Engineering

Chemical Science,1961,Vol. 16,pp. 808to 809.

Performance and design of hydrocyclones-II

Pressure drop in the hydrocyclone

K. RJXTEMA
Koninklijke/Shell-Laboratorium,
Amsterdam
(Shell InternationaleResearch Maatschappij)

(Received 25 July 19aO)

As ALREADY mentioned in Part I the pressure

drop is a very important operation characteristic
of the hydrocyclone and reliable pressure drop
correlations are essential when this tool is to be
used for solving a specific separation problem.
It could be tried to calculate the pressure drop
on the basis of the theoretical tangential velocity
profiles derived in Part I by integration of the
pressure gradient dp/dr = p P/r. This is
impossible, however, because both the parameter
,J and the diameter of the air core vary in an
unknown way with the construction of the cyclone
and with the inlet Reynolds number. These two
factors strongly influence the tangential velocities
obtained in the interior of the cyclone and,
therefore, also the pressure drop.
It was concluded that accurate pressure drop
correlations can only be obtained by an experi-
mental investigation of the influence of the two
factors mentioned.

1. EXPERIMENTS
Experiments have been carried out with a
cyclone of constant cone angle, 3 in. in diameter,
whose length could be varied and whose inlet,
overflow and underflow nozzles could be changed.
For the construction of this cyclone see Fig. 1. FIG. 1. Constructionof the cyclone.
The influence of the viscosity and the Reynolds
number was investigated with the aid of water The results are presented in Figs. 2 and 3
and mixtures of water and glycerol as flmds. The and Tables I and 2.
overflow and underflow were freely received in an A dimensional analysis shows that the total
open vessel, so that a gas core could always pressure drop expressed in numbers of inlet
develop. velocity heads can generally be indicated as

*Now Professor of Chemical Engineering at the Teehnieal Univemity of Eindhoven, Holland.

303
 Table 1. Cyclone pressure drop experbnents
Dependence on inlet RIeYnolds number
Cvclone diameter = 75 mm C:yclone length = 396 mm
- - -
vtiosity Density Underpoul Through- Pressure Static Inlet Inlet
- (W I
of water- of waim- rate put prtseure UCloeity 1*
glycerol glycerol head iPV,r 8 ?izzE
w (g/-*1 (ml/set) (aW (2, bW
-- _-
1.0 1.0 1.0 290 880 620 1.8 1.49 0.81 4.8 78,000
180 220 4QO 0.60 0.47 0.18 8.6 51,000
97 160 257 030 0.146 0.058 2.8 82,060

- 0.7 - - 487 150 687 2.15 1.82 0.827 5.6 81,000

800 167 467 0.78 0.60 0.177 8.4 59,500
155 77 282 0.20 0.156 0.044 8.6 29,600

- 0.5 - 580 622 240 2.08 0.815 6.6 79,800

840 itf 878 0.72 0.61 0.118 5.4 47,500
198 81 224 0.22 0.179 0.041 4.4 28,500

- - 5.0 1.10 60 0.97 0.75 0.228 8.4 14,000

z 58 E 0.78 0.54 0.187 2.9 12,800
818 47 865 0.87 0.25 0.119 2.1 10,280 .x
208 45 258 0.16 0.108 0.057 1.8 7100
f
- 25.0 1.19 510 94 614 0.72 0.855 0.865 1.0 8720. 2
44)2 94 496 0.50 0.26 0.287 1.1 8010
276 85 861 0.17 0.126 1.8 21Q0 F
222 299 ;:g 0.114 0.0862 1.8 1810
184 ii: 195 0.10 0*068 0.0866 1.7 1180
106 56 164 0.07 0.044 0.0260 1.7 995
-- -- -- -- -_
1.0 1.5 1.0 1.0 1.0 500 100 600 1.0 0.71 0.29 2.5 76,500
206 87 292 0.20 0.18 0.069 1.9 87,200
58 127 185 0.07 0.042 0.028 1.5 28,600
-,- -- -_ _-
- 2.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 700 718 0.90 048 0.418 1.2 91,500
890 E 420 0.29 0.15 0.148 1.1 58,600
160 77 287 0.10 0.054 0.0455 1.2 80,200

- - - 5.0 1.10 700 752 0.92 0.41 0.505 0.82 21,100

567 ii 627 0.60 0.25 oa.50 0.71 17,600
892 85 477 0.88 0.18 0308 0.64 18,400
254 99 858 0.16 0X149 0.111 0.45 9900

