Numerical simulation of particle motion in turbo classifier

Research on the flow field inside a turbo classifier is complicated though important. According to the stochastic trajectory model of particles in gas-solid two-phase flow, and adopting the PHOENICS code, numerical simulation is carried out on the flow field, including particle trajectory, in the inner cavity of a turbo classifier, using both straight and backward crooked elbow blades. Computation results show that when the backward crooked elbow blades are used, the mixed stream that passes through the two blades produces a vortex in the positive direction which counteracts the attached vortex in the opposite direction due to the high-speed turbo rotation, making the flow steadier, thus improving both the grade efficiency and precision of the turbo classifier. This research provides positive theoretical evidences for designing sub-micron particle classifiers with high efficiency and accuracy.