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/m(3)) 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.