MODELING OF GEOMETRICAL AND OPERATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SEDIMENTATION EQUIPMENT USING CAD/CAE

Abstract

The paper is dedicated to the application of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods for modeling and analyzing technological equipment used in food processing industries for the separation of heterogeneous systems of the “liquid–liquid” and “liquid–solid” types. Such separation processes play a key role in ensuring the quality, safety, and stability of food products, as well as in improving the efficiency of technological operations. The objects of the study include cyclones, separators, and settling tanks, which are widely applied in dairy, sugar, and canning industries for purification, clarification, concentration, and phase separation of process streams.

Numerical simulation of two-phase flows was carried out using a CFD environment, which made it possible to perform a detailed analysis of internal hydrodynamic processes that are difficult or impossible to investigate exclusively by experimental methods. The study focused on determining velocity and pressure fields, flow structure, trajectories of dispersed particles or droplets, and the conditions governing particle settling and phase separation. Particular attention was paid to the influence of design parameters, such as geometric characteristics of the equipment, as well as operating conditions, including flow rate and physical properties of the phases, on the efficiency of separation processes.

The obtained simulation results demonstrate that CFD methods provide reliable and informative predictions of the performance of technological equipment at both the design and modernization stages. It is shown that numerical modeling enables the identification of unfavorable flow zones, assessment of separation efficiency, and evaluation of the impact of constructive and regime parameters on process outcomes. The use of CFD as a design and analysis tool allows for the optimization of equipment geometry and operating modes, a significant reduction in the scope of time-consuming and costly experimental studies, improvement of energy efficiency, and enhancement of the quality and stability of final food products. Overall, the results confirm the expediency and prosperity of integrating CFD-based approaches into the development and improvement of separation and sedimentation equipment for food processing industries. The developed technique and research results are used in the academic process for the students of engineering specialties of higher education establishments.