Computational Fluid Dynamics Study of Flow Induced by a Grooved High‐Shear Impeller in an Unbaffled Tank

A detailed hydrodynamic characterization in the transitional flow regime of two variants of the Norstone Polyblade® high‐shear impeller (HSI), of industrial relevance, is presented. The study was carried out on a simulated Newtonian fluid using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Measurements of power number were carried out to validate the simulation results. Hydrodynamic parameters considered of key importance in powder dispersion processes (i.e., viscous dissipation and effective circulation) were used to assess the impellers' performance. Furthermore, their performances were compared with reported data for two ring‐style HSIs of two and four rings, and power number measurements of a sawtooth (Cowles‐type) impeller.     

Free‐Surface Turbulent Flow in an Eccentric Stirred Tank

This work aims at a reliable prediction of the flow dynamics in stirred tanks. The focus is on the free‐surface turbulent flow in an eccentric stirred tank by using the combination of detached‐eddy simulation and volume of fluid model. The flow field, profiles of the free surface, mean velocities, and the macroinstability phenomenon were explored and compared with the available experimental data. A reasonable representation of the free‐surface hydrodynamics was achieved. The findings indicate that the model and simulation strategies presented here can be used with sufficient confidence to predict the free‐surface hydrodynamics in stirred tanks.     

Effect of Gravity on the Hydrodynamics in an Unbaffled Stirred Vessel

The hydrodynamics in an unbaffled stirred vessel were simulated in order to highlight the effect of gravity on pressure and velocity distributions. Two fluids with different viscosity were studied for the laminar and turbulent flow regimes, respectively. The simulation results were compared with experimental data from the literature. Results indicate that for the higher‐viscosity fluid, gravity only affects static pressure and that the effects of gravity on velocity and dynamic pressure are negligible. For the lower‐viscosity fluid, however, gravity imposes a pronounced impact on static pressure, dynamic pressure, velocity, and turbulent kinetic energy. These findings indicate that careful consideration is necessary for the role that gravity plays in the study of free‐surface hydrodynamics in unbaffled stirred vessels.     

Estimation of kLa Values in Bench‐Scale Stirred Tank Reactors with Self‐Inducing Impeller by Multiphase CFD Simulations

A multiphase computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation methodology is developed and proposed for the estimation of the spatial distribution of k_La values in a bench‐scale reactor equipped with a self‐inducing impeller. The importance of estimating an apparent drag coefficient, which considers the effect of turbulence on the gas bubble rising velocity, is also tackled by applying different correlations available in literature, namely, Brucato, modified Brucato, and Pinelli correlations. The spatial distribution of k_La values in the agitated vessel is found from the CFD results using Danckwert's surface renewal model. An analysis of the gas volume fraction distribution obtained from the simulations is performed in order to choose the most suitable drag model. The modified Brucato correction correlation for the drag force exhibits the best agreement with experimental data.     

轴流式翼型桨的流动分析

采用激光多普勤测速仪，对水、甘油和羧甲基纤维素（ＣＭＣ）三种介质中带有轴流式翼型桨的搅拌釜内的流场进行测定。并就流型转变、剪切速率、表观粘度分布和泵送能力进行了详细的研究和分析。结果表明，搅拌釜内流型仅随雷诺数和桨叶结构变化；剪切速率及表观粘度在全釜分布相当不均匀，在研究范围内，剪切速率相差５０倍，表观粘度为４．５倍；对粘稠物系，翼型桨泵送能力有所下降，并随雷诺数的减小而减小。     

Micromixing of Solid‐liquid Systems in a Stirred Tank with Double Impellers

The effect of solid particles on micromixing has been studied using the competitive iodide/iodate reaction system in stirred, multi‐impeller, solid‐liquid systems. The influences of particle size, impeller speed, solid holdup, feed position, and energy input have been investigated. The change of the segregation index with the power input was more distinguishable only for the 450–600 μm particles as compared with the large ones, at the same solid holdups. Also, for the small ones, cloud formation was observed at a particle concentration of 12.1 wt %. However, the influence of larger particles of 1–1.25 mm on micromixing was negligible, though both energy input and solid loading were increased. Besides, the optimal feed position was identified, and multiple feeds were also explored.     

