1.

TITLE

EXPERIMENT 5 :MULTI CYCLONE SYSTEM

2. INTRODUCTION

The cyclone is a centrifugal separator, in operation dust laden air enters the tangential inlet
swirls through several revolutions in the body an cone, deposits its dust load and leaves the
collector through the axial cylindrical outlet. Under the influence of centrifugal force, the dust
particles tend to concentrate in the thin layer of air next to the cyclone wall. The downward helical
motion of the main air stream projects the separated solids out of the unit to a discharge valve and
collecting bin [1]. Cyclone is a commonly installed pollution control device to remove solid
particles such as dust from gas streams and used in many applications, especially those where
relatively large particles need to be collected. They are not very efficient for collecting small
particles because small particles have little mass that can generate a centrifugal force.
The multi cyclone collector is design to get high efficiencies for high gas flows
applications. This high efficiency is achieved through a very small diameter cyclones which
together form a compact unit. In operation the gas with dust enters into the collector cells axially
through static impellers. The curved impellers make a centrifugation effect on dust, that is
deposited in the hopper, while the cleaned gas exits at the top. Both the cyclone and the impellers
are constructed static cast material, so that depending on the alloy that is built can have a great
resistance to abrasion [1].

(i) High efficiency for dust separation

(ii) Low cost due to its simple construction
(iii) Low cost maintenance, no moving parts
(iv) Low cost of operation for their constant pressure drop
(v) Small surface occupied even for large volumes

A typical cyclone is illustrated in Figure 1. It has a tangential inlet to a cylindrical body,

causing the gas stream to be swirled around. Particles are thrown toward the wall of the cyclone

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body. As the particles reach the stagnant boundary layer at the wall, they leave the flowing gas
stream and presumably slide down the wall, although some particles may be re-entrained as they
bounce off the wall back into the gas stream. As the gas loses energy in the swirling vortex, it starts
spinning inside the vortex and exits at the top. Although the cyclone is one of the most economical
dust separation technology, it does not have a very high separation efficiency. Most of the time the
best efficiency of a high-performance cyclone in the industry is still below 90%, therefore several
units of cyclone is often being implemented, which is known as multi cyclone system [2].

Figure 1: Overview of typical cyclone unit

Cyclone separators are widely used devices for separating components with different
densities contained in the process stream. This cyclone generally separates dust and dirt from air
using a centrifugal force and discharges the air to the outside while collecting these particles in a
dust collecting chamber. The centrifugal force act as driving force for this separation induced by
bringing the stream in a strongly swirling motion such as cleaning gas streams contaminated with

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solid particles (dedusting). In order to enhance the dust suction efficiency of the cyclone dust
separator, a multi cyclone dust separator has been introduced. This multi cyclone separator
comprises a first cyclone chamber for separating relatively larger dust and a plurality of second
cyclones for separating relatively smaller dust, in a series or parallel pattern. In addition, cyclones
are energy efficient and low-maintenance separation devices where they contribute in a very
economical manner to dust emission reduction and air quality improvement.
The operating range of this separator is dependant on the cyclone geometry, flow rate and
the density difference between the particle which is the dust and the gas [3]. The flow of particle
in a cyclone is illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Schematic flow in a cyclone

The incoming gas stream is brought to a swirling flow via a tangential or spiral inlet or via
a swirl generator in the axial case. The swirl then causes centrifugal forces inside the system. These
forces are density dependent and result in a move of the heavy particles towards the wall and the
lighter gas stream towards the inside of the cyclone. The swirling flow is converted partly into a
radial inward flow between the outlet entrance and the bottom of the cyclone. From this point, a
swirling flow of cleaned gas goes up up in the centre of the cyclone and leaves the cyclone through
the outlet. As the flow inside the system increasing, the separation efficiency goes up accompanied
by a larger pressure drop. In order to run at higher flow rates, more cyclones can be used in parallel
way which is reflected to the main principle of a multi cyclone system.

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 As the particle concentration is low, the particles can be assumed to behave in the same
way as the gas flow. It also assumed that there exists a particle with diameter that has trajectory
on a steady radius where it is theoretically neither separated not let through. The potential flow
theory can be used to express the tangential and radial gas velocity on the outside of the system in
terms of cyclone geometry. Hence, the particle size versus the particles steady radius can be
predicted using Equation 1.

