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Numerical simulations of gas–liquid–solid flows in a hydrocyclone separator

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Abstract

The flow behavior in hydrocyclones is quite complex. In this study, the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method was used to simulate the flow fields inside a hydrocyclone in order to investigate its separation efficiency. In the computational fluid dynamics study of hydrocyclones, the air-core dimension is a key to predicting the mass split between the underflow and overflow. In turn, the mass split influences the prediction of the size classification curve. Three models, the \({k - \varepsilon}\) model, the Reynolds stress model (RSM) without considering the air-core, and the Reynolds stress turbulence model with the volume of fluid (VOF) multiphase model for simulating the air-core, were compared in terms of their predictions of velocity, axial and tangential velocity distributions, and separation proportion. The RSM with air-core simulation model, since it reproduces some detailed features of the turbulence and multiphase, clearly predicted the experimental data more closely than did the other two models.

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  1. School of Energy Engineering, Power and Water University of Technology, P.O. Box: 16765-1719, Tehran, Iran

    S. M. Mousavian & A. F. Najafi

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  1. S. M. Mousavian
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  2. A. F. Najafi
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Correspondence to A. F. Najafi.

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Mousavian, S.M., Najafi, A.F. Numerical simulations of gas–liquid–solid flows in a hydrocyclone separator. Arch Appl Mech 79, 395–409 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00419-008-0237-2

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