Modelling of shear rate distribution in two planetary mixtures for studying development of cake batter structure

The shear rate experienced by a fluid near the wall of a planetary mixer when agitated by a wire whisk tool has been estimated using a simple geometrical analysis. The bowl and whisk geometries were measured for a Kenwood KM250 and a Hobart N50 mixer which are in widespread use in domestic and laboratory installations. The shear rate is shown to be a maximum at the bowl wall. This value is relatively uniform over a large fraction of the wall height, except for a small volume near the base and the region above the maximum width of the mixer. The shear rate profile is sensitive to the vertical positioning of the agitator within the bowl. For standard manufacturer speed settings, the range of maximum shear rates was estimated to be 100-500 s⁻¹ in the Hobart and 20-100 s⁻¹ in the Kenwood.