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Optimization of a Cyclone Using Multiphase Flow Computational Fluid Dynamics

Journal Article · · Journal of Fluids Engineering
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4045952· OSTI ID:1763893
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [1]
  1. National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Morgantown, WV (United States)
  2. National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Morgantown, WV (United States). Leidos Research Support Team
  3. National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Morgantown, WV (United States). ALPEMI Consulting, LLC
+ Show Author Affiliations
The U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory's (NETL) 50 kWth chemical looping reactor (CLR) has an underperforming cyclone, which was designed using empirical correlations. To improve the performance of this cyclone using computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-based modeling simulations, four critical design parameters including the vortex tube radius and length, barrel radius, and the inlet width and height were optimized. Here, NETL's open source multiphase flow with interphase exchange (MFiX) CFD code has been used to model a series of cyclones by systematically varying the geometric design parameters. To perform the optimization process, the surrogate modeling and sensitivity analysis followed by the optimization capability in nodeworks was used. The basic methodology for the process is to employ a statistical design of experiments (DOE) method to generate sampling simulations that fill the design space. Corresponding CFD models are then created, executed, and postprocessed. A response surface is created to characterize the relationship between input parameters and the quantities of interest (QoI). Finally, the CFD-surrogate is used by an optimization method to find the optimal design condition based on the objective and constraints prescribed. The resulting optimal cyclone has a larger diameter and longer vortex tube, a larger diameter barrel, and a taller and narrower solids inlet. The improved design has a predicted pressure drop 11 times lower than the original design while reducing the mass loss by a factor of 2.3.
Research Organization:
National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, Morgantown, WV, and Albany, OR (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE)
OSTI ID:
1763893
Journal Information:
Journal of Fluids Engineering, Journal Name: Journal of Fluids Engineering Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 142; ISSN 0098-2202
Publisher:
ASMECopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (5)

Study of the ability of multiphase continuum models to predict core-annulus flow journal January 2007
Wrap-Around L2-Discrepancy of Random Sampling, Latin Hypercube and Uniform Designs journal December 2001
An Incompressible Three-Dimensional Multiphase Particle-in-Cell Model for Dense Particle Flows journal July 2001
Differential Evolution – A Simple and Efficient Heuristic for global Optimization over Continuous Spaces journal January 1997
Choosing the Sample Size of a Computer Experiment: A Practical Guide journal November 2009

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Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
Latin hypercube sampling
MFiX-PIC
computational fluid dynamics
design of experiments
nodeworks
optimization
response surface methods