Numerical study of swirling turbulent flow aerodynamics and classification of particles in a vortex chamber of a centrifugal machine

This paper presents a numerical study of swirling turbulent flow aerodynamics, as well as a process of classifying of particles in a vortex chamber of a centrifugal machine. The considered vortex chamber involves the following particular features: a rotor located in the upper part of the chamber, which represents a system of rotating blades, and a central disk element, whose center coincides with a symmetry axis, and which serves to increase a circumferential velocity of the carrier medium. The numerical method that is used to describe the swirling turbulent flow aerodynamics is based on the physical splitting of velocity and pressure fields. Numerical results showed that it is possible to change the shape of the rotor blades, and thus to significantly affect the radial velocity component distribution in a separation zone. As a result, this distribution becomes uniform in height at the rotor inlet, which is a necessary condition for efficient operation of the separator. Based on the computed aerodynamics in the considered region, the motion trajectories for single particles have been obtained, as well as their dependence on the central disk position. Reliability of the numerical results is confirmed by test studies and by a comparison with experimental data.