Development of plasma installed cyclone for size-selective particle treatment

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19H02494
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 27010:Transport phenomena and unit operations-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Sekiguchi Hidetoshi 東京工業大学, 物質理工学院, 教授 (50226643)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 小玉 聡 東京工業大学, 物質理工学院, 助教 (90589417)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: サイクロン / プラスマ / 粒子処理

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The objective of this study was to develop a particle treatment system with size selectivity by introducing plasma into a cyclone, which is a solid-gas separation device. Polyethylene particles were treated by the cyclone fabricated with a 3D printer based on 3D numerical fluid dynamics calculations including particle behavior. The plasma was generated at the specific location in the cyclone where particles with specific sizes were supposed to pass through. As a result, only particles with diameters of 5 to 10 μm were spheronized, indicating the size selectivity of the treatment. Furthermore, when the relationship between the cyclone inlet and plasma position was changed, the amount of the treatment decreased significantly, indicating that the selectivity depended on the plasma position. It was concluded that the plasma cyclone proposed here is a novel particle treatment system with size selectivity.

Free Research Field

化学工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

この研究では、伝統的な固気分離装置であるサイクロンにプラズマを導入することで、特定の粒径の粒子のみをプラズマで処理することに成功した。学術的な面では、流体解析とこれを元にした装置設計、そして実験とプラズマ観察等により、粒子プロセッシング場として重要な基礎的知見を得ることができた。一方、社会的な面では、この革新的な装置により、粒径選択性というサイクロンの特長と、プラズマ中の高エネルギー電子や活性種による処理というプラズマの特長を共に活かした革新的な粒子処理プロセスが実現され、得られた知見と成果は、粉体プロセッシングにおけるプラズマ利用の新たな展開の起点になるといえる。