Learning About Cyclones

:: Section 7

Pressure Drop and Power

Since impaction relies on the flow velocity, a higher efficiency is the result of a higher flow velocity. However, a higher flow velocity is accompanied by a higher pressure drop across the system that can be translated into cost as a more powerful fan is required. The pressure drop can be determined by:

where ρ_g is density of gas and N_H is number of gas inlet velocity head. The pressure drop for a general purpose, a medium efficiency or a high efficiency cyclone is typically 2-4, 4-8 and 8-10 inch H₂O, respectively. The power requirement (W_f) can then be determined according to:

The total cost is related to the power as

where TC is total cost and $ is unit electricity cost.