Analysis of the nutation and precession of the vortex core and the influence of operating parameters in a cyclone separator

Vortices motion in the anisotropic turbulent flow of cyclones makes a vital impact on flow stability and collection performance.Nevertheless,there remains a lack of clarity in the overall feature of vortices motion.In this work,a numerical analysis was conducted to clarify the complex motion of the vortex core in a cyclone separator.The validity of the numerical model was demonstrated by comparing the computational results with experimental data in the literature.As revealed by the results,the vortex core not only has a precession motion about the geometrical center axis but also does a nutation motion in the axial direction.The frequencies of the precession motions show two main peaks.And the magnitudes of the precession and nutation motions have non-uniform distributions in the cyclone.Moreover,the precession-nutation motions of the vortex cores exhibit a similar fluctuant pattern to the dust ring on the separator wall.The inlet gas velocity and the inlet solid loading show vital effects on the magnitudes and frequencies of precession and nutation motion.

Visualization of the Precessing Vortex Core in a Cyclone Separator by PIV

The precessing vortex core (PVC) in a cyclone separator plays an important role in the separation performance and in further understanding of the general law of periodic unsteady flow therein. In this paper, the unsteady flow field is investigated with particle image velocimetry (PIV), and the instantaneous velocity, vorticity, tangential velocity, and radial velocity are acquired by analyzing the images of instantaneous flow. It is for the first time reported that there is a centrifugal flow region close to the dust discharge zone and its maximum value is higher than the mean radial velocity. This discovery is very important for understanding the principle of separation of particles in the area of dust discharge. Determination of the frequency and amplitude of PVC was conducted in the region where the phenomenon of PVC is remarkable. Results agree well with those obtained by hot wire anemometry. The observations of the center of vortex core and the bimodal distribution of the amplitude of the PVC indicate the vortex core precesses around the geometric axis of the cyclone in its own way.

Tomographic particle image velocimetry measurement on three-dimensional swirling flow in dual-stage counter-rotating swirler

Three-Dimensional(3D)swirling flow structures,generated by a counter-rotating dualstage swirler in a confined chamber with a confinement ratio of 1.53,were experimentally investigated at Re=2.3×10^(5)using Tomographic Particle Image Velocimetry(Tomo-PIV)and planar Particle Image Velocimetry(PIV).Based on the analysis of the 3D time-averaged swirling flow structures and 3D Proper Orthogonal Decomposition(POD)of the Tomo-PIV data,typical coherent flow structures,including the Corner Recirculation Zone(CRZ),Central Recirculation Zone(CTRZ),and Lip Recirculation Zone(LRZ),were extracted.The counter-rotating dual-stage swirler with a Venturi flare generates the independence process of vortex breakdown from the main stage and pilot stage,leading to the formation of an LRZ and a smaller CTRZ near the nozzle outlet.The confinement squeezes the CRZ to the corner and causes a reverse rotation flow to limit the shape of the CTRZ.A large-scale flow structure caused by the main stage features an explosive breakup,flapping,and Precessing Vortex Core(PVC).The explosive breakup mode dominates the swirling flow structures owing to the expansion and construction of the main jet,whereas the flapping mode is related to the wake perturbation.Confinement limits the expansion of PVC and causes it to contract after the impacting area.

Forming and breaking the ceiling of inlet gas velocity regarding to separation efficiency of cyclone

The maximum-efficiency inlet velocity(MEIV)is a ceiling of inlet gas velocity that defines separation efficiency during cyclone design and operation.Experiment and computational fluid dynamics(CFD)simulation exhibited that an apex cone at the dust outlet can break the ceiling and improve the sepa-ration efficiency.The phenomenon is closely related to the effect of excessive high inlet gas velocity on the back-mixing escape of fine particles,which is the final result of back mixing,entrainment by the rapid upward airflow,and secondary separation of the inner vortex.In the center of the inner vortex,the airflow rotates slowly and moves rapidly upward.This elevator type of airflow delivers re-entrained particles to the vortex finder.A higher inlet gas velocity accelerates the elevator,causing more entrained particles to escape.This explains the decrease in efficiency at an excessively high inlet gas velocity.When an apex cone is installed at the dust outlet,the back-mixing is significantly weakened because the vortex core is bounded to the center of separator,while the transport effect of rapid upward airflow is weakened by the decrease in axial velocity in the center.Therefore,particle escape is weakened even at excessive high inlet gas velocities.Instead,the centrifugal effect is enhanced because of increased tangential velocity of the gas and particles.Consequently,the ceiling of inlet gas velocity is broken.

Numerical simulation of the effect of upstream swirling flow on swirl meter performance

Flow measurement is important in the fluid process and transmission system. For the need of accuracy measure- ment of fluid, stable flow is acquired. However, the elbows and devices as valves and rotary machines may pro- duce swirling flow in the natural gas pipeline networks system and many other industry fields. In order to reveal the influence of upstream swirling flow on internal flow fields and the metrological characteristics, numerical si- mulations are carried out on the swirl meter. Using RNG k-e turbulent model and SIMPLE algorithm, the flow field is numerically simulated under swirling flows generated from co-swirl and counter-swirl flow. Simulation results show fluctuation is enhanced or weakened depending on the rotating direction of swirling flow. A coun- ter-swift flow increases the entropy production rate at the inlet and outlet of the swirler, the junction region between throat and divergent section, and then the pressure loss is increased. The vortex precession dominates the static pressure distributions on the solid walls and in the channel, especially at the end region of the throat.

Large eddy simulation of unconfined turbulent swirling flow

Large eddy simulations(LES) were performed to study the non-reacting flow fields of a Cambridge swirl burner. The dynamic Smagorinsky eddy viscosity model is used as the sub-grid scale turbulence model. Comparisons of experimental data show that the LES results are capable of predicting mean and root-mean-square velocity profiles. The LES results show that the annular swirling flow has a minor impact on the formation of the bluff-body recirculation zone. The vortex structures near the shear layers, visualized by the iso-surface of Q-criterion, display ring structures in non-swirling flow and helical structures in swirling flow near the burner exit. Spectral analysis was employed to predict the occurrence of flow oscillations induced by vortex shedding and precessing vortex core(PVC). In order to extract accurately the unsteady large-scale structures in swirling flow, a three-dimensional proper orthogonal decomposition(POD) method was developed to reconstruct turbulent fluctuating velocity fields. POD analysis reveals that flow fields contain co-existing helical and toroidal shaped coherent structures. The helical structure associated with the PVC is the most energetic dynamic flow structure. The latter toroidal structure associated with vortex shedding has lower energy content which indicates that it is a secondary structure.