(1)

Where, VTC = terminal velocity (m/s)

ρp = solid particle density (kg/m3)
ρG = density of air
dp = particle diameter (m)
vt = tangential velocity of gas (m/s)
µG = dynamic viscosity of the gas (Pa s)
r = trajectory radius of the particle (m)

Besides, the dust load in the gas stream is a very important parameter in the separation
process. This dust load is normally given in the weight of dust per normal cubic meter of gas.
According “Prof. Dr. Ing Wolfgang Fritz” and “E.Weber”, it is proven in earlier research that
above a certain load factor spiral dust flows build up on the wall right after the cyclone entrance.
This means that part of the dust is already separated at the entrance at these high dust loads [3].
These spirals have the effect of turbulence damping and flow stabilisation, resulting in a reduced
pressure drop and better separation efficiency. When a particle enters a specific flow area, the total
flow area is slightly decreased, results in an increase of flow velocity and decrease in pressure.
Pressure drop in the cyclone also important besides the characteristic of particle size and separation
efficiency of specific cyclone. Generally, the volumetric flow and the pressure drop to be
overcome are coupled via the kinetic or potential energy content of the flow. As the pressure drop
increase, the volumetric flow will decrease, which then results in a worsening particle and
separation efficiency. In a cyclone, the total pressure loss can be prescribed to three general sources
[3]:
1. Pressure loss in the separation chamber of the cyclone due to wall friction and in the flow.

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 2. Pressure losses in the cyclone core and in the exhaust duct of the cyclone, due to strong
velocity changes in magnitude and direction.
3. Pressure losses in the inlet region of the cyclone. These pressure losses occur because of
strong directional changes in velocity and due to changing inlet cross sections.

2.1 OBJECTIVE OF THE EXPERIMENT

The purpose of the experiment was:

1. To investigate the effect of cyclone size on separation efficiency.
2. To investigate the effect of air flow rate on separation efficiency and pressure drop.

2.2 SCOPE OF THE EXPERIMENT

The scope of the experiment was:

1. To use different cyclone sizes by using stainless steel with diameter of 200mm and
glass cyclone with diameter of 100mm to study separation efficiency.
2. To differ air flow rate by using frequencies of 35, 40 and 45 Hz to investigate the
separation efficiency and pressure drop.

3. METHODOLOGY

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 Figure 3: Multi cyclone system

Figure 4: Control Panel

The specification of the multi-cyclone are as follow:

Table 1: Specifications of Multi-cyclone

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 Glass Cyclone (C-101) Diameter: 100 mm
Material: Borosilicate Glass

Stainless Steel Cyclone Diameter: 200 mm

(C-102,C-103) Material: Stainless steel

Air Blower (B-101) Type: Centrifugal

Power: 5 HP
Capacity: 280 m3 / hr (max.)
Pressure: -290 mbar (vacuum)

Inverter Frequency: 0-50 Hz

Venturi Flowmeter Range: 0 to 280 m3/hr

The following procedures were followed during the experiment.

a. Start-up Procedure
1. The system was turned on, the blower was turned on and the frequency was set to
the maximum 45 Hz value.
2. The system was run for 15 seconds to flush out the remaining sawdust
3. MVB-101 and MVB-102 was opened.
4. T-101 was filled with 100g of sawdust and the initial mass with the container was
measured.
5. The initial mass of H-101 and H-102 was recorded and clamped into place.

b. Glass Cyclone
1. The valves MVB-101 and MVB-105 was opened and the rest of the valves were
closed.
2. The frequency of the blower was set to 45 Hz and the system was turned on.
3. All the connectors and joints of the pipes were knocked to ensure no residual
sawdust formed.
4. The system was turned off when all the sawdust in container T-101 disappeared.
5. Glass hopper H-101 was removed

