Analysis of Hydrocyclone Geometry via Rapid Optimization Based on Computational Fluid Dynamics
Lin Liu, Lixin Zhao, Samuel Reifsnyder, Sheng Gao, Minzheng Jiang, Xueqiang Huang, Minghu Jiang, Yang Liu, Diego Rosso
Abstract
Abstract Hydrocyclones exploit density gradients for the centrifugal separation of dispersions in a continuous liquid. Selection of the geometrics for optimal separation is case specific, like the media characteristics. The existing optimization method based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) provides a powerful analytical tool but requires long computational times. The most common praxis for CFD optimization is via the single‐factor optimization method (SFOM). In this study, a novel approach is presented as an improved rapid optimization method that implements a dynamic‐mesh and user‐defined function optimization method (DUOM). The DUOM adapts the dynamic‐mesh approach from other applications to the optimization analysis of hydrocyclones. The DUOM reduced the computational time by 31.1 %, compared to the SFOM.