How to use Industrial Cyclone Separator Efficiency& Pressure Drop Calculator
- Enter Operating flue gas flow rate Q (m³/h) and adjust the options as needed.
- Run the tool and inspect its results, evidence and limitations.
- Copy or download the result, then verify it against the actual website, source data or business records.
Try a concrete example
Gas flow 3600 m³/h (1.0 m³/s), inlet velocity 18.0 m/s, temp 50°C, dust density 2000 kg/m³, target particle 10 μm: Stairmand geometry yields barrel diameter D = 745 mm (inlet 373x149 mm, vortex finder De = 373 mm, cylinder h = 1118 mm, total H = 2980 mm, dust exit B = 279 mm). Centrifugal force is 89 g, cut diameter d50 is 4.81 μm, and 10 μm capture efficiency is 81.2% (95%+ for >20 μm). Euler pressure drop is 1198 Pa (122 mmH2O), requiring 1.71 kW fan shaft power.
How to interpret results
Cyclone separators harness tangential velocity to generate centrifugal acceleration (100g to 800g) separating particulates from gas streams. Sizing applies Stairmand geometry and Barth/Lapple models to optimize cut diameter d50, pressure drop ΔP, and fan horsepower.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the Stairmand high-efficiency cyclone considered the benchmark geometry for gas-solid separation?
Established by C.J. Stairmand in 1951, proportions a/D=0.5, b/D=0.2, De/D=0.5, S/D=0.5, h/D=1.5, H/D=4.0, and B/D=0.375 minimize radial transit distance while providing a long 4D conical section that sustains 5+ outer vortex turns for optimal particle retention.
What is cut diameter d50, and how does it mathematically relate to collection efficiency?
Cut diameter d50 represents the particle size collected at exactly 50% efficiency. Per Lapple grade efficiency η(dp) = 1 / (1 + (d50/dp)²), particles twice d50 achieve 80% collection efficiency, and particles three times d50 exceed 90%.
Why is an airtight airlock rotary valve critical beneath the dust hopper?
Cyclones operate with high negative suction at the cone apex. If the hopper discharge is not sealed with a rotary airlock or double flapper valve, even a 1% air leak will re-entrain deposited dust directly into the central vortex finder, degrading efficiency below 20%.
Why is the recommended cyclone inlet gas velocity vi kept between 16 and 22 m/s?
Below 14 m/s, centrifugal acceleration G = v²/(R·g) is insufficient to separate fine dust. Above 24 m/s, pressure drop ΔP scales quadratically, and boundary-layer turbulence causes severe dust re-entrainment, causing collection efficiency to drop sharply.