The classification performance of model coal mill classifiers with different bottom incoming flow inlets was experimentally and numerically studied. The flow field adjacent to two neighboring impeller blades was measured using the particle image velocimetry technique. The results showed that the flow field adjacent to two neighboring blades with the swirling inlet was significantly different from that with the non-swirling inlet. With the swirling inlet

there was a vortex located between two neighboring blades

while with the nonswirling inlet

the vortex was attached to the blade tip. The vorticity of the vortex with the non-swirling inlet was much lower than that with the swirling inlet. The classifier with the non-swirling inlet demonstrated a larger cut size than that with the swirling inlet when the impeller was stationary (~0 r·min

-1

). As the impeller rotational speed increased

the cut size of the cases with non-swirling and swirling inlets both decreased

and the one with the non-swirling inlet decreased more dramatically. The values of the cut size of the two classifiers were close to each other at a high impeller rotational speed (≥120 r·min

-1

). The overall sep

aration efficiency of the classifier with the non-swirling inlet was lower than that with the swirling inlet

and monotonically increased as the impeller rotational speed increased. With the swirling inlet

the overall separation efficiency first increased with the impeller rotational speed and then decreased when the rotational speed was above 120 r·min

-1

and the variation trend of the separation efficiency was more moderate. As the initial particle concentration increased

the cut sizes of both swirling and non-swirling inlet cases decreased first and then barely changed. At a low initial particle concentration (0.04 kg·m

-3

)

the classifier with the swirling inlet had a larger cut size than that with the non-swirling inlet.