Analysis of numerical modelling of turbulence in a multichannel cyclone

Abstract

The paper aims to analyse the problem of numerical modelling of the airflow in a multichannel cyclone (three rings) with tangential inlet. A review of experimental and theoretical papers describing cyclones with very complex swirling flow is performed. Three-dimensional transport differential equations for incompressible turbulent flow inside a cyclone are solved numerically using finite volume-based turbulence models, namely the Standard k-epsilon model and the RNG k-epsilon model. The paper describes the numerical modelling of the airflow in the multichannel cyclone 0.72 m high, 0.50 m in diameter, the height of cylindrical part - 0.29 m, height of conical part - 0.43 m, inlet area - 0.29x0.034 m(2). Multifunction meter Testo 400 for measuring of the airflow velocity inside a multichannel cyclone and at the inlet and outlet holes was used for the experimental studies of a cyclone. Mathematical model of airflow in the cyclone consisted of Navie Stokes (Reynolds) three-dimensional differential equation system. Results of modelling obtained from the numerical tests when inlet velocity ranged from 6.27 m/s to 10.78 m/s and the flow rate from 0.111 m(3)/s to 0.190 m(3)/s have demonstrated a reasonable agreement with other available experimental and theoretical results. The average relative error was +/- 4.3%.