无挡板搅拌槽中液－固体系的分散特性

在内径0.3 m、高0.45 m的无挡板搅拌槽内,采用直径0.15 m的三叶70o下推斜叶透平桨(PBTD, Pitched Blade Turbine Downflow)进行水-二氧化硅两相体系液固分散特性的研究. 应用PC-6A粉体浓度测量仪对体系中颗粒局部浓度进行测定. 考察了颗粒平均相含率为0.005的条件下,不同搅拌转速、搅拌桨离底高度对颗粒局部浓度分布的影响. 结果表明,采用较高搅拌转速、较低的搅拌桨离底高度有利于固体颗粒的悬浮. 本实验中,在搅拌转速为173 r/min、搅拌桨离底高度为0.08 m的操作条件下,颗粒悬浮效果最好.     

三轴搅拌釜不同桨径比下固-液悬浮特性的数值模拟

利用FLUENT软件对不同桨径比下立式三轴搅拌釜内单相和固-液两相混合过程分别进行三维数值模拟,对流场分析可知增大桨径比能改善立式三轴搅拌釜内流场的结构。利用修正速度判据得出不同桨径比下搅拌釜的临界悬浮转速,并通过计算临界悬浮转速下的搅拌功率,初步得出立式三轴搅拌釜桨径比的最佳取值范围在0.1～0.125之间。     

Perturbed turbulent stirred tank flows with amplitude and mode-shape variations

Stirred tank (STR) flows at low and moderate Reynolds numbers show poor mixing behavior due to formation of segregated zones inside which both magnitude and fluctuation level of velocity components show lower values compared to the active fluid regime (i.e., impeller jet stream, circulation loops). Active perturbation of the STR flow using a time-dependent impeller rotational speed can potentially enhance mixing by breaking up these segregated unmixed zones and enhancing the turbulence level throughout the tank volume. In the present study, the effect of different perturbation cycles on an unbaffled turbulent stirred tank flow at a moderate Reynolds number (rotational speed N=3 rps) is studied using a large-eddy simulation (LES) technique coupled with immersed boundary method (IBM). The perturbation frequency (f) is chosen to correspond to a dominant macro-instability in the flow (f/N=0.022). Two different perturbation amplitudes (20% and 66%) and two perturbation shapes (square-wave and sine-wave) are investigated, and changes in the mean flow field, turbulence level and impeller jet spreading are examined. Large-scale periodic velocity fluctuations due to perturbations are noticed to produce large strain rates favoring higher turbulence levels inside the tank. Production of turbulent kinetic energy due to both the mean and periodic component of the velocity field is presented. Fluctuations in power consumption due to perturbation are also calculated, and shown to correlate with the perturbation amplitude.     

Computational fluid dynamics simulation of hydrodynamics in an uncovered unbaffled tank agitated by pitched blade turbines

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were applied for evaluating the hydrodynamics characteristics in an uncovered unbaffled tank agitated by pitched blade turbines. A volume of fluid (VOF) method along with a Reynolds stress model (RSM) was used to capture the gas-liquid interface and the turbulence flow in the tank. The reliability and accuracy of the simulations are verified. The simulation results show that the vortex can be divided into central zone and peripheral zone, and flow field in the tank can be divided into forced vortex flow region and free vortex flow region. With the increase of impeller speed, the vortex becomes deeper, while the critical radius of the two zones keeps almost unchanged. The impeller clearance and the rotational direction have little effect on the vortex shape. The vortex becomes deeper with increasing of the impeller diameter or the blade angles at the same rotational speed. Power number is little influenced by the impeller speed, and decreases by about 30% when impeller diameter varies from 0.25T to 0.5T. When blade angle varies from 30° to 90°, power number increases by about 2.32-times. Power number in uncovered unbaffled tank is much smaller than that in baffled tank, but is very close to that in a covered unbaffled tank. The discrepancy of power number in uncovered unbaffled tank and that in covered unbaffled tank is less than 10%.     

精对苯二甲酸氧化反应器中气体停留时间分布

对苯二甲酸的工业生产多采用对二甲苯液相催化氧化方法,因此,氧化气体的混合特性就成为氧化反应器设计、放大的重要参数。文中针对工业中采用的涡轮桨和斜叶桨组合搅拌反应器型式,以氢气为示踪剂,采用阶跃激发响应技术测定了不同气量、搅拌转速下气体停留时间分布,同时开展了对二甲苯氧化试验,了解了气体混合对氧化中间产物含量影响。研究结果表明,只有当搅拌桨叶尖速度高于一个临界值,使气体接近全混的状态,才能实现单釜氧化目的产物的高收率。     

Investigation of impeller modification and eccentricity for non-Newtonian fluid mixing in stirred vessels

