greater than 20 um in
diameter. Smaller particles that escape the cyclone can then be
collected by more efficient control equipment.
21Cyclones are relatively inexpensive to construct since they
have no moving parts. Fans move the gas chrough the system
but are an auxiliary device. They are usually inexpensive to
operate.
The first cyclone design was patented in 1886. This is the
basic design shown in Figure 2-1. Since 1886, experience has
led to both improved design and to unique modifications.
Cyclones in series, or banks of small cyclones in parallel
(multiclones), can be used to effectively remove particles
having diameters of approximately 5 to 10 am. Changing
details in cyclone design and in relative dimensions has led to
improved efficiencies without always increasing costs of
operation.
Particle Collection Mechanisms
Cyclones force the incoming gas stream to twist and cum in a
spiral fashion. Large particles entering with the gas stream
cannot turn with the gas because of their momentum or iner-
tia, As a result, they break out of the gas stream and hie che
wall of the cyclone. The particles then fall down the wall and
are collected in a hopper. Figure 2-2 shows a top view of chis
action.
The spiral pattern of gas flow (Figure 2-3) is developed by
the manner in which the gas is introduced. It enters along the
side of the cyclone body wall and turns a number of times to
spiral down to the bottom, much like the funnel of a tornado.
‘When the gas reaches the bottom of the cyclone, it reverses
direction and flows up the center of the tube, also in a spiral
fashion. This spiral or vortex pattern turns in the same direc-
tion when it goes up as when it was descending.
In the cylindrical section of the cyclone, particulate matter is
forced to the wall. Or, in other words, the particles move
towards the wall by the action of an “apparent” centrifugal
force. In the cone section, the body is tapered to give the gas
enough rotational velocity to keep the particles against the
wall. This helps prevent reentrainment — the return of collected
particles back into the gas stream. As the particulate matter
falls to the bottom, it is collected in the hopper and is either
continuously or periodically removed.
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Figure 2.2. Cyclone particle collection.Review Exercise
1. The removal efficiency of cyclones is generally greater than
that of
2. electrostatic precipitators.
b. baghouses.
¢. gravity settling chambers.
4. all the above
2. Cyclones used as precleaners are normally designed to
remove particles that are larger than ____um in
diameter at better than efficiency,
a. 0.1 wm, 80%
b. 20 wm, 80%
c. 1 gm, 90%
4. 5 am, 100%
1. ¢. gravity settling
chambers.
3. In the figure below, draw and label the direction of gas
flow and indicate where the particles are collected.
2. bd. 20 um, 80%
234, In cyclones, particles are collected
a. because their inertia causes them to break through gas
streamlines.
b. because they are electrostatically attracted to the walls.
¢. because the gravitational forces overcome the centripetal
forces.
d. by sieving action.
ee
5. The cyclone is given its name because of the characteristic
spiral motion of the gas in the device. How many direc-
tions are present in a cyclone?
a. one descending direction, only
b. two directions: one descending and one ascending
¢. three directions: one descending, one in the hopper.
and one ascending
6. True or False? The upward gas spiral rotates in the same
direction as does the downward gas spiral.
4. a. because their inertia
causes them to break
through gas
streamlines.
5. b. two directions: one
descending and one
ascending
Cyclone Construction
Cyclones can be designed in a number of different ways. The
‘most common design is the tangential entry cyclone already
shown in Figure 2-5. This type of cyclone has four major
design features: inlet, cyclone body, dust discharge system. and
outlet (Figure 2-4). .
Inlet
Let us first consider different inlet designs. Gas coming into
the cyclone must be transformed from straight flow into a cir-
cular pattern to form the vortex. Problems can arise in the
inlet if turbulence develops and inhibits vortex formation. For
this reason, modifications of the basic tangential entry have
been used (Figure 2-5).
Inlet deflector vanes added to a tangential entry can narrow
and force the gas stream to move against the wall. Helical and
involute entries can help provide a smoother transition of the
gas into a vortex pattern. The success of these modifications is
sometimes marginal, although increased efficiencies have been
reported.
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6. True‘Tangeacal cy Tangential entry
with deflector vanes
Body
The panicle removal efficiency of a cyclone depends to a great
‘extent upon the cyclone’s dimensions. A designer of cyclones
must first know both the anticipated volumetric gas flow rate
through the system and what is expected in terms of removal
efficiency. The most important dimension is the diameter of
the body. A longer cyclone in relation to its diameter will pro-
vide for more vortex revolutions and thus more chances for
particle collection. Also, small-diameter cyclones collect small
particles more efficiently than do large-diameter cyclones.
‘Smaller body diameters create larger separation forces.
Cyclones less than 0.25 m (10 in.) in diameter are generally
considered to have high efficiency, although efficiencies can
vary depending on the relative cyclone dimensions. Figure 2-6
shows an example of relative dimensions in a high-efficiency
tangential entry cyclone.Dust Discharge System
Collected particulate matter should be removed from the
cyclone or else it will be reentrained and sucked back up in the
inner vortex. A number of methods can be used for either
periodic or continual removal of the collected material. A
manual slide gate (Figure 2-7) at the bottom of the cone is one
of the simplest constructions allowing periodic removal (Figure Figure 2-7. Slide gus.
2-7). A rotary valve (Figure 2-8) can provide continuous
removal.
Outlet
Modifications to gas outlets have been developed in attempts to
improve the operating characteristics of the cyclone. The gas
leaving a cyclone will normally continue moving in a circular
pattern. If this flow could be straightened without producing
turbulence, the amount of energy needed to move the gas
through the system could be reduced. This has been accom-
plished to some extent by outlet devices similar to those shown
in Figure 2-9, the involute scroll outlet, and Figure 2-10, the
outlet drum.
igure 29. lavaluse scroll ude
Outer drum,
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