搅拌槽内固液两相流的数值模拟及功率计算

使用计算流体动力学的方法对搅拌槽中的流场进行模拟,得到搅拌槽中液体的流动状况和体积分数分布。对流场分布规律、固体颗粒体积分数特点加以分析,进而利用模拟出的数据计算搅拌轴的功率,为搅拌器的设计提供参考。     

乙烯利酯化搅拌反应器的改进与模拟优化

利用计算流体力学（CFD）技术对乙烯利酯化搅拌釜内流场进行了模拟研究,对比了工业酯化釜和新酯化釜的气体分散效果等反应器性能。结果表明,工业酯化釜因桨叶形式不当、桨间距过小等原因,气体分散效果很差;新改进的酯化釜依照工艺要求,调整了桨叶结构,增加了挡板,使气体分散效果得到明显改善,反应器液层空间得到有效利用。模拟研究结果可为工业酯化釜装置的技术改进提供一定的指导。     

搅拌釜内流场三维数值模拟及功率预测

大型搅拌釜,尤其是涉及传热或两相介质搅拌的容器,其搅拌效果和功率往往难以预测。针对大型搅拌釜的搅拌器设计、流场结构模拟和功率预测等问题,采用CFD数值模拟技术,对搅拌釜内部的三维流场进行了数值计算。分析了搅拌釜内的流动结构,计算了不同曝气量时的搅拌功率,获得了详细的流场信息和各项特性参数。     

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.     

Influence of Spacing of Multiple Impellers on Power Input in an Industrial‐Scale Aerated Stirred Tank Reactor

Despite the fact that aerated stirred tank reactors are widely used in industry and often studied, their design and scale‐up still remains challenging. Especially the specific power input is a crucial and geometry‐dependent scale‐up parameter, usually calculated with the dimensionless power number Po. Within the scope of this study, the power number is measured for different stirrer types and configurations in a laboratory and an industrial‐scale aerated stirred tank reactor. Good agreements to literature are found for the unaerated case for the two‐stage stirrer configurations at different stirrer spacing for both scales. By literature only the aerated case in the laboratory scale can be predicted. Scale‐up of an aerated industrial‐scale reactor is challenging because of a specific influence of the aeration. In case of a three‐stage Rushton configuration, an asymmetrical distribution of the stirrers should be preferred to ensure a high power number as well as good power performance under aerated conditions.     

Numerical Simulation of Gas‐Liquid Flow in a Stirred Tank with Swirl Modification

Although the standard k‐? model is most frequently used for turbulence modeling, it often leads to poor results for strongly swirling flows involved in stirred tanks and other processing devices. In this work, a swirling number, R_S, is introduced to modify the standard k‐? model. A Eulerian‐Eulerian model is employed to describe the gas‐liquid, two‐phase flow in a baffled stirred tank with a Rushton impeller. The momentum and the continuity equations are discretized using the finite difference method and solved by the SIMPLE algorithm. The inner‐outer iterative algorithm is used to account for the interaction between the rotating impeller and the static baffles. The predictions, both with and without R_S corrections, are compared with the literature data, which illustrates that the swirling modification could improve the numerical simulation of gas‐liquid turbulent flow in stirred tanks.     

Prediction of the Induced Gas Flow Rate from a Self‐Inducing Impeller with CFD

The complex task of describing computationally two‐phase turbulent flows in aerated stirred‐tank reactors was overcome by proposing that the gas flow rate in the hollow impeller can be estimated from single‐phase flow simulations of the liquid phase in the reactor: the pressure at the impeller surface obtained from liquid phase simulations can be related to the gas induction rate. A commercial lab‐scale reactor with a radial six‐bladed hollow impeller was chosen for the study. To validate the presented methodology, the induced gas flow rate was measured experimentally from the tracking of the position of bubbles in a dynamic sequence of flow images. Notwithstanding the simplifications assumed in the presented CFD methodology, good agreement has been obtained between numerical results and experiments.     

Mixing Agglomeration in a High‐Shear Mixer with a Stirred Mixing Vessel

This paper deals with the agglomeration process in a high‐shear mixer. High‐shear mixers rotate with a very high mixing tool speed such that not only a mixing effect, but also a grinding effect is achieved. The parameter study reported here was carried out to determine the parameters influencing mixing agglomeration. The results will help the user to decide which parameters have to be considered for an optimum mixing agglomeration. This article will highlight some of the findings obtained from the comprehensive parameter study.     

