The Top Things You Should Know about Hydrocyclones

Fluid dynamics is an essential part of a variety of industrial processes. A majority of them rely heavily on the devices that administer fluid dynamics. From wastewater treatment to obtaining purity in various industrial products, equipment administering fluid dynamics has a key role to play in the entire process. One such important device is known as the hydrocyclone. The job of hydrocyclones is to generate centrifugal force using fluid pressure. In simple terms, these devices have no moving parts and they look like a configured pipe tee. 

 

The centrifugal force generated by a hydrocyclone results in a flow pattern that forces the separation of particles or droplets from the liquid medium. To achieve separation, these particles or droplets must have a sufficiently different density relative to the medium. The centrifugal force makes the flow pattern cyclonic, which is why this piece of equipment is called a hydrocyclone. This flow pattern occurs because the liquid is induced into the cylindrical chamber using the tangential injection method. In this blog, we’ve gathered more information about hydrocyclones to help you grasp a better understanding of this equipment. 

Applications of Hydrocyclones:

• Hydrocyclones are used for desliming, dewatering and sizing a variety of products, including sand, construction aggregates and industrial minerals.
• These hydrocyclones were first used in the mining industry for efficient separation of solids and liquids, such as the dewatering of particulate solids that are suspended in the water stream. 
• Hydrocyclones are also used in the food industry to ensure the quality and purity of food products.
• These useful pieces of equipment also find their use in the chemical industry, where chemicals need to be in their purest form to deliver the desired results. 

 

How a Hydrocyclone Works:

The centrifugal force generated by a hydrocyclone results in a flow pattern that forces the separation of particles or droplets from the liquid medium. To achieve separation, these particles or droplets must have a sufficiently different density relative to the medium. The centrifugal force makes the flow pattern cyclonic, which is why this piece of equipment is called a hydrocyclone. This flow pattern occurs because the liquid is induced into the cylindrical chamber using the tangential injection method. This tangential injection of liquid into the cylindrical chamber results in the development of a vortex. The cylindrical chamber of a hydrocyclone is equipped with a restricted axial bottom outlet. Not all of the liquid can leave the cylindrical chamber at once via this outlet. This is why some quantity of liquid reverses its path and flows concurrently towards the axial top outlet of the cylindrical chamber. This whole reverse flow process continues to go on, and ultimately an air core is generated because of the low pressure at the axis of rotation.

 

Some More Surprising Facts About Hydrocyclones:

• The pressure at the inlet of a hydrocyclone can tell you a lot, as it is an important indicator of where the cyclone separation or cut point will be. This is the point where a particulate either makes it to the overflow or underflow. 
• As mentioned earlier, a hydrocyclone has no moving parts. It is just a combination of a housing, liners, and assembly hardware.
• You can modify a hydrocyclone to generate dry underflow while keeping a high separation efficiency.

Pressure Filter Problems & Solutions

There are various filter systems used for multiple applications these days. One of these filter systems are pressure filters. These filters are commonly used for pool applications. Pressure filters are regulated and monitored using an underappreciated and often neglected device called a pool filter pressure gauge. However, it has a very important job to perform, it allows you to stay aware of the pressure inside your filler tank which reflects how the entire filter system is working. It should be noted that not every filter system operates at different pressure ratings. It is possible that there is a filter that is clean and normal that would work at 9 to 10 psi. However, another pressure filter installed nearby may run higher and work on 15 to 16 psi. Additionally, there will be systems with very low resistance that can run very low pressures showing very minimal amounts. Some other filter systems can run quite high and push around 30 psi when the filter is dirty. We have gathered some problems and issues with pressure filters that are visible through pressure filter gauges.

We have also listed their solutions. Further details are below:

Normal Pressure Range:

Many people would ask what the ideal reading of a filter pressure gauge should read? You can’t specify a single pressure range that is appropriate for all pool pressure filters or screen filters. However, if you can consider anything normal, then considering 10 psi normal, is correct. Usually, most pressure filter systems are designed to work in the 5 to 15 psi or 10 to 20 psi range.  We have discussed some general readings of pressure filter gauge and their solutions in further sections.

Pool Pressure Gauge is Showing Low Readings:

When the pressure of a pressure filters system is lower than normal this can translate to a flow problem before the pump. There is a chance of blockage in the water flow into the pool pump. Keep in mind that it is never a problem after the pool pump. This is because the water is under pressure after the impeller and any kind of obstruction under such circumstances would result in a higher than normal pressure reading instead of lower pressure. Therefore, it is time for you to look before the pump or at the pump for the solution. Some common reasons for low pressure readings can be:

• A clogged pump basket or impeller.
• The probability of eyeball fitting not in the right place at pool returns.
• Water bypassing the filter because of the filter valve.
• The entrance of air into the system from the pump intake, lid, or even valves.
• Partially or fully closed skimmer pipes or main drain cover.
• Cracked or collapsed skimmer pipes.

Higher Reading of Pool Pressure Gauge:

When the pool pressure gauge is showing higher than normal pressure values, there could be a problem with the water flow. However, here the problem lies after the pump, unlike the lower pressure situations. A higher pressure usually indicates a dirty pool filter. Most probably it is time to backwash or pulls out the filter cartridge for cleaning. You need to be careful in the case of higher water pressure because the filter tank is likely to rupture with quite a force. Therefore, you need to stay vigilant regarding the reading on the pressure gauge and keep your hand on the switch while starting the pool filter. Problems that lead to higher pressure gauge readings are:

• A dirty pool filter.
• Fully or partially closed return side valves.
• Restrictive eyeball fittings.
• Problems with filter media,
• Broken internal filter, heater, and filter valve parts.

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