A shear thinning fluid (1% carboxymethyl cellulose) was used to investigate mixing under laminar flow conditions in an unbaffled vessel. The effects of impeller modification in addition to eccentricity were studied. Quantitative measurements such as percentage of uncovered area and coefficient of variance (CoV) of a tracer solution distributed inside the vessel were obtained using planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) method. Increased eccentricity was found to be more effective than increasing rpm alone in reducing isolated mixing regions size (determined by the percentage of uncovered area). The dual-flow pitched blade turbine (DF-PBT), which was the modified version of a standard pitched blade turbine (PBT), was designed to provide both upward and downward flow at the same time to induce more chaotic flow. Though numerical analysis showed this type of flow generated, DF-PBT did not return lower values for the percentage of uncovered area and CoV than PBT did. Power consumption data were also compared between the two impeller types and eccentric locations. Further analyses focusing on the interactions between the impeller blades and fluid rheology is needed to improve laminar mixing in stirred vessels by impeller modification.     

Effect of eccentricity on transitional mixing in vessel equipped with turbine impellers

In this paper, the results of the experimental studies of the mixing time, as well as the power consumption and baffle presence in the stirred tank with dual eccentrically located impellers are presented. The experiments were carried out in an unbaffled flat-bottomed cylindrical vessel. Three types of impellers were used: Rushton turbine, six pitched blade turbine and six flat blade turbine. The obtained data show that eccentricity of dual impeller systems leads to reduction of mixing time. Moreover, the experimental data confirmed the enlargement of power consumption in such systems. In the paper the analysis of relation between eccentricity ratio and mixing time has been performed.     

Particle suspension in top-covered unbaffled tanks

Unbaffled stirred tanks are seldom employed in the process industry as they are considered poorer mixers than baffled vessels. However, they may be expected to provide significant advantages in a wide range of applications (e.g. crystallization, food and pharmaceutical processes, etc.), where the presence of baffles is often undesirable. In the present work solid–liquid suspension in an unbaffled stirred tank is investigated. The tank was equipped with a top-cover in order to avoid vortex formation. A novel experimental method (the “steady cone radius method”, SCRM) is proposed to determine experimentally the minimum impeller speed at which solids are completely suspended. Experimental N_js and power consumption data are provided over fairly wide ranges for particle size, density and concentration. Dependence of N_js on particle density and concentration is similar to that observed in baffled tank. Conversely, a negligible dependence of particle diameter on N_js is observed in the unbaffled tank, a difference from baffled vessels with important practical implications.Finally, the mechanical power required to achieve complete suspension in unbaffled tanks is shown to be much smaller than in baffled vessels. This, in conjunction with the previously ascertained excellent particle-fluid mass-transfer promotion, could make unbaffled tanks a best choice for many solid–liquid operations, where mass transfer is the main limiting factor.     

Experimental determination and numerical simulation of mixing time in a gas-liquid stirred tank

In this work, mixing experiments and numerical simulations of flow and macro-mixing were carried out in a 0.24 m i.d. gas-liquid stirred tank agitated by a Rushton turbine. The conductivity technique was used to measure the mixing time. A two-phase CFD (computational fluid dynamics) model was developed to calculate the flow field, k and ε distributions and holdup. Comparison between the predictions and the reported experimental data [Lu, W.M., Ju, S.J., 1987. Local gas holdup, mean liquid velocity and turbulence in an aerated stirred tank using hot-film anemometry. Chemical Engineering Journal 35 (1), 9-17] of flow field and holdup at same conditions were investigated and good agreements have been got. As the complexity of gas-liquid systems, there was still no report on the prediction of mixing time through CFD models in a gas-liquid stirred tank. In this paper, the two-phase CFD model was extended for the prediction of the mixing time in the gas-liquid stirred tank for the first time. The effects of operating parameters such as impeller speed, gas flow rate and feed position on the mixing time were compared. Good agreements between the simulations and experimental values of the mixing time have also been achieved.     

Reduced IMRs in a mixing tank via agitation improvement

Mixing of Newtonian fluids in a stirred tank at low Reynolds numbers was investigated experimentally by means of a visual decolourization technique and shaft power measurements. The research was focused on the Isolated Mixing Regions (IMRs), which are “doughnut-shaped” structures in a stirred tank exhibiting little mixing with bulk of the fluids. The effect of Reynolds number on the IMRs was determined. The critical Reynolds numbers beyond which IMRs are destroyed were presented. The study was focused on agitation design which consumes less power input to destroy the IMRs. A pitch-bladed impeller with an alternating pitch was found more energy efficient than other test impellers in eliminating IMRs in both baffled and unbaffled configurations. It was also found that dramatic reduction in the power consumption could be achieved with installation of baffles to eliminate IMRs at typically low Reynolds numbers. The improved energy efficiency was thought related to generation of more chaotic mixing from the disturbance generated by the baffles, or impeller blade asymmetry such as alternating pitch. An energy parameter was introduced to account for the mixing time scale and the power required in regimes above the critical Reynolds number, in order to evaluate the energy efficiency when IMRs are non-existent.     

