Geometric optimization of filtering conical hydrocyclones for thickening purposes with low energy consumption

• Published in: Chemical engineering research & design 2022-02, Vol.178, p.168-178
• Main Authors: de Faria, Érica Victor, Salvador, Fernanda Falqueto, Ascendino, Guilherme Guimarães, Barrozo, Marcos Antonio de Souza, Vieira, Luiz Gustavo Martins
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Algorithms; Centrifugal filtration; Configurations; Design of experiments; Differential evolution algorithm; Energy consumption; Energy costs; Energy efficiency; Eulers equations; Evolutionary algorithms; Evolutionary computation; Filtration; Hydrocyclone; Hydrocyclones; Optimization; Separation; Thickening
• ISSN: 0263-8762; 1744-3563
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cherd.2021.12.011

[Display omitted] •Filtering Conical Hydrocyclones shows lower energy consumption than conventional.•A filtering hydrocyclone was optimized for split ratio while kept low Euler Number.•The optimized geometric relations were: Di/Dc = 0.29, Do/Dc = 0.35, L/Dc = 4.7, θ = 20°.•The optimized configuration (FCoH-OTS) reduced the split ratio by up to 28.6%.•The optimized configuration (FCoH-OTS) reduced the Euler number by up to 49.5%. The growing demand for process improvement and cost reduction has motivated many studies involving modifications in conventional devices. The filtering hydrocyclone is a non-conventional hydrocyclone that combines filtration with centrifugal separation to reduce energy costs and increase separation efficiency. In the present work, an optimization study was developed using Differential Evolution (DE) algorithm to obtain a filtering conical hydrocyclone (FCoH) categorized for thickening purposes (minimum split ratio) with low energy consumption (low Euler number). A performance comparison showed that FCoHs had an Euler number that was up to 40% lower than those found in the conventional hydrocyclones of the same geometry. The filtering hydrocyclone geometry obtained in the optimization study, named FCoH-OTS, resulted in the lowest split ratio (S = 9.59%) and Euler number (Eu = 665) among the 25 different configurations investigated in this research. The optimized configuration led to reductions of 28.6% in the split ratio and 49.5% in the Euler number compared to the hydrocyclone from the experimental design with the lowest split ratio. The low values obtained for the split ratio and Euler number confirmed the expectation of a hydrocyclone for thickening purposes with low energy consumption.