Hydrocyclone Separation Efficiencies Using Novel Approach to Drop Breakup

1
An Novel Approach the Prediction of Drop Breakup
in Hydrocyclones
LaTonya Frazier, and G. Dale Wesson Department of
Chemical Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of
Engineering, Tallahassee, FL 32310
Research Objective
To determine the effect of drop breakup on
hydrocyclone separation efficiencies.
Background

• Buoyant Force
• Drag Force (Stokes Law)
• Terminal Velocity

• Separation based on centrifugal forces
• First patented in 1891
• Original focus on solid/liquid separation
• Adapted for liquid/liquid separation in early
  1960s

mc , rc

Theory
F determination

• Drop breakup is instantaneous and occurs
• upon the entry of the fluid into the
  hydrocyclone
• There is a maximum drop size, lmax , that
  exists.
• Only drops larger than lmax will breakup.
• The drop breakup process is cascading.
• Each drop breaks up into n drops of equal
  sizes.
• Every drop experiences the drop breakup process.
• No coalescence occurs between the drops

Results
Conclusions

• Maximum stable drop sizes for 10 mm and 76 mm
  hydrocyclones are approximately 7.6
  and 25.3 mm respectively.
• For large particle size distributions (PSD),
  i.e. lmode ?50 mm, the 76 mm hydrocyclone
  provides a better separation efficiency.
• For smaller PSD, i.e. lmode lt 50 mm, the 10 mm
  hydrocyclone provides the best separation
  efficiency.