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.