The hydrodynamics and flow field were measured in an agitated vessel using 2-D Time Resolved Particle Image Velocimetry (2-D TR PIV). The experiments were carried out in a fully baffled cylindrical flat bottom vessel 400 mm in inner diameter agitated by a tooth impeller 133 mm in diameter. Distilled water was used as the agitated liquid. The velocity fields were investigated in the upward flow to the impeller for three impeller rotation speeds – 300 rpm, 500 rpm and 700 rpm, corresponding to a Reynolds number in the range 94 000 < Re < 221 000. This means that fully-developed turbulent flow was reached. This Re range secures the fully-developed turbulent flow in an agitated liquid. In accordance with the theory of mixing, the dimensionless mean and fluctuation velocities in the measured directions were found to be constant and independent of the impeller Reynolds number. On the basis of the test results the spatial distributions of dimensionless velocities were calculated. The axial turbulence intensity was found to be in the majority in the range from 0.4 to 0.7, which corresponds to the middle level of turbulence intensity.

Agitation of two immiscible liquids or solid-liquid suspension is a frequent operation in chemical and metallurgical industries. Prediction of mean drop/particle size and drop/particle size distribution (DSD) is vital for emulsification, suspension polymerization, solid particle dispersion or crystallization. Simulation of particulate systems requires the knowledge of DSD and its time evolution. The time evolution of drop size distribution was investigated in baffled vessel mechanically agitated by a Rushton turbine and a high-shear tooth impeller. The system water –silicone oil was used as a model liquid. The volume fraction of the dispersed phase was 0.047 %. The drop sizes were determined by image analysis. The time evolution of the drops size dp32 was studied for both impellers tested. The model used involves the first order kinetics. Finally, the following correlations predicted by the Kolmogorov-Hinze theory were evaluated at steady state: dp32/D = C1.We-0.6 and dpmax/D = C2.We-0.6, where We is the impeller Weber number.

Hydrodynamics and flow field were measured in an agitated vessel using 2-D Time Resolved Particle Image Velocimetry (2-D TR PIV). The experiments were carried out in a fully baffled cylindrical flat bottom vessel 400 mm in inner diameter agitated by a tooth impeller 133 mm in diameter. The velocity fields were measured in the impeller discharge flow for impeller rotation speeds from 300 rpm to 700 rpm and three liquids of different viscosities (i.e. (i) distilled water, ii) a 28% vol. aqueous solution of glycol, and iii) a 43% vol. aqueous solution of glycol), corresponding to the impeller Reynolds number in the range 68 000 < Re < 221 000. This Re range secures the fully-developed turbulent flow of agitated liquid. In accordance with the theory of mixing, the dimensionless mean and fluctuation velocities in the measured directions were found to be constant and independent of the impeller Reynolds number. On the basis of the test results the spatial distributions of dimensionless velocities were calculated. The radial turbulence intensity was found to be in the majority in the range from 0.3 to 0.9, which corresponds to the high level of this quantity.

This study deals with a CFD simulation of the turbulent flow of a homogeneous liquid in a cylindrical stirred system with a pitched-blade impeller and a cylindrical draft tube. Design of investigated pilot plant equipment corresponds to the shape of agitated crystallizer with a draft tube – additional cooling heat exchanger. The results of the computation are expressed by means of the circulation pattern of a stirred liquid and the main flow characteristics of the system – the flow rate numbers and the impeller power number.

Based on CFD simulations hydraulic efficiency of a standard Rushton turbine impeller in a baffled tank was determined at a Reynolds number of ReM= 33330. Instantaneous values of pressure and velocity components were used to draw up the macroscopic balance of the mechanical energy. It was shown that the hydraulic efficiency of the Rushton turbine impeller (energy dissipated in a bulk volume) is about 57%. Using this result we estimated a length scale in a nondimensional equation of kinetic energy dissipation rate in the bulk volume as L= D/2.62.

In PIV studies published in the literature focusing on the investigation of the flow field in an agitated vessel the record time is ranging from the tenths and the units of seconds. The aim of this work was to determine minimum record time for PIV measurement in a vessel agitated by a Rushton turbine that is necessary to obtain relevant results of velocity field. The velocity fields were measured in a fully baffled cylindrical flat bottom vessel 400 mm in inner diameter agitated by a Rushton turbine 133 mm in diameter using 2-D Time Resolved Particle Image Velocimetry in the impeller Reynolds number range from 50 000 to 189 000. This Re range secures the fully-developed turbulent flow of agitated liquid. Three liquids of different viscosities were used as the agitated liquid. On the basis of the analysis of the radial and axial components of the mean- and fluctuation velocities measured outside the impeller region it was found that dimensionless minimum record time is independent of impeller Reynolds number and is equalled N. t(Rmin) = 103 +/- 19.