Scale up criteria for dual stirred gas-liquid unbaffled tank with concave blade impeller

Experimental investigation has been done in unbaffled gas-liquid stirred tanks using dual concave blade impeller to analyze the mass transfer, power consumption and gas holdup. Optimal impeller clearance has been suggested for lower and upper impeller based on maximum mass transfer rate. Numerical modeling has been done to analyze the flow pattern for different combinations of impeller clearance. The lower impeller positioned at 0.3 of tank diameter and clearance between lower and upper impeller at 0.4 of tank diameter gave the maximum mass transfer coefficient. Scale-up criteria for mass transfer rate, power and gas holdup have been developed for optimal geometrical similar systems of unbaffled stirred tanks with dual concave impeller.     

Mixing performance comparison of milliscale continuous high‐shear mixers

Mixing performance of two continuous flow millilitre‐scale reactors (volumes 9.5 mL and 2.5 mL) equipped with rotor‐stator mixers was studied. Cumulative residence time distributions (RTD) were determined experimentally using a step response method. Distributions were measured for both reactors by varying impeller speed and feed flow rate. The mixing effect was determined by measured RTDs. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) were used to verify that the residence time distribution in the measurement outlet agreed with the outlet flow. The mixing power of both reactors was determined using a calorimetric method. The reactor inlet flow rate was found to affect mixing performance at 1–13 s residence times but the effect of impeller speed could not be noted. Both milliscale reactors are close to an ideal continuous stirred‐tank reactor (CSTR) at the studied impeller speed and flow rate ranges. The specific interfacial area was found to depend on the reactor inlet flow rate at constant impeller speed for the case of copper solvent extraction.

     

MIXING CHARACTERISTICS IN SLURRY STIRRED TANK REACTORS WITH MULTIPLE IMPELLERS

Hydrodynamic parameters such as power consumption, gas holdup, critical impeller speed for solid suspension and mixing time were measured in slurry stirred tank reactors with multiple impellers. The experiments were mainly conducted in a stirred tank of 0.2mi.d. with baffles. It contained two four-pitched blade downflow turbines for gas dispersion and one Pfaudler type impeller for solid suspension. As a part of scaling studies, additional experiments were also carried out in a larger stirred tank reactor (0,8m i.d.) geometrically similar to the smaller one. Glass beads and polymeric particles were used as a solid phase. Solid concentration was in the range of 0-20% (K/K). Tap water and methanol were used as a liquid phase

The power consumption decreased due to an introduction of gas and the presence of solids caused a decrease in the extent of reduction in power consumption. A correlation for power consumption in aerated slurry systems was proposed, It was found that the presence of solids is responsible for a decrease in gas holdup. A new correlation for gas holdup in gas-liquid-solid three-phase stirred tank reactors was developed. It fit the present experimental data reasonably. The critical impeller speed for solid suspensions increased with increasing gas flow rate. However, its increase was rather smaller as compared with the predictions of the correlations available in the literature. We proposed a correlation of the critical impeller speed for solid suspension in the presence of gas. The mixing time complicatedly increased or decreased depending on gas flow rate, impeller speed, solids type and concentration.     

Modeling mixing dynamics in uncovered baffled and unbaffled stirred tanks

This paper presents results of measurements performed in uncovered baffled and unbaffled stirred tanks. The Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA) set consists of a 300 mW argon-ion laser generating two pairs of blue and green beams. Additionally, three turbulence models are verified to simulate mixing dynamics in uncovered baffled and unbaffled stirred tanks. Simulations are performed using both the steady- and the transient-state approach. The unbaffled tank was modeled using both the single- and the multiphase approaches. The cited correlations of the central vortex depth are used to verify the multiphase calculations. In order to reduce the computational time, a simplified numerical model is proposed. It assumes a single-phase simulation without the central vortex. The flow fields below the central vortex level are compared between the single- and the multiphase approach. The simplified model can be used both to design and optimize the mixing process.     

Characterization on the hydrodynamics of a covering-plate Rushton impeller

A modified Rushton impeller with two circular covering-plates mounted on the upper and lower sides of the blades was designed. There are gaps between the plates and the blades. The turbulent hydrodynamics was analyzed by the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. Firstly, the reliability of the numerical model and simulation method was verified by comparing with the experimental results from literature. Subsequently, the power consumption, flow pattern, mean velocity and mixing time of the covering-plate Rushton impeller (RT-C) were studied and compared with the standard Rushton impeller (RT) operated under the same conditions. Results show that the power consumption can be decreased about 18%. Compared with the almost unchanged flow field in the lower stirred tank, the mean velocity was increased at the upper half of the stirred tank. And in the impeller region, the mean axial and radial velocities were increased, the mean tangential velocity was decreased. In addition, the average mixing time of RT-C was shortened about 4.14% than the counterpart of RT. The conclusions obtained here indicated that RT-C has a more effective mixing performance and it can be used as an alternative of RT in the process industries.     

