HYDROCYCLONES

A Hydrocyclone, or more commonly referred to as a cyclone, is simply a configured pipe tee. It requires certain elements in its design in order to perform a separation of material based on size gradation, but a Hydrocyclone is straightforward. The mystery of a Hydrocyclone comes from the inability to see what is happening inside. The following tips can help you get some insight into what your Hydrocyclone is doing.

1. Pressure at the inlet of the Hydrocyclone can tell you a lot

Pressure at the inlet of the Hydrocyclone is an important indicator of where the separation point (also called cut point or d50) will be. The separation point is the size at which a particle has a 50-50 chance of reporting either to the underflow or overflow. When the pressure is below the target pressure, the d50 will be coarser than desired. Higher pressure than the target will send more fines into the underflow, thereby making a finer d50 than desired. The pressure should remain stable to keep the cut point constant. 

Because Separators™ are modified Hydrocyclones, fundamentally they operate in much the same way. The inlet geometry imparts a spinning action on the incoming slurry, generating centrifugal force. The centrifugal force causes coarser material to migrate to the outer walls of the cylinder, where it travels downward in an accelerated motion before discharging out the bottom (apex) of the unit. Finer material remains with the fluid in the center of the unit until it is removed by the upward vortex of displaced water, exiting through the vortex finder.

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