DEM Simulation of the Impact of Ultrafine Glass Particles on the Partition Wall of the Multichannel Cyclone

Abstract

This article focuses on the simulation of the impact of ultrafine particles on the rigid partition wall of the multichannel cyclone by applying the discrete element method (DEM). Ultrafine particles with diameters ranging from 0.1 to 10 µm are assumed to be most dangerous pollutants because of their property to easily penetrate the human circulatory system through the respiratory tract. An emphasis is placed on demonstrating the stick-rebound behavior of glass pollutant particles. The numerical experiment simulating the oblique impact load induced by mechanically generated inlet air flow has been numerically conducted. Hertz contact and short-range van der Waals attraction are the main forces describing normal contact, while their tangential counterpart is defined according to Coulomb friction law and by considering normal compression and attraction. Both normal and tangential models are modified to comprise the effect of energy dissipation due to adhesion hysteresis. Simulation results provide a theoretical framework for designing of the cyclone when a device is applied to capture ultrafine pollutant particles.

Keywords:

• Adhesion
• critical velocity
• DEM
• microparticles
• multichannel cyclone
• oblique impact

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