Flow in a Hydrocyclone
Application ID: 49271
Cyclones are used in a variety of applications ranging from the mining industry to vacuum cleaners. The flow in a cyclone is characterized by a very strong swirl, which makes it difficult to simulate. In this tutorial example, the v2-f turbulence model is used to simulate the flow in a hydrocyclone.
The v2-f turbulence model, which is an extension of the k-ε turbulence model, provides highly accurate solutions for flows with strong turbulence anisotropy. This model successfully captures the flow pattern, including the free vortex, which is inherently difficult in cyclone simulations and is largely impossible to perform with standard two-equation turbulence models.
The resulting velocity field and pressure drops between the inlets and the two outlets are both in qualitative and quantitative agreement with results from similar designs in literature.
For more details on this example and the v2-f turbulence model, see a related blog post: "How to Use the v2-f Turbulence Model in the CFD Module".
This model example illustrates applications of this type that would nominally be built using the following products:
however, additional products may be required to completely define and model it. Furthermore, this example may also be defined and modeled using components from the following product combinations:
The combination of COMSOL® products required to model your application depends on several factors and may include boundary conditions, material properties, physics interfaces, and part libraries. Particular functionality may be common to several products. To determine the right combination of products for your modeling needs, review the Tabella delle Funzionalità and make use of a free evaluation license. The COMSOL Sales and Support teams are available for answering any questions you may have regarding this.