- - 25.0 1.19 490 140 680 0.55 0.17 0.888 044 8820
244 0.12 0.224 0.54 2980
220 z z 8:: 0.10 0208 0.49 2780
125 230 855 0.19 0.068 0.122 0.56 2160
- 282 282 0.10 0*048 0.052 0.92 1410
I - -
 - -
r
Inlet Dcrrpity Overflow UnaerpoW Throzcgh- Pressure static Inlet Inlet
diameter ,Dfwater- Talk rate Put b?P pressure velocity 1
glycerol drqp ?zzcz?
(at@ (“Btm”, _-
--
(~/cm9 _- -- @W
1.0 I.0 820 710 0.76 0.75 om55 29 W2fM
220 510 0.85 0.34 0.0182 26 82,480
125 825 0.125 0.12 0.00586 28 20,660
- - - 187 647 0.97 0.95 0.0212 45 41,mo
287 133 420 0.34 0.0089 48 26,780
155 loo 255 0.10 ii088 Om38 30 16,220
- - 587 617 0.97 0.95 0.0198 50 89,34Q
350 ix 408 0.85 0.85 om84 41 26,000
47 267 0.12 0.118 0.086 88 17,ocQ
- IO.0 1.15 673 157 830 0.85 0.82 omQ8 20 8080
587 135 722 0.60 0.58 0~03o4 19 5280
480 110 590 0.82 0.81 0.0202 15 4320
346 87 438 0.14 0.188 0.0110 12 8170
134 80 214 0.07 0.068 0.0027 25 1570

27.0 1.19 47s 158 633 044 0.42 0.0242 17 1780

127 622 0.88 0.81 0*0233 la 1750
108 488 0.19 0.0141 14 1350
77 826 Kt 0.105 owJ64 16 915
-- _- -- --

1.5 1.0 1.0 1-o 500 165 665 040 0.89 0.0225 17 42,400
84Q 140 480 0.16 0.15 0.0117 18 =WO
200 187 887 0.07 0.066 0.0057 12 21,440
-- -- -- -- _-

2.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 700 67 767 0.22 0+2o om89 6.7 48,~
460 105 565 0.10 0.090 0.0162 5.6 86,000
330 87 417 0.06 0.054 0.0088 6.1 26,560
- 10.0 1.15 698 150 848 0.15 0.12 0.0515 6180
610 755 0.088 0.066 0~0338 ;:t 5580
420 :z 579 0.060 0+47 0.0195 2.4 4240
- - 27.0 1.19 442 217 659 0.070 O-O58 0.0261 2.0 1850
220 238 458 0.038 0.080 0.0126 2.4 1288
1.0 0.5 1.0 I.0 710 51 761 1.1 1.07 0.029 37 48,500
98 1028 8.1 8.05 0.053 57 65,000
II! 178 1688 8.1 7.96 0.144 55 107,ooo
2.0 I.0 - 3320 2.6 8828 5.1 4.57 0.56 212,000
2180 5.7 2186 2.0 1.76 0.24 f:f 189,000
1OOO 7.6 loo8 0.8 0,74 0.059 12.5 69,000
- - -
 K. RIETEMA

Table 2. Cyclone pressure drop experiments at con-stunt Reynolds number and without unakrjlow
Cyclone diameter = 75 mm

Cyclon4 Inlet Throu#- (API.

Iength liametm b/e Put F Reinlet Fz5000, n Y
(mm) (-0 :ml/sec) W4
--
218 25 10 2.5 430 0434 0.64 132 24,500 133
15 l-67 518 0.26 0.26 43 26,500 42
19 2.3 22.4
20 l-25 500 0.103 0.098 19 25,600
30 0.88 512 0.040 0.035 6.3 26,200 6.2

20 10 2.0 416 0.61 060 68 26,600

15 1~33 418 0.23 0.22 25 26,700 24
11 2.5 25.5
20 1.0 400 0.096 0~089 11 25,tiO0
30 0.67 402 0.050 oa43 5.8 25,700 5.2
66 1

15 10 1.5 304 043 O-42 28 25,900

1.5 1.0 310 0.19 0.18 12 26,400 11-5
5.3 2.3 22.8
20 0.75 304 0.094 0.079 5.4 25,900
30 0.50 810 oa49 0.034 2.2 26,m 2.1
28 I

10 10 220 0.32 O-28 7.7 28,200

15 :::7 224 0.19 0.15 3.7 28,600
16.0
20 0.50 216 0.12 0*08 2.1 27,600
30 0.83 220 oa70 0.084 0.98 28,200

278 25 10 2.5 480 0.52 o-52 111 24,500

15 1.67 492 0.18 O-18 36 25,200 86
12.5 8.0 18.8
20 l-25 486 0.065 o-061 12.5 2WoO
30 0.88 510 oTl43 0.038 7-l 26,100 6.9
112 I

20 10 2.0 376 0.47 0.47 66 24,000

15 1.33 400 0.16 0.16 20 25,600 19.5
8.4 2.8 20.2
20 418 0.086 0.077 8.7 26,700
30 A:b 420 0.044 0.085 3.9 26,800 3.8
67 I

