Cyclonic separators

The simplest type of centrifugal device is the cyclone separator (Fig. 3.4), which consists of a vertical cylinder with a conical bottom. The centrifugal force is generated by the fluid motion. The mixture enters in a tangential inlet near the top, and the rotating motion so created develops centrifugal force which throws the particles radially toward the wall. 

A filter cake from the wringer is washed to remove absorbed acid, transferred to a slurry tank of water, and quickly submerged, after which the nitrocellulose is pumped to the stabilization operation as a diluted water slurry. Exhaust systems are installed to protect personnel and equipment from acid fumes, and water sprays and cyclone separators are used for acid fume recovery before venting to the air. 

The Megalopohs station (Fig. 4d) uses hot flue gas to dry the lignite. A cyclone separator and electrostatic precipitator permit rejection of some of the water vapor to the atmosphere rather than to the boiler. Another drying method uses a vertical shaft, heated by combustion gases, for partial drying prior to grinding. 

The reaction mixture can either be crystallised, centrifuged, and dried, or spray-dried and cyclone-separated to produce a fine crystalline powder having a particle size of 50 p.m. Metal analysis of the AP produced by this method is reported to be less than 0.02 p.g/g. 

After the SO converter has stabilized, the 6—7% SO gas stream can be further diluted with dry air, I, to provide the SO reaction gas at a prescribed concentration, ca 4 vol % for LAB sulfonation and ca 2.5% for alcohol ethoxylate sulfation. The molten sulfur is accurately measured and controlled by mass flow meters. The organic feedstock is also accurately controlled by mass flow meters and a variable speed-driven gear pump. The high velocity SO reaction gas and organic feedstock are introduced into the top of the sulfonation reactor,, in cocurrent downward flow where the reaction product and gas are separated in a cyclone separator, K, then pumped to a cooler, L, and circulated back into a quench cooling reservoir at the base of the reactor, unique to Chemithon concentric reactor systems. The gas stream from the cyclone separator, M, is sent to an electrostatic precipitator (ESP), N, which removes entrained acidic organics, and then sent to the packed tower, H, where SO2 and any SO traces are adsorbed in a dilute NaOH solution and finally vented, O. Even a 99% conversion of SO2 to SO contributes ca 500 ppm SO2 to the effluent gas. 

Lime-Kiln Operation. Gases containing up to 40% carbon dioxide from the lime kiln pass through a cyclone separator, which removes the bulk of entrained dust. The gas is then blown through the two scmbbers, which remove the finer dust, cooled, and passes iato an absorption tower. Here carbon dioxide may be recovered by the sodium carbonate or Girbotol process. 

W ste Hea.t Boilers. In a conventional FCCU flue gas system, the regenerator combustion gases pass through two stages of cyclonic separators, a sHde valve, orifice chamber, waste heat boiler, and electrostatic precipitator. The sHde valve and orifice chamber act in combination to reduce the flue gas to essentially atmospheric pressure. 

By the late 1980s six principal commercial CEBC technologies were available (42). In 1993 the largest CEBC ia operation is expected to be the Pyropower Corporation s 165 MWe reheat coal-fired unit, under constmction siace 1991 at the Poiat Aconi Station of Nova Scotia Power Corp. (43). Combustion and SO2 control ia this unit is to be carried out ia the water-cooled riser. The unit is expected to operate at 870°C to optimize sulfur capture. The cyclone separators are refractory-lined and are supported approximately 30 m above grade. 

Centrifugal Separation Centrifugal force can be utilized to enhance particle collection to several hundredfold that of gravity. The design of cyclone separators for dust removal is treated in detail in Sec. 17 under Gas-Solids Separations, and typical cyclone designs are shown in Fig. 17-43. Dimension ratios for one family of cyclones are given in Fig. 17-36. Cyclones, if carefully designed, can be more efficient on hquids than on solids since liquids coalesce on capture and are easy to drain from the unit. However, some precautions not needed for solid cyclones are necessary to prevent reentrainment. 

N, Number of turns made by gas stream in a cyclone separator Dimensionless Dimensionless ... 

V Radius distance from centerline of cyclone separator m ft ... 

