Electrostatically enhanced cyclone separators

The separative performance of a cyclone can be enhanced if electrical forces are employed to supplement the inertial forces. By precharging the particles and applying a radial electric field within the cyclone, collection efficiency is improved. In the present paper, a model is developed for such an electrostatically augmented cyclone. The model assumes that turbulence promotes complete radial mixing within each of three regions: the entrance region, the downflow region and the core (or upflow) region. Based on this model, an analytic expression for the collection efficiency of cyclone separators is developed.