CFD multiphase modeling of liquid–liquid hydrocyclones: A review

Abstract

The present study aims to provide a state-of-the-art review of the multiphase CFD simulations of hydrocyclones in the scope of the Euler–Euler approach. It has been shown that, as far as turbulence is concerned, most works point to a full-closure RANS approach to account for curvature effects. There are distinct approaches for conducting these simulations, and their suitability strongly depends on the analysis’ goal. Most of the reported Euler–Euler simulations utilize a full two-fluid model or a simplified mixture formulation. The current status of multiphase treatments applied to liquid–liquid hydrocyclones (LLHC) relies on a coupled approach between CFD and a population balance model (PBM), with few attempts so far limited to the mixture model associated with discrete PBE solution methods. Multiphase macro-strategies were identified (individual monodispersed, serial monodispersed, and polydispersed simulations). By analyzing a set of representative studies, a guide for defining a multiphase strategy is proposed according to inlet feed stream properties. Valuable insights on the suitability of commonly adopted multiphase strategies were gained in light of estimating a phase coupling parameter. The polydisperse Euler–Euler model returned broader agreements with empirical efficiencies for intermediary couplings for solid–liquid scenarios. Moreover, liquid–liquid cases showed dependency on including PBM source terms.