Cyclonic separation

Cyclonic separation removes particles or droplets from a flowing fluid by inducing swirling motion, which drives denser material toward the outer wall for collection.

Centrifugal force: An apparent outward force in a rotating reference frame, directed away from the axis of rotation. The rotating flow creates an outward acceleration that carries particles toward the separator wall.
Fluid dynamics: The study of fluids in motion and the forces acting on them. Cyclonic separation depends on the velocity field and pressure changes within moving fluid.
Cyclone dust collector: A device that uses cyclonic separation to remove dust from a gas stream. It is the standard dry-gas application of the method, often used before finer filtration.
Filtration: A separation process that passes a fluid through a porous medium to retain suspended material. Unlike filters, cyclones separate without a porous collection medium, though fine particles may escape.
Collection efficiency: The fraction of incoming particles or droplets captured by a separation device. It measures how much of the feed a cyclone removes, often varying sharply with particle size.
Inertial impaction: Particle deposition that occurs when inertia prevents particles from following a changing fluid flow. Particles with greater inertia depart from the curved gas streamlines and strike the wall.
Particle settling: The motion of suspended particles relative to a fluid under forces such as gravity or drag. Settling provides a useful comparison for particle motion under the cyclone's much stronger rotation.
Cyclone separator: A vessel that separates suspended material from a fluid by creating a rotating flow. Its geometry provides the practical apparatus in which cyclonic separation occurs.
Electrostatic precipitation: A process that uses electrical forces to remove charged particles from a gas stream. It can capture much finer aerosols than many cyclones but requires high-voltage equipment.
Pressure drop: The decrease in fluid pressure between two points in a flowing system. The swirl and flow resistance consume energy, making pressure drop a key operating cost.

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