Cyclone Separators Finer feed sohds, from 0.04 to 0.0005 m (1.5 in to 28 mesh), may be treated in dynamic separators of the Dutch State Mines cyclone type (Fig. 19-36). In cyclone separators, the medium and the feed enter the separator together tangentially at the feed inlet (1) the short cyhndiical section (2) carries the central vortex finder (3), which prevents short circuiting within the cyclone. Separation is made in the cone-shaped part of the cyclone (4) by the action of centrifugal and centripetal forces. The heavier portion of the feed leaves the cyclone at the apex opening (5), and the hghter portion leaves at the overflow top orifice (6). 

Ball mills or tube mills can be operated in closed circuit with external air classifiers with or without air sweeping being employed. If air sweeping is employed, a cyclone separator may Be placed between mill and classifier. (The principles of size reduction combined with size classification are discussea under Characteristics of Size Classifiers. ) Likewise other types of grinding mill can be operated in closed circmt with external size classifiers (Fig. 20-12), as will be described at appropriate places on succeeding pages. However, many types of grinders are air-swept and are so closely coupled with their classifiers mat the latter are termed internal classifiers. 

In pressure systems (Fig. 21-12 ), material is dropped into an air stream (at above atmospheric pressure) by a rotaiy air-lock feeder. The velocitv of the stream maintains the bulk material in suspension until it reaches the receiving vessel, where it is separated from the air by means of an air filter or cyclone separator. 

Vacuum systems (Fig. 21-12h) are characterized by material moving in an air stream of pressure less than ambient. The advantages of this type are that all the pumping energy is used to move the product and that material can be sucked into the conveyor line without the need of a rotaiy feeder or similar seal between the storage vessel and the conveyor. Material remains suspended in the air stream until it reaches a receiver. Here, a cyclone separator or filter (Fig. 21-12c) separates the material from the air, the air passing through the separator and into the suction side of the positive-displacement blower or some other power source. 

A fluid-bed incinerator uses hot sand as a heat reservoir for dewatering the sludge and combusting the organics. The turbulence created By the incoming air and the sand suspension requires the effluent gases to be treated in a wet scrubber prior to final discharge. The ash is removed from the scrubber water by a cyclone separator. The scrubber water is normally returned to the treatment process and diluted with the total plant effluent. The ash is normally buried. 

Cyclone Separator with Separate Catch Tank This type of blowdown system, shown in Fig. 26-17 and 26-18, is frequently used in chemical plants where plot pan space is hmited. The cyclone performs the vapor-liquid separation, while the catch tank accumulates the hquid from the cyclone. This arrangement allows location of the cyclone knockout drum close to the reactor so that the length of the relief device discharge hne can be minimized. The cyclone nas internals, vital to its proper operation, which will be discussed in the following sections. 

Cyclone Separator with Integral Catch Tank This type of containment system, depicted in Fig. 26-19, is similar to the ore-mentioned type, except that the knockout drum and catch tank are combined in one vessel shell. This design is used when the vapor rate is quite high so that the knockout drum diameter is large. 

Equipment Selection Criteria and Guidelines A number of factors should be considered in order to determine when to select a blowdown drum, cyclone separator, or quench tank to handle a multiphase stream from a relief device. Among these are the plot plan space available, the operating limitations of each type, and the physicochemical properties of the stream. 

The criteria for application and performance characteristics of blowdown drums, cyclone separators, and quench tanks are discussed as follows. 

FIG. 26-19 Cyclone separator with integral catch tank. 

Cyclone Separator with Separate Catch Tank (See Figs. 26-17 and 26-18.) The sizing of a cyclone knockout drum for emergency relief systems is somewhat different from sizing a cyclone separator for normal process sei vice for the following reasons ... 

Cyclone Separator with Integral Catch Tank (See Fig. 26-19.) The diameter of the knockout drum is calculated by the criteria given in the preceding section and Fig. 26-18. Since the liquid is also to be retained in the vessel, extend the shell height below the normal bottom tangent line to increase the total volume by an amount equal to the volume of the hquid carried over. 

General In comparison with design information on blowdown drums and cyclone separators, there is very httle information in the open technical hterature on the design of quench tanks in the Chernies industry. What is available deSs with the design of quench tanks (Sso called suppression pools) for condensation of steam or steam-water mixtures from nuclear reactor safety vSves. Information and criteria from quench tanks in the nuclear industry can be used for the design of quench tanks in the chemicS industry. There have been sev-... 

---