The impact of wall roughness on new generation cyclone performance and erosion: a numerical study

In this study, the performance and erosion of new generation cyclones were evaluated under different conditions of wall roughness using computational fluid dynamics. The Navier–Stokes equations were solved using the Reynolds stress model. Additionally, the Oka model was used to predict erosion, and the discrete phase model (DPM) simulated the behavior of suspended particles. The study compared pressure contours, tangential velocity, and axial velocity across various wall roughness conditions. The impact of wall roughness on separation efficiency, pressure drop, and wall erosion was investigated, along with the effects of velocity parameters and particle diameter on wall erosion. The findings revealed a significant influence of wall roughness on cyclone behavior and performance. An increase in wall roughness from 0 to 1 mm at a velocity of 20 m/s led to a reduction in pressure drop by approximately 34.06% and separation efficiency by about 6.20%, due to enhanced friction between the vortex and the wall. Additionally, increased wall roughness reduced particle impact velocity on the cyclone wall, decreasing the erosion rate by approximately 31%. However, higher inlet velocity and larger particle diameter were found to exacerbate cyclone wall erosion.