Numerical simulation of the effects of the design feature of a cyclone and the inlet flow velocity on the separation of CO2 particles from a CO2-COF2 mixture

In synthesizing COF₂ from CO, a considerable amount of CO₂ is produced. A method of solidifying CO₂ at low temperature and separating CO₂ particles from the COF₂ gas using a cyclone was designed and the separation efficiency according to the cyclone feature was studied. Optimal sizing and operation conditions of the cyclone were investigated by reviewing the flow velocity profile and the particle trajectory using a numerical analysis with computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The effects of the inlet flow velocity and the ratio of the cyclone diameter to the cone length (D/L) on the recovery efficiency were estimated. Results revealed that the separation efficiency increases with an increase in the ratio of D/L and a decrease in the cyclone size. The recovery efficiency of CO₂ increases with the increase in the inlet flow velocity. Based on these results, we could propose a concept and methodology to design the optimal features and sizing of a cyclone suitable for separating solid CO₂ from gaseous COF₂ at low temperature.