Mixing of medium viscosity liquids in a stirred tank with fractal impeller

Mixing of viscous liquids in a stirred tank is a daunting task. The present paper explores the possibility of using a fractal impeller for mixing of viscous liquids in a stirred tank. The analysis includes power consumptions characteristics, mixing characteristics and the flow patterns in the stirred tank. Ultrasonic velocity profiler (UVP) was used to measure the local velocities in the stirred tank. Fractal impeller found to exhibit different power consumption characteristics than known for conventional impellers. For the range of viscosities 0.58–0.192 Pa s, mixing time found to be directly proportional to the power consumption per unit mass. The normalised mean radial velocity profiles were found to be independent of fluid viscosities studied in the present work.     

偏心组合桨搅拌槽内层流混合过程的数值模拟

目前,处理高黏流体和对剪切敏感介质的层流搅拌槽的报道并不多见。本文建立了描述双层组合桨搅拌槽内高黏非牛顿流体层流流动、混合过程的数学模型,利用Laminar模型、多重参考系法（MRF）和示踪剂浓度法对其流场特性、示踪剂扩散过程进行数值模拟,分析搅拌槽内轴向速度曲线、示踪剂浓度响应曲线和混合时间。结果表明：中心搅拌中间面将介质阻隔在各自的半层内运动,偏心搅拌介质作全局运动,轴向混合能力突出;转轴中心搅拌依靠上下半层浓度差的增大向下扩散,转轴偏心搅拌通过不对称结构扩散示踪剂,叶轮相对转轴偏心搅拌则利用叶片的不对称分布;距离加料点较近和较远的监测点浓度响应曲线因振荡和调整,混合时间较长,处于中间面的监测点拥有最短的混合时间。     

SOLIDS DISTRIBUTION IN STIRRED SLURRY REACTORS: INFLUENCE OF SOME MIXER CONFIGURATIONS AND LIMITS TO THE APPLICABILITY OF A SIMPLE MODEL FOR PREDICTIONS

The features of solids concentration distribution were investigated in baffled and unbaffled tanks of high aspect ratio, stirred with multiple radial, mixed-flow or axial impellers. In the baffled tanks the average profiles can be predicted with the sedimentation-dispersion model regardless of impeller type - in spite of slight systematic departures from the average trend at the impeller plane and/or midway between the impellers. This is hardly possible for the unbaffled tanks due to lack of physical foundation of this simple model. When the unbaffled tank is stirred with hydrofoil impellers, an inverted profile is even obtained. The mentioned departures and this last anomalous behaviour are qualitatively discussed with reference to particle-turbulence interaction.     

SOLIDS DISTRIBUTION IN STIRRED SLURRY REACTORS: INFLUENCE OF SOME MIXER CONFIGURATIONS AND LIMITS TO THE APPLICABILITY OF A SIMPLE MODEL FOR PREDICTIONS

The features of solids concentration distribution were investigated in baffled and unbaffled tanks of high aspect ratio, stirred with multiple radial, mixed-flow or axial impellers. In the baffled tanks the average profiles can be predicted with the sedimentation-dispersion model regardless of impeller type - in spite of slight systematic departures from the average trend at the impeller plane and/or midway between the impellers. This is hardly possible for the unbaffled tanks due to lack of physical foundation of this simple model. When the unbaffled tank is stirred with hydrofoil impellers, an inverted profile is even obtained. The mentioned departures and this last anomalous behaviour are qualitatively discussed with reference to particle-turbulence interaction.     

Influence of Floating Suspended Solids on the Homogenization of the Liquid Phase in a Mixing Vessel

The impact of floating suspended solids on the homogenization of the liquid phase in a stirred vessel was studied. The experiments were performed in a tank with an internal diameter of 0.32 m, equipped with a 45° pitched four-blade turbine (PTD) placed at varying positions in the vessel. Tap water was used as the liquid phase and polyethylene particles (PEHD) were used as the solid phase. The impeller speed was varied from N = 200–900 rpm. The mixing time of the suspended system was measured by a conductivity technique using a sodium chloride solution as the tracer, whereas power consumption was measured by the torque table. The influence of mean concentration of the suspended floating solids, average particle size, surface tension at the liquid/air interface and impeller diameter and its position on the mixing time and power consumption were analyzed.