How does a hydrocyclone work?

Question

Hydrocyclones are used to seperate fine particles from fluids. How does it do this?

Answer 1

What is a Hydrocyclone?
A hydrocyclone is a static device that applies centrifugal force to a liquid mixture so as to promote the separation of heavy and light components.

The hydrocyclone is a closed vessel designed to convert incoming liquid velocity into rotary motion. It does this by directing inflow tangentially near the top of a vertical cylinder. This spins the entire contents of the cylinder, creating centrifugal force in the liquid. Heavy components move outward toward the wall of the cylinder where they agglomerate and spiral down the wall to the outlet at the bottom of the vessel. Light components move toward the axis of the hydrocyclone where they move up toward the outlet at the top of the vessel.

Hydrocyclones are also related to centrifuges in that both are intended to separate heavies and lights by application of centrifugal force to liquids. The key difference is that hydrocyclones are passive separators capable of applying modest amounts of centrifugal force, whereas centrifuges are dynamic separators that are generally able to apply much more centrifugal force than hydrocyclones. Another key difference between hydroclones and centrifuges is cost. Centrifuges are expensive precision rotating machines that often need sophisticated control, whereas hydrocyclones have no moving parts and usually no controls at all so they are lower cost devices.

Hydrocyclones and centrifuges are complementary rather than competing devices. If gravity alone will settle a significant portion of your solids in a minute or two using a quick bottle test, you should investigate hydrocyclone separation. If settling takes much longer than this, then you may need a centrifuge or other separation method.

Answer 2

Hydrocyclones are conical funnel shaped tubes that centrifuge oil. Centrifuge is a curious name because there is no such thing as centrifugal force. There is centripetal acceleration though and the funnel shape creates centripetal acceleration (According to Newton's second law). The centripetal acceleration is an acceleration towards the centerline of the funnel caused by forcing the crude around a curved surface. the centripetal acceleration is much stronger than the acceleration of gravity that would cause sand, oil and water to separate because of their small difference in specific gravity. High viscosity fluids slow down this separation when it is left up to the acceleration of gravity alone and a long residence time is needed. But when centripetal acceleration is used the process is much faster and can be done in-line rather than in a batch process.

Answer 3

Density difference between particles and fluid. Centrifugal force brings about the separation

Answer 4

What Is A Hydrocyclone

Answer 5

sorry don't know!!!!!!!!!!!!! better luck next time