Cyclonic separation 

is a method of removing particulates from an air, gas or water stream, without the use of filters,

through vortex separation. Rotationaleffects and gravity are used to separate mixtures of solids and fluids.

A high speed rotating (air)flow is established within a cylindrical or conical container called a cyclone. Air flows in a spiral pattern,

beginning at the top (wide end) of the cyclone and ending at the bottom (narrow) end before exiting the cyclone in a straight stream

through the center of the cyclone and out the top. Larger (denser) particles in the rotating stream have too much inertia to follow the

tight curve of the stream and strike the outside wall, falling then to the bottom of the cyclone where they can be removed. In a

conical system, as the rotating flow moves towards the narrow end of the cyclone the rotational radius of the stream is reduced,

separating smaller and smaller particles. The cyclone geometry, together with flow rate, defines the cut point of the cyclone. This is

the size of particle that will be removed from the stream with a 50% efficiency. Particles larger than the cut point will be removed

with a greater efficiency, and smaller particles with a lower efficiency.

Airflow diagram for Aerodyne cyclone in horizontal position, an alternate design to minimize abrasion within the device

Airflow diagram for Aerodyne cyclone in standard vertical position

protect them from abrasion. The primary air containing the particulate enters from the bottom of the cyclone and is forced into spiral

rotation by a stationary spinner. The secondary air flow enters from the top of the cyclone and moves downward toward the bottom,

intercepting the particulate from the primary air. The secondary air flow also allows the collector to be mounted horizontally because

it pushes the particulate toward the collection area.

Large scale cyclones are used in sawmills to remove sawdust from extracted air. Cyclones are also used in oil refineries to separate

oils and gases, and in thecement industry as components of kiln preheaters. Cyclones are increasingly used in the household, as

the core technology in bagless vacuum cleaners. Cyclones are also used in industrial and professional kitchens for separating the

grease from the exhaust air in extract hoods[1]. Smaller cyclones are used to separate airborne particles for analysis. Some are

small enough to be worn clipped to clothing and are used to separate respirable particles for later analysis.

Analogous devices for separating particles or solids from liquids are called hydrocyclones or hydroclones. These may be used to

separate solid waste from water in wastewater and sewage treatment.

Steady state

As the cyclone is essentially a two phase particle-fluid system, fluid mechanics and particle transport equations can be used to

describe the behaviour of a cyclone. The air in a cyclone is initially introduced tangentially into the cyclone with an inlet velocity Vin.

Assuming that the particle is spherical, a simple analysis to calculate critical separation particle sizes can be established.

Given that the fluid velocity is moving in a spiral the gas velocity can be broken into two component velocities: a tangential

component, Vt, and a radial velocity component Vr. Assuming Stokes' law, the drag force on any particle in this inlet stream is

therefore given by the following equation:

Fd = 6πrpμVr.

If one considers an isolated particle circling in the upper cylindrical component of the cyclone at a rotational radius of r from

the cyclone's central axis, the particle is therefore subjected to centrifugal, drag and buoyant forces. The centrifugal

component is given by:

The buoyant force component is obtained by the difference between the particle and fluid

densities, ρp and ρf respectively:
 The force balance can be created by summing the forces together

This rate is controlled by the diameter of the particle's orbit around the central axis of the cyclone. A

particle in the cyclonic flow will move towards either the wall of the cyclone, or the central axis of the

cyclone until the drag, buoyant and centrifugal forces are balanced. Assuming that the system has

reached steady state, the particles will assume a characteristic radius dependent upon the force balance.

Heavier, denser particles will assume a solid flow at some larger radius than light particles. The steady

state balance assumes that for all particles, the forces are equated, hence:

Fd + Fc + Fb = 0

Which expands to:

This can be expressed by rearranging the above in terms of the particle radius. The particle

radius as a function of cyclonic radius, fluid density and fluid tangential and rotational

velocities can then be found to be:

Experimentally it is found that the velocity component of rotational flow is

proportional to r2[2], therefore:

This means that the established feed velocity controls the vortex rate inside

the cyclone, and the velocity at an arbitrary radius is therefore:

Subsequently, given a value for Vt, possibly based upon the injection

angle, and a cutoff radius, a characteristic particle filtering radius can

be estimated, above which particles will be removed from the gas

stream.

[edit]Alternative Steady State Analysis

Assume we have a particle of radius rp and density ρp moving with a

parcel of fluid of viscosity μf and density ρf. The particle and the fluid

radius of curvature of rc.

If we view the particle in a frame of reference moving with the fluid, we

can describe the behavior of the particle by invoking the imaginary,

inertial centrifugal force acting as a form of gravity directed outward,

away from the axis of rotation. The magnitude of the centrifugal force

will be give by

where mp is the mass of the particle.

If we ignore the universal downward force of gravity and viscous

drag between the particle and the fluid parallel to the velocity,

there are two other forces acting on the particle - radial viscous

drag and buoyancy.

The viscous drag (Fd ) between the particle and the fluid

resulting from radial movement of the particle through the fluid is

given by

Fd = − 6πrpμfVr

where Vr is the radial drift velocity of the particle through

the fluid and the sign reflects the opposition of the force

to the motion.

The buoyancy force (Fb) exerted on the particle by the

fluid is given by

where vp is the volume of the particle

If we assign upward (toward the center of rotation)

as the positive radial direction (+) in our frame of

reference, then Fc will be pointed in the negative

direction, Fb will be pointed in the positive direction

and the direction of Fd will depend on the direction

of vp.
 If we assume the system has reached dynamic

equilibrium then the sum of the forces is zero

Fb + Fd + Fc = 0.

After applying the appropriate signs and

expanding mp and vp explicitly we have

Solving this equation for Vr we have

Notice that if the density of the

fluid is greater than the

density of the particle, the

motion is (+), toward the

center of rotation and if the

particle is denser than the

fluid, the motion is (-), away

from the center.

Expressing the motion in

terms of angular velocity ω we

have

Substituting into the

equation above yields

In this

analysis, Vr is

the drift velocity

at which

dynamic

equilibrium is
attained - the

drag friction

generated by

the movement of

the particle

through the fluid

balances the

centrifugal force

of the rotation

and the particle

has no radial

acceleration,

traveling at a

constant

velocity. In the

extreme case

where μf = 0 (a

fluid with no

viscosity) the

equilibrium drift

velocity is

undefined – the

particle can

accelerate

without ever

reaching

equilibrium. In

the opposite

extreme, μf = ∞,

the equilibrium

drift velocity is 0,

there is no

outward radial

movement and

the particle is
frozen in the

fluid

In non-

equilibrium

conditions, the

general case

equation F=ma

must be solved

The

presence

of

both ar an

d vr make

s this a

differentia

l equation

and

complicat

es the

solution.

Note that

if the

densities

of the

particle

and fluid

are equal,

the

solution

is ar = vr 

= 0 and
cyclonic
separatio

n is not

possible.

In a

cyclone

particle

separator

, the

design

objective

is to

control

the

system

geometry

and the

operating

paramete

rs so that

the drift

velocity

will move

the

particle

out of the

fluid

before it

exits. In

most

cases,

the

steady

state

solution is

used as
guidance

in

designing

separator

, but the

actual

performa

nce must

be

evaluated

and

modified

empiricall

y.