Journal of South China University of Technology (Natural Science Edition) ›› 2007, Vol. 35 ›› Issue (10): 131-136.

• Electronics, Communication & Automation Technology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Characteristic Flows of Fluid and Flocculation Settling of Particles in Micro-Vortex Settler for Sugar Mills

Guo Si-yuan1  Zhou Shao-ji2  Li Lin1   

  1. 1. Research Institute of Light Industrγand Chemical Engineering， South China Univ. of Tech. , Guangzhou 510640 ， Guangdong , China;2. School of Light Industry and Food Engineering , Guangxi Univ. , Nanning 530004 , Guangxi , China
  • Received:2007-03-01 Online:2007-10-25 Published:2007-10-25
  • Contact: Guo Si-yuan (bom in 1939), male, professor ,Ph. D. tutor , mainly researches on sugar technology and chemicalengineering. E-mail:lfsygou@ scut. edu. cn
  • About author:Guo Si-yuan (bom in 1939), male, professor ,Ph. D. tutor , mainly researches on sugar technology and chemicalengineering.
  • Supported by:

    Supported by Doctoral Discipline Special Foundation from Education Ministry (20050561014)

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Abstract:

A micro-vortex settler with corrugated inclined troughs , which has been used for the clarification of filtrate from non-cloth vacuum rotary filter in several Chinese sugar mills , is introduced in this paper. The working principle of the settler is then discussed and the flows of the fluid in the corrugated inclined troughs are analyzed.Moreover , the corresponding velocity equations of hydraulic characteristic flows are deduced with certain simplification.
It is pointed out that , in the settler, the characteristic flows of the fluid that enhance the separation of floccule from the filtrate are the vortex flow on the upstanding corrugated plates and the secondary flow in the axial direction of corrugated inclined troughs , and that the velocities of both the vortex and the secondary flows increase with the increasing of main body flow velocity and with the decreasing of trough diameter. Simplified equations for the particle settling rates under such characteristic flows are deduced too. The results show that the settling rate of particles increases with the intensification of the vortex flow and the secondary flow. It can thus be concluded that the settling rate is enhanced by the characteristic flows in the settler. This may provide theoretical references for the modification of the novel settler.

Key words: settler, vorex flow, secondary flow, particle flocculation, settling rate, sugar mill