Cyclone Separator Efficiency Calculator

Work out cyclone separator efficiency instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Cyclone Separator Efficiency Calculator

Cyclone performance is characterised by the cut diameter d50, the particle size collected with 50% efficiency, which falls with higher inlet velocity and smaller body diameter. Efficiency for any size follows the Lapple relationship (d/d50)^2 / (1 + (d/d50)^2). Pressure drop rises with the square of inlet velocity.

Formulas

Cut diameter

d50 = sqrt(9 mu b / (2 pi N v (rho_p - rho_g)))

Efficiency

Efficiency = (d/d50)^2 / (1 + (d/d50)^2)

Worked example

With the default values below, Cyclone Separator Efficiency Calculator returns Collection Efficiency of 77.625%. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Inlet Velocityminimum 0 m/s: 18 m/s
Cyclone Body Diameterminimum 0 m: 0.8 m
Particle Densityminimum 0 kg/m3: 2,000 kg/m3
Particle Diameterminimum 0 micron: 10 micron

Results

Collection Efficiency: 77.625%
Cut Diameter (d50): 5.3688
Pressure Drop: 1,555.20
Inlet Width: 0.2000

Step by step

1Values used
2Cut diameter
3Efficiency
4Collection Efficiency= 77.625
5Cut Diameter (d50)= 5.3688
6Pressure Drop= 1,555.20
7Inlet Width= 0.2000

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 4 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are cyclones used if efficiency is modest?

They have no moving parts, tolerate high temperature and dust loading, cost little and have low maintenance. They are ideal as a pre-cleaner ahead of a bag filter or scrubber.

Are smaller cyclones better?

Yes for efficiency — several small cyclones in parallel collect finer particles than one large one at the same flow, at the cost of higher pressure drop and more complex dust handling.