Analysis of numerical simulation models for the turbo air classifier

Abstract The comparative analysis on the flow field of turbo air classifier, using different turbulence models and moving region calculation models, is completed based on ANSYS‐FLUENT. The simulation results show both RNG k‐ϵ and Reynolds stress models have the high calculation accuracy with the low computational cost. There are slightly different at the interface between the moving and static regions for multiple reference frame (MRF) model and sliding mesh (SM) model. However, the iteration number of multiple reference frame model is far less than that of sliding mesh model with the same calculation accuracy. Meanwhile, the flow field in the rotor cage channel is well‐distributed when air inlet velocity is close to the linear velocity at outer edge of rotor cage no matter what combination of the models is used among the RNG k‐ϵ model and Reynolds stress model together with multiple reference frame model and sliding mesh model. The classification experiments show the accuracy and the Newton classification efficiency are high when the air inlet velocity is 12 m/s and the rotating speed of rotor cage is 1200 min −1 . The experimental results are consistent with simulation results of the flow field in the classifier.