15 10 808 0.39 o.ai 19 26,300

15 804 0.15 0-13 7.1 26,000 6.9
2.6 2.5 17.6
20 304 0.066 0.048 2.6 26,000
30 292 0.040 0.023 1.4 24,900 1.4
19 I

10 10 1-o 216 0.26 o%! 5.8 27,600

15 O-67 218 0.14 0.10 2.6 27,900 2.5
1.23 2.0 18.6
20 O-50 204 0.076 ow2 l-25 26,100
30 0.33 204 o-064 O-030 0.9 26,100 O-87 I
5.6
896 2.5 10 2.5 502 0.47 0.47 90 25,700
15 1.67 514 0.17 0.17 28 26,800 28
10.4 8.0 17-8
20 1.25 518 oa71 0.065 10.7 26,500
80 0.88 506 0.028 o-028 4.3 25,900 4.8
89 I
20 10 2-o 412 0.42 0.42 49 26,300
15 1-88 420 0.14 o-14 15 26,800 14.5
6.3 2-B 20.4
20 410 0.058 0.050 26,200
30 i:b 400 0.082 0.024 ;:; 25,600 2.9
48 I
15 10 1.5 818 0.31 0.29 16.8 27,100
15 1.0 810 o-11 0.10 5.9 26,400 5.7
2.4 2.5 18.5
0.75 318 0.062 oG44 2.5 27,100
ii o-50 820 0.042 0.024 1.8 27,300 1.24 I
15.6
10 10 1.0 218 0.22 0.18 4.6 27,900 4.3
15 0.67 22p 0.12 0.08 2-o 28,600 1.82
1.25 1.8 18.5
20 0.50 202 0.075 0.042 1.3 25,800
30 0.88 212 0.058 o-022 0.61 27,100 0.59
-

306
 Performanceand design of hydrccyclones-II
G = (*‘)’ = function of (b/D 9 e/D , u/D,
!l PVC?
h/D, k/D, l/D, Re,,,, C, a, gD/4V08).
The first six parameters in this correlation
determine the cyclone geometry. Like everywhere
else in this study the Reynolds number has been
related to the conditions at the inlet.
In normal practice the cyclone is always
operated in such a way that the static pressure
loss through the cyclone (Ap)* is high as com-
pared with the static pressure head in the cyclone
due to gravity : pg (L, + L,) cos a. In that
case any influence of cc and gD/iVoa cannot be
expected.
On account of its complexity and considering
the fact that it will depend also on the degree of
thickening and on the underflow rate the influence
of the concentration was not investigated. When
no thickening occurs and the suspension still
behaves as a Newtonian liquid (no plastic or
pseudo-plastic properties), the influence of the
concentration will be accounted for by using the
average density of the feed suspension instead of
the liquid density.
When thickening does occur, but the feed
concentration is lower than 1 per cent by weight,
generally the decrease in total pressure drop is
smaller than the accuracy of the final pressure-
drop correlation and can therefore be neglected.
The influence of l/D was not investigated
either ; it is thought to be of minor importance
as long as l/D is not too high, as is the case for
the cyclones normally used.
The influence of u/D was not investigated since
in practical use the total underflow is obtained
not by using a certain apex opening but by
adjusting the pressure difference between overflow
and underflow outlets. The important variable
was thought to be the ratio O/q (as long as this
ratio is not smaller than 04’) which is used in the
correlation.
So the pressure drop correlation sought reduces
to
F = --(AP), _
a P vo*
= function of (Re,,,, b/D, e/D, L/D,O/q.
307
The total pressure drop (Ap), necessary to
operate a cyclone consists of three components :
1. The inlet velocity head = &pVo*, where
p = liquid density and V,, = inlet velocity. This
is the dynamic pressure which a pump should
produce to accelarate the feed liquid from the
position of rest to the inlet velocity V,.
2. The friction losses in the cyclone.
3. The centrifugal head. The tangential
velocity causes a radial pressure gradient given
by dip/& = p V*/r which, integrated from the
centre towards the cyclone radius R near the
inlet, is called the centrifugal head
0
Components 2 and 3 together determine the
static pressure loss (Ap), of the cyclone, which is
often expressed in numbers of inlet velocity
heads and is then called the cyclone pressure loss
factor F = (Ap)J&pV,B = G - 1.
When the Reynolds number (related to the
inlet) in the cyclone is increased from less than
1000 to more than 100,000 F first decreases, but
Re > 5000 increases again. Below this critical
Reynolds number the friction loss (which, when
expressed in numbers of inlet velocity heads,
decreases as Re increases) is predominant. Above
this critical Reynolds number the centrifugal
head (which increases with Re, even when
expressed in numbers of inlet velocity heads) is
more important. This is clearly illustrated in
Fig. 2 where for different types of cyclones F
is plotted vs. the inlet Reynolds number.
The critical Reynolds number is not the same
for all cyclones, but for general purpose cyclones
it is never higher than 8000, whereas for actual
separation cyclones should be operated at much
higher Reynolds numbers.
In the range of practical application, therefore,
the static pressure drop of a cyclone may be
assumed to be determined by the centrifugal
head only, which in its turn is determined by
the tangential velocity profile. This velocity
profile depends largely on the internal friction
losses and only to a less extent also on wall
Chem. Engng. Sci. Vol. 16, Nos. 8 and 4. September. 1961.
 K. RETJWA

