VORTEX DEVELOPMENT IN A CYCLONE HEAVILY LOADED WITH MATTER

The operational optimization of cyclones used in the pre-heating tower s of cement works requires an analysis of the vortex development in th e towers. The operational conditions for pre-heating the raw material before its entry into the rotating kiln are harsh, since the material load varies from 0.8 to 1.4 kg of matter per kilogram of gas, with the temperature of the carrier gas varying between 300 and 850 degrees C. A study has been carried out on the influence of these two parameters on the development of the vortex in cyclones 835 and 945 mm in diamet er. The influence of the material load on the structure of the flow ha s been demonstrated, showing the existence of an important coupling be tween the gaseous and solid phases. In the case of a cyclone exchanger , with a load of 1.4 kg/kg, the maximum tangential velocity drops 60% with respect to the case without any suspended matter in the cyclone; the latter evolving linearly with the load feeding the cyclone until a limiting load is reached, beyond which the suspended material. remain s constant and the cyclone stabilizes. Regarding the temperature of th e carrier gas, over the range of temperatures investigated (i.e. betwe en 8 and 225 degrees C), there was no effect on the development of the vortex with or without suspended matter.