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 6. The final mass of H-101 and T-101 was recorded
7. The experiment was repeated 3 times

c. Stainless Steel Cyclone

1. The system was flushed out
2. The valves MVB-103 and MVB-104 was opened and the rest of the valves were
closed.
3. The frequency of the blower was set to 45 Hz and the system was turned on.
4. All the connectors and joints of the pipes were knocked to ensure no residual
sawdust formed.
5. The system was turned off when all the sawdust in container T-101 disappeared.
6. Glass hopper H-101 was removed
7. The final mass of H-101 and T-101 was recorded
8. The experiment was repeated 3 times

d. The effect of air flow rate

1. The system was flushed out
2. The container T-101 was filled with 100g of sawdust and the initial mass of the
container was recorded.
3. The initial mass of hopper H-102 was recorded.
4. Valves MVB-103 and MVB-104 was opened and the rest of the valves were
closed.
5. The application on the computer was turned on.
6. The frequency was set to 45 Hz.
7. The system was turned on and the result was recorded on the computer
8. The system was stopped once all the sawdust in container T-101 disappeared.
9. The final mass of hopper H-102 and container T-101 was recorded.
10. The experiment was repeated using frequencies of 40Hz and 35 Hz.

e. Clean up Procedure
1. The system was flushed out with the blower frequency set to 45 Hz.

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 2. Container T-101 was emptied and cleaned.
3. Hoppers H-101 and H-102 was emptied
4. The system was turned off

4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Table 2: Separation efficiency of stainless steel cyclone and glass cyclone at 45Hz
Glass Dust Hopper Stainless Steel Dust Hopper

Initial mass of T-101 (g) 231.3 231.35 231.45 231.48 231.55 231.49

Final mass of T-101 (g) 135.23 131.85 132.19 131.39 131.50 131.61

Mass of Dust Handled (g) 99.00 99.50 99.26 100.09 100.05 99.88

Initial Mass of Dust Hopper (g), A 388.25 386.44 386.46 1353.31 1353.60 1353.35

Final Mass of Dust Hopper (g), B 444.19 454.96 458.36 1469.22 1449.61 1444.21

Mass of Dust Collected (g) 55.94 68.52 71.90 115.91 96.01 90.86

Separation Efficiency (%) 56.50 68.86 72.44 115.81 95.96 90.97

Table 3: Separation efficiency of cyclone at different air flow rates

Frequency (Hz) 35 40 45

Air Flow Rate (L/min) 63.38 62.02 66.04

Initial mass of T-101 231.49 231.44 231.49

Final Mass of T-101 131.68 131.72 131.66

Mass of Dust Removed (g) 99.81 99.72 99.83

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 Initial Mass of Dust Hopper H-102 (g), A 1353.42 1353.31 1353.38

Final Mass of Dust Hopper H-102 (g), B 1448.86 1440.77 1451.83

Mass of Dust Collected (g), C 95.44 87.46 98.45

Separation Efficiency (%) 95.62 87.71 98.62

Pressure Drop on cyclone (kPa) 0.043 0.041 0.055

For this experiment, the objectives are to investigate the effect of size of the cyclone on
separation efficiency and the effect of air flow on separation efficiency and pressure drop. The
relationship between the size of the cyclone and the separation efficiency can be determined by
plotting a graph. Stainless steel has a diameter of 200mm and for glass cyclone has a diameter of
100mm which is twice as smaller compared to stainless steel. Based on Figure 5, for the first trial
shows that stainless steel has higher separation efficiency than glass cyclone. However, the
efficiency for stainless steel decreases while glass cyclone increases for trials 2 and 3. Overall, the
bigger the diameter, the higher the separation efficiency. The datas obtained are tabulated in Table
2. The efficiency obtained for stainless steel cyclone are 115.81%, 95.96%, and 90.97%. The
efficiency is far more higher compared to the glass cyclone which has efficiency of 56.50%,
68.86% and 72.44% respectively. However, it can be seen that the separation efficiency of stainless
steel decreases from trial 1 to 3. This may be due to certain errors during this experiment. Thus,
this proves the theory discussed which is that efficiency increases as the diameter of the cyclone
increases.