螺旋桨搅拌槽内湍流运动测量及数据处理

螺旋桨搅拌槽内湍流运动测量及数据处理侯拴弟，王英琛，施力田（北京化工大学化学工程系，北京１０００２９）关键词搅拌槽，湍流运动，螺旋桨１前言轴流式搅拌槽常用于物料混匀、结晶、悬浮及催化反应等过程，是化工生产中重要的单元设备之一。纵观以往文献［１～３］，...     

Energy Dissipation Rates of Newtonian and Non‐Newtonian Fluids in a Stirred Vessel

Energy dissipation rates of water and glycerol as Newtonian fluids and carboxyl methyl carbonate solution as non‐Newtonian fluid in a stirred vessel are investigated by 2D particle image velocimetry and compared. Mean velocity profiles reflect the Reynolds (Re) number similarity of two flow fields with different rheological properties, but the root mean square velocity profiles differ in rheology at the same Re‐number. Energy dissipation rates are estimated by direct calculation of fluctuating velocity gradients. The varying energy dissipation rates of Newtonian and non‐Newtonian fluids result from the difference in fluid rheology and apparent viscosity distribution which decides largely the flow pattern, circulation intensity, and rate of turbulence generation.     

Experimental Studies on Suspension of Solid Particles in a Low‐Shear Stirred Vessel

A low‐shear stirred vessel was explored. Experimental studies on the suspension of solid particles in solid‐liquid and gas‐solid‐liquid systems were conducted to examine the performance of this new reactor. The method based on the power number curve was modified to determine the critical impeller speeds required for just complete off‐bottom suspension of solids under non‐gassed (N_js) and gassed conditions (N_jsg) in this reactor, and a PC‐6A fiber‐optic probe for the measurement of solid distribution was used to complementarily validate this method. A more homogeneous flow field was gained with a draft tube installed, so that the standard deviations of average shear rate and maximal shear rate are reduced. The modified power consumption method can determine N_js and N_jsg, and the values of N_js with a draft tube are much lower than those without it. N_jsg increases slightly with increasing gas flow rate, and N_jsg with a higher solid weight fraction is larger in this lower‐shear reactor.     

Matrix‐Based Encapsulation of Construction Chemicals Using High‐Shear Agglomeration

Encapsulation of dry superplasticizers in matrix‐based encapsulation systems was investigated. As basic material, commercially available fly ash was granulated by high‐shear agglomeration. Due to a high variability of factors affecting the encapsulation process and later release of admixtures, the design‐of‐experiments method was applied to reduce the quantity of experiments. Statistical evaluation indicates that the particle characteristics of the agglomerates were mostly influenced by the binder viscosity during the investigations. The delayed admixture release was enhanced by high binder viscosity and low energy input during the agglomeration process due to a coating of the bigger superplasticizer particles by the smaller fly ash. These results will help to develop encapsulated construction chemicals with controlled admixture delivery for the future application in a wide range of different building materials.     

涡轮桨搅拌槽内单循环流动特性的大涡模拟

利用大涡模拟方法研究了涡轮桨搅拌槽内的单循环流动特性,采用Smagorinsky-Lilly动力亚格子模式,与文献实验及模拟数据进行了详细的比较. 结果表明,叶片后方的双尾涡偏向槽底运动,上尾涡在30o处已开始衰减. 800000个非均匀分布的计算网格和30个桨叶旋转周期的样本数据统计可获得准确的大涡模拟数据. 时均速度、均方根速度和湍流动能的大涡模拟值与实验数据一致,而k-e模型的模拟值与实验不符. 桨叶区呈现较强的各向异性,这是导致k-e模型预测不准确的主要原因. 对于搅拌槽内的复杂流动,大涡模拟方法是一个非常有效的工具.     

Carbon Dioxide Absorption into Stirred Emulsions of n‐Alkanes

Volumetric mass transfer coefficients k_La for CO₂ absorption into n‐alkane/water emulsions were determined at oil volume fractions of 0–100 % in a stirred tank at a stirring speed of 1000 min^?1. The oil was n‐heptane, n‐hexadecane, or n‐dodecane. The decrease of k_La with increasing volume fraction of dispersed oil can be uniformly correlated to the emulsion viscosity with the power of ?0.72. Only the addition of n‐heptane caused a strong increase of the mass transfer coefficient. Upon addition of the surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate to n‐heptane emulsions, k_La decreased as for the other oils. The increase can therefore be attributed to the spreading of n‐heptane on the bubble surface enabling gas‐oil contact, whereas spreading is inhibited by the ionic surfactant.