Separation efficiency of a hydrodynamic separator using a 3D computational fluid dynamics multiscale approach

The aim of this study is to investigate the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to predict the solid separation efficiency of a hydrodynamic separator. The numerical difficulty concerns the discretization of the geometry to simulate both the global behavior and the local phenomena that occur near the screen. In this context, a CFD multiscale approach was used: a global model (at the scale of the device) is used to observe the hydrodynamic behavior within the device; a local model (portion of the screen) is used to determine the local phenomena that occur near the screen. The Eulerian–Lagrangian approach was used to model the particle trajectories in both models. The global model shows the influence of the particles' characteristics on the trapping efficiency. A high density favors the sedimentation. In contrast, particles with small densities (1,040 kg/m3) are steered by the hydrodynamic behavior and can potentially be trapped by the separator. The use of the local model allows us to observe the particle trajectories near the screen. A comparison between two types of screens (perforated plate vs expanded metal) highlights the turbulent effects created by the shape of the screen.