Insight into performance and mechanism of energy loss for microscale vortex separator/reactor with symmetrical multi-inlets

Symmetrical multi-inlet vortex separators/reactors have been demonstrated to be beneficial for gas-particle separation and mass transfer, but their internal energy dissipation has remained unknown. This work designed a series of microscale vortex separators/reactors with single-, dual-, and quadruple inlet(s), to conduct a comparative investigation on their energy-loss characteristics and nature. The response of energy loss to inlet configuration and flow rate was experimentally determined. It is found that in 30–100 L/min flow rate, the Euler number depends insignificantly upon the Reynolds number. The introduction of the multi-inlets improves the symmetry of the flow pattern but increases the gradients of vortex velocity and static pressure. RSM-based CFD simulation can effectively reveal the effect of multiple inlets on the inside flow, static pressure, and energy-loss composition. Finally, an improved semi-empirical correlation of energy loss was developed. The results may provide a positive reference for the design, optimization, and application of vortex-based separators/reactors.