Hydrocyclone Cone

The hydrocyclone cone is the critical conical component within a Continuous Starch Hydrocyclone Separator. It receives the starch slurry feed tangentially, inducing a high-speed rotational flow. This creates centrifugal forces that separate starch granules from water and lighter impurities based on density and particle size differences, with heavier starch particles moving toward the cone wall and apex for discharge. The cone's geometry is designed to optimize the vortex formation, ensuring efficient separation. Available materials include polyurethane, ceramic, and stainless steel, each offering different wear resistance and hygiene properties. Key parameters such as cone angle, inlet diameter, overflow diameter, underflow diameter, capacity, operating pressure, operating temperature, material grade, surface roughness, wall thickness, and weight are specified as reference ranges and must be confirmed for the specific model and application. For instance, the cone angle typically ranges from 10 to 20 degrees, affecting separation efficiency and capacity. The inlet diameter ranges from 25 to 100 mm, determining feed flow rate. The overflow and underflow diameters control cut size and underflow density, respectively. Operating pressure should be maintained between 0.1 and 0.4 MPa, as efficiency drops below 0.1 MPa. Operating temperature should stay within 20 to 60°C to avoid material degradation. For stainless steel, grade 316L is specified, with surface roughness Ra 0.8 for hygiene. Wall thickness ranges from 3 to 8 mm, and weight from 5 to 20 kg. Always verify model-specific values and standards with the legal manufacturer or supplier before procurement.

The cone's geometry accelerates the incoming slurry into a vortex. Centrifugal force pushes denser starch particles outward against the cone wall, where they spiral downward to the apex (underflow) for collection. Lighter water and fine impurities form an inner upward spiral (overflow) and exit through the vortex finder at the top.