Structure optimization of rotor cage blades for turbo air classifier based on entropy production analysis

Entropy production theory based on the second law of thermodynamics was introduced for evaluating the flow field inside the turbo air classifier. The three new types of rotor cage with the wedge blades, the inverted wedge blades and the spindle blades were designed, and the flow field and the classification performance of the classifiers were investigated. The results show that, compared to the rectangular blades, the productions of total entropy, turbulent entropy and wall entropy of the wedge blades are reduced by 17.3%, 25.86% and 3.34%, respectively. The corresponding effective airflow area increases by 7.5%, and the residence time of 5 μm particle is shorten by 16%. The classifier with the wedge blades has smaller cut size and higher classifying sharpness. The results validate that the turbulent entropy generation can be an indicator for monitoring the overall flow field and the classifiers’ performance.