Fluid Mechanics and Transport Phenomena

Experimental and computational study of the “end of the vortex” phenomenon in reverse-flow centrifugal separators

  1. Gleb I. Pisarev1,*,
  2. Vidar Gjerde1,
  3. Boris V. Balakin1,
  4. Alex C. Hoffmann1,
  5. Henk A. Dijkstra2,
  6. Weiming Peng1,3

Article first published online: 11 JUL 2011

DOI: 10.1002/aic.12695

Issue

AIChE Journal

AIChE Journal

Volume 58, Issue 5, pages 1371–1380, May 2012

Additional Information

How to Cite

Pisarev, G. I., Gjerde, V., Balakin, B. V., Hoffmann, A. C., Dijkstra, H. A. and Peng, W. (2012), Experimental and computational study of the “end of the vortex” phenomenon in reverse-flow centrifugal separators. AIChE J., 58: 1371–1380. doi: 10.1002/aic.12695

Author Information

  1. 1

    Dept. of Physics and Technology, University of Bergen, Allegaten 55, 5007 Bergen, Norway

  2. 2

    Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utrecht, Princetonplein 5, 3584 CC Utrecht, The Netherlands

  3. 3

    Aker Offshore Partner AS, Sandslimarka 251, 5861 Bergen, Norway

*Dept. of Physics and Technology, University of Bergen, Allegaten 55, 5007 Bergen, Norway

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 6 APR 2012
  2. Article first published online: 11 JUL 2011
  3. Accepted manuscript online: 2 JUN 2011 04:16PM EST
  4. Manuscript Revised: 3 MAY 2011
  5. Manuscript Received: 6 DEC 2010

Funded by

  • Norwegian Research Council

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Keywords:

  • cyclone;
  • computational fluid dynamics;
  • swirl tube;
  • end of the vortex;
  • vortex length;
  • turbulence;
  • large eddy simulation

Abstract

The “end of the vortex” (EoV) phenomenon, a flow instability that plays a crucial role in cyclone design and operation is studied in this article. In the experimental part of the study, tests were carried out to understand the origin and nature of the EoV and to study the effects of the flowrate through, and the length of, the cylindrical cyclone on the EoV. In the theoretical part, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models, in agreement with the geometrical configurations and operating conditions used in the present and earlier experimental studies, were constructed and investigated. Three-dimensional simulations were carried out using the large eddy turbulence model with the commercial CFD package Star-CD. Bending of the vortex core to the wall of the vessel and its precessional motion, constituting the phenomenon of the EoV, was observed in the simulations in most geometries. The results are in a good agreement not only with the present experimental results but also with previous experimental observations. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2012

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