SOLUTIONS TO CHAPTER 9 EXERCISES: GAS CYCLONES

EXERCISE 9.1: A gas-particle separation device is tested and gives the results
shown in the table below:

Size range (μm) 0 - 10 10 - 20 20 - 30 30 - 40 40 - 50

Range mean (μm) 5 15 25 35 45

Feed mass (kg) 45 69 120 45 21

Coarse product mass (kg) 1.35 19.32 99.0 44.33 21.0

a) Find the total efficiency of the device.

 b) Produce a plot of the grade efficiency for this device and determine the
equiprobable cut size.

SOLUTION TO EXERCISE 9.1:

(a) From the test results:
Mass of feed, M = 45 + 69 + 120 + 45 + 21 = 300 grams.

Mass of coarse product, Mc = 1.35 + 19.32 + 99 + 44.33 + 21 = 185 grams.

Mc
Therefore, from Text-Equation 9.5, total efficiency, E T = = 0.617
0.617 (or 61.7 %)
%)
M

mc
(b) In this case, G(x) may be obtained directly from the results table as G(x) =
m
1.35
For example, for the size range 0-10 μm, G (x ) = = 0.3. For the remaining size
45
ranges:

Size range (μm) 0 - 10 10 - 20 20 - 30 30 - 40 40 - 50

G(x) 0.03 0.28 0.825 0.985 1.000

Plotting this data gives x50 = 19.4 μm, as may be seen from Solution-Manual-Figure
9.1.1.
EXERCISE 9.2: A gas-particle separation device is tested and gives the results
shown in the table below:

Size range (μm) 6.6 - 9.4 9.4 - 13.3 13.3 - 18.7 18.7 - 27.0 27.0 - 37.0 37.0 - 53.0

feed size distribution 0.05 0.2 0.35 0.25 0.1 0.05

Coarse product size 0.016 0.139 0.366 0.30 0.12 0.06

distribution

If the total mass of feed is 200 kg and the total mass of coarse product collected is
166.5 kg,
a) Find the total efficiency of the device
 b) Determine the size distribution of the fine product.
c) Plot the grade efficiency curve for this device and determine the equiprobable
size.
d) If this same device was fed with a material with the size distribution below,
what would be the resulting coarse product size distribution?

Size range (μm) 6.6 - 9.4 9.4 - 13.3 13.3 - 18.7 18.7 - 27.0 27.0 - 37.0 37.0 -
53.0

feed size distribution 0.08 0.13 0.27 0.36 0.14 0.02

SOLUTION TO EXERCISE 9.2:

(a) From the test results:
Mass of feed, M = 200 kg and mass of coarse product, M c = 166.5 kg.

Mc
Therefore, from Text-Equation 9.5, total efficiency, E T = = 0.8325 (or 83.25 %)
M
(b) Text-Equation 9.9 gives us the relationship between the size distributions of feed,
coarse product and fine product:

(dF/dx) = E T (dFc/dx) + (1-ET) (dFf /dx)

Rearranging,
dF f  1 dF ET dF c dF dFc
= − = 5.97 − 4.97
dx 1 − E T dx 1 − E T dx dx dx

Hence, we can calculate the fine product distribution from a knowledge of the feed
distribution and the coarse product distribution:
 Size range (μm) 6.6 - 9.4 9.4 - 13.3 13.3 - 18.7 18.7 - 27.0 27.0 - 37.0 37.0 - 53.0

Feed: dF/dx 0.05 0.2 0.35 0.25 0.1 0.05

Coarse: dFc/dx 0.016 0.139 0.366 0.30 0.12 0.06
Hence, Fine: dFf 
 /dx 0.219 0.503 0.270 0.0015 0.0006 0.0003

dF c dF c
Mc dx dx
(c) Grade efficiency, G( x) = = ET
M dF dF
dx dx

0.016
For example, for the size range 6.6-9.4 μm, G (x ) = 0.8325 × = 0.2664
0.05

And for the remaining size ranges:

Size range (μm) 6.6 - 9.4 9.4 - 13.3 13.3 - 18.7 18.7 - 27.0 27.0 - 37.0 37.0 - 53.0

Feed: dF/dx 0.05 0.2 0.35 0.25 0.1 0.05

Coarse: dFc/dx 0.016 0.139 0.366 0.30 0.12 0.06

Hence, G(x): 0.2664 0.5786 0.8706 0.999 0.999 0.999

Plotting this data gives x 50 = 10.5 μm, as may be seen from Solution-Manual-Figure
9.2.1.

(d) To calculate the coarse product size distribution with the new feed to the same
dF c G(x) dF
device, we rearrange Text-Equation 9.8 to give: =
dx E T dx

dF c 0.2664
hence, for the size range 6.6-9.4 μm, = × 0.08 = 0.0256 . And for the
dx 0.8325
remaining size ranges:

Size range (μm) 6.6 - 9.4 9.4 - 13.3 13.3 - 18.7 18.7 - 27.0 27.0 - 37.0 37.0 -
53.0

 New feed: dF/dx 0.08 0.13 0.27 0.36 0.14 0.02

G(x) 0.2664 0.5786 0.8706 0.999 0.999 0.999

G(x) / ET 0.32 0.6950 1.046 1.2 1.2 1.2
Hence, dFc /dx 0.0256 0.090 0.282 0.432 0.168 0.024
EXERCISE 9.3: a) Explain what a "grade efficiency curve" is for a gas-solids
separation device and sketch an example of such a curve for a gas cyclone separator.

 b) Determine the diameter and number of Stairmand HR gas cyclones to be operated
in parallel to treat 3 m3/s of gas of density 0.5 kg/m 3  and viscosity 2 x 10 -5  Pas
carrying a dust of density 2000 kg/m 3. A x50  cut size of at most 7 μm is to be
achieved at a pressure drop of 1200 Pa.
(For a Stairmand HR cyclone: Eu = 46 and Stk 50 = 6 x 10 -3.)
c) Give the actual cut size achieved by your design.
d) A change in process conditions requirements necessitates a 50% drop in gas
flowrate. What effect will this have on the cut size achieved by your design?

SOLUTION TO EXERCISE 9.3:

(b) From Text-Equation 9.1: Eu = Δ p (ρ v
f 
2
)
/ 2 , with Δ p = 1200 Pa, ρf  = 0.5 kg/m3
and
Eu = 46:
characteristic velocity, v = 10.215 m/s

Assuming that n cyclones in parallel are required and that the total flow is evenly
split, then for each cyclone the flow rate will be q = Q/n = 3.0/n.

Text-Equation 9.2 defines the characteristic velocity: v = 4q ( π D )

2

0.6115
Substituting q and v, gives: D =
n

Substituting this expression for D together with the required cut size in Text-Equation
9.21,
x250ρ p v
Stk 50 = , gives:
18μD

−3
6 × 10 =
(7 × 10 −6 ) × 2000 × 10.215
2

18 × 2 × 10− 5 × 0.6115
n

hence, n = 1.74.
We will therefore need 2 cyclones. Now with n=2, we recalculate the cyclone
diameter from D = 0.6115/n 0.5 and the actual achieved cut size from Text-Equation
9.21.
Figure 9.2.1: Grade efficiency curve for Exercise 9.2.