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 Figure 5: Relationship of size of cyclone and separation efficiency

In second part of the experiment, the focus is more to investigate the relation between air
flow rate into the cyclone and its efficiency. The difference in air flow rate is achieved by adjusting
the frequency in the control panel. The higher the frequency, the higher air flow rate. In this
experiment, the highest air flow rate gave the most efficient separation process. The data obtained
are tabulated in Table 3. The separation efficiency of 35, 40 and 45 Hz are 95.62 %, 87.71% and
98.62% respectively. This shows an uneven trend at the reading suddenly decreases at 40 Hz. On
the other hand, the pressure drop on cyclone at 35, 40 and 45 Hz are 0.043, 0.041 and 0.055
respectively. The trend supposed to be increasing but the reading at 40 Hz shows sudden decline
of the reading. Figure 6 shows the relationship between air flow rate and pressure drop. According
to theory, as the air flow inside of the system is increasing, the separation efficiency goes up
accompanied by a larger pressure drop. However, the results obtained were unsatisfied as the graph
plotted in Figure 6 is hardly to be read and analyse.

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 Figure 6: Relationship between flowrate and pressure drop in cyclone

For air flow rate and separation efficiency can be analyse based on Figure 7. We found out
that for frequency 40Hz which has the flowrate of 62.02 L/min has the lowest efficiency which is
87.71% compared to frequency 45Hz with the flow rate of 66.04L/min and the efficiency of
98.62% followed by frequency 30Hz. But these results does not meet the expectations of the theory
where as the pressure drop increase, the volumetric flow will decrease, which then results in a
worsening particle and separation efficiency.

Figure 7: Relationship between air flow rate and separation efficiency for various frequencies
There may be due to some errors occurred during the experiment that can lead to deviation
in the results taken. One of the errors might be due to air leakage due to wear or damage. Unclean

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and improper connections of inlet duct and also buildup of particulate on the wall because of
condensation can also disrupts the system. Thus, proper knowledge and pre-experiment reading
should be done to know the correct way of handling the machine and to avoid errors in the reading.

5. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

After the experiment, we were able to achieve our objective which is to study the the effect
of cyclone size on separation efficiency and the effect of air flow on separation efficiency and
pressure drop.
The effect of size of cyclone on separation efficiency was determined by plotting graph
size of cyclone and separation efficiency in which the bigger the diameter of cyclone, the higher
separation efficiency. Stainless steel cyclone has a diameter of 200mm and for glass cyclone has
a diameter of 100mm which is twice as smaller compared to stainless steel. The efficiency obtained
for stainless steel cyclone are 115.81%, 95.96%, and 90.97%. The efficiency is far more higher
compared to the glass cyclone which has efficiency of 56.50%, 68.86% and 72.44% respectively.
For the effect of air flow rate and separation efficiency, we obtained higher flow rate results in
higher separation efficiency. Then, for the effect of air flow rate and pressure drop in cyclone, we
obtained the relationship of separation efficiency increase as air flow rate increase. The separation
efficiency of 35, 40 and 45 Hz are 95.62 %, 87.71% and 98.62% respectively. This shows an
uneven trend at the reading suddenly decreases at 40 Hz. On the other hand, the pressure drop on
cyclone at 35, 40 and 45 Hz are 0.043, 0.041 and 0.055 respectively.
Apart from that, there are recommendation for this experiment, in order to make sure that
there are no errors and mistake happened during the experiment. In this experiment we should
really make sure all the dust did not accumulated in the system or else errors can cause the data
deviate from the theoretical value. Other than that, student should follow the guidelines and the
rules before doing the experiment. They need to wear lab coats, gloves and wear shoes for safety
purposes. They also need to make sure they are alert with the precautions mentions in the lab
manual and never play around during the experiment being conducted.

6. REFERENCE

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 1. Rob van Benthum (2007). Cyclone Performance. Retrieved 24 March 2018, from
http://www.mate.tue.nl/mate/pdfs/8394.pdf
2. Cyclone Design - Chapter 21 | Vortices | Gases. (2018). Scribd. Retrieved 23 March
2018, from https://www.scribd.com/document/336905500/Cyclone-Design-Chapter-21
3. Mate.tue.nl. (2018). [online] Available at: http://www.mate.tue.nl/mate/pdfs/8394.pdf
[Accessed 23 Apr. 2018].
4. John Dirgo & David Leith (2007). Cyclone Collection Efficiency: Comparison of
Experimental Results with Theoretical Predictions. Retrieved 24 March 2018, from
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/02786828508959066

7. APPENDIX (next page)

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