The functions n and y are shown in Fig. 8 (b)

and (c), the function f is shown in Fig. 8 (a).

’ EXP. TABLE I -PART II

X

f o EXP. TABLE I AND m- PART III

0
4.0
A
x

2.0-

FIG.? o

L ID
6.0 “=I.8 202.3 W 26 3.0

FIG. 2. Reynolds dependence of cyclone pressuredrop.

5.0

friction or in such a way that an increase of wall

friction decreases the tangential velocity and, in
consequence, the static pressure drop.
Now one may argue that a large wall surface
at a large radius has about the same influence as a 2.01
I I I I I t I I
small wall surface or a small radius ; this leads 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4

b/O
to the conclusion that the cone angle of the FIG.7 b
cyclone is not important, but only the total
LID
length of the cyclone. 6-
^^

In this investigation this was assumed to be

true and, therefore, the static pressure drop was 5-
correlated only with the sum of L, and L,, an
assumption which is thought to be justified 4-

for practical cyclones and for a correlation which

does not pretend to a higher accuracy than 3-

10 per cent.
2 I I I 1
0.1 a2 0.3 0.4

2. FINAL CORRELATION
It proved possible to split the general correla- FIG. 8. (a, b and c). Value of the functions f, n and y
tion for F into a Reynolds dependence f (Re) as occurring in the pressure drop correlation.
and a function describing the influence of the
cyclone geometry at a constant Reynolds number,
The mean deviation of the points in Fig. 3 (a)
for which Re = 25,000 was chosen. Thus :
is 15 per cent. Therefore an accuracy of this
for Re > 8000 F =f~mxw~ order of magnitude can be expected for the
whew correlation. In general this is sufficient for

808
 Performance and design of hydrocyclones-II

practical application, the more SO since a rough
wall or some uneveness may lead to a deviation
of the same order.
It should be remarked that this pressure drop
correlation is valid only for cyclones operating
with an air core and without any kind of device
after the overflow outlet to recover pressure from
the rotation still present in the overflow stream.
When no air core is present this has in general
the effect of increasing the pressure drop by a
factor of two.
NOTATION
a = diameter of air core in cyclone
b = diameter of cyclone inlet
C = concentration of solids in suspension
@se = cyclone correlation number based on dso
Cyss = cyclone correlation number based on dss
D = cyclone diameter
dss = diameter of particles separated to 20 per cent
n = power factor occurring iu pressure drop
correlstion
0 = overflow rate of cyclone
p = static pressure in cyclone
( Ap)r = total pressure drop necessary to operate a
cyclone
(Ap), = static pressure drop from inlet to outlet
q = throughput of cyclone
R = radius of cyclone
R,=R-#)a-@
7 = radial co-ordinate in cyclone
T = residence time of particle in cyclone
U = radial velocity of liquid
Us = radial velocity of liquid at radius of cyclone
UP = radial velocity of particle relative to the liquid
u = diameter of underflow nozzle
V = tangential velocity in cyclone
Vs = liuear inlet velocity
W = axial velocity in cyclone
2 = axial co-ordinate in cyclone
Q = inclination of cyclone axis to the vertical
y = factor occurring iu pressure drop correlation
l = turbulent kinematic viscosity

d6c = diameter of particles separated to 50 per cent 7 = dynamic liquid viscosity

d8,, = diameter of particles separated to 80 per cent X = dimensionless parameter describiug the
E = turbulent diffusion coefficient tangential velocity profile
e = diameter of overflow outlet Y = kinematic liquid viscosity
F = cyclone pressure loss factor = (Ap),/+ p Yss p = liquid density
G = total pressure loss factor = (Ap)J) p Pcs Ap = difference between density of solid and that of
g = gravitational acceleration liquid
L = total length of cyclone from top plate to apex o=r/R
L, = length of cyclindrical part of cyclone o1 = a/R
L, = length of conical part of cyclone + = ratio of augular momentum at radius r to inlet
1= length of vortex Ander angular momentum

Chm. Jhgng. Ski. Vol. 16, Noa. 8 and 4. September, 1961.

809