The radial discharge jet from a standard Rushton turbine was investigated by the Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA) method. Several distances from the impeller blades (in the radial direction) were chosen for the measurement of axial profiles: all three velocity components (radial, tangential and axial) were measured at each point of the axial profile. The obtained velocity time records were analysed and averaged results were decomposed into three parts: mean ensembleaverage, random and periodic. The ratio of the derived periodic part of the velocity was evaluated in each measurement point and for all velocity components. The obtained results indicate the regions where the periodic part of the velocity has significant effect and where the contribution of this part is almost negligible. Although the values of the periodic part of all velocity components have a rather similar range, the spatial distributions are different in the investigated region.

The hydrodynamics and flow field were measured in an agitated vessel using 2-D Time Resolved Particle Image Velocimetry (2-D TR PIV). The experiments were carried out in a fully baffled cylindrical flat bottom vessel 400 mm in inner diameter agitated by a Rushton turbine 133 mm in diameter. The velocity fields were measured in the zone in upward flow to the impeller for impeller rotation speeds from 300 rpm to 850 rpm and three liquids of different viscosities (i.e. (i) distilled water, ii) a 28% vol. aqueous solution of glycol, and iii) a 43% vol. aqueous solution of glycol), corresponding to the impeller Reynolds number in the range 50 000 < Re < 189 000. This Re range secures the fully-developed turbulent flow of agitated liquid. In accordance with the theory of mixing, the dimensionless mean and fluctuation velocities in the measured directions were found to be constant and independent of the impeller Reynolds number. On the basis of the test results the spatial distributions of dimensionless velocities were calculated. The axial turbulence intensity was found to be in the majority in the range from 0.388 to 0.540, which corresponds to the high level of turbulence intensity.

In this work, the tribological behaviors of the bulk AlMgB14 (BAM) were investigated under different counterface materials in deionized water. As the results show, the tribological behaviors of BAM are closely related to the counterface materials. When 316 L ball is used as the slider, the contact pair exhibits no self-lubricity proved by the higher friction coefficient (COF), about 0.33, and the adhesive wear prevails. While when Si3N4 and Al2O3 balls are used as the sliders, the contact pairs shows better self-lubricity with a COF as low as 0.03, due to the tribo-chemistry products—hydrated SiO2 and Al(OH)3 gel, respectively. In addition, BAM/Al2O3 tribo-pair presents the polishing wear, indicating a more significant self-lubricity compared with that of BAM/Si3N4 tribo-pair.

This study deals with a large eddy simulation (LES) of the single-phase turbulent flow in a fully baffled mixed vessel stirred by a pitched six-blade impeller. The ANSYS FLUENT 15.7 commercial CFD programme was employed. The LES turbulent model is used with the dynamic Smagorinsky–Lilly model. The Werner–Wengle wall function is used to cope with the requirements of near the wall cell size of the LES model. The sliding mesh (SM) model was used for simulating the impeller movement. The results of the simulations are compared with experimental data obtained by previous LDA measurements of the radial profiles of the axial component of the ensemble averaged mean velocity in the impeller discharge flow. The volume flow rates and the flow rate criteria were calculated from these velocity profiles, and were compared with the flow rates determined from the horizontal vessel cross section from simulation.

Similarities in the flow and heat transfer characteristics between simulation results of a round impinging jet and experimental data obtained on an agitated vessel with an axial flow impeller are presented in this paper. The electrodiffusion method was used in measuring the local heat transfer coefficients on a flat bottom of an agitated vessel. A small axial impeller has been built to provide a clearly defined flow imitating a submerged confined jet impinging the vessel bottom. Our simulation and experimental results show that the flow pattern in the impinging jet region below the axial flow impeller can be compared to the stagnation region of a round impinging jet with a corresponding tangential velocity component. CFD simulations of an impinging jet showed also the importance of different boundary conditions on small electrodes used with the electrodiffusion method and give an approximation of necessary correction factor.

The paper deals with an investigation of velocity field in a tank stirred by a standard Rushton impeller located in the middle of the tank height. Tune-resolved PIV method was used to measure the angle-resolved velocity field near the impeller blades in horizontal and vertical planes as well. Based on a simplified criterion lambda(2) < 0 the location, size and strength of trailing vortices behind the blades were determined. The measurements were carried out in two tanks of diameters T = 0.3 and 0.4 m and at mixing Reynolds numbers in a range 3.3-4.9 x 10(4). Simultaneously a detached eddy simulation (DES) was performed for the tank diameter T 0.3 m and rotation speed 200 rpm (Re-M 3.3 < 104). The simulation results are compared with the experimental data. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The paper presents results of an experimental investigation of flow in a stirred vessel. By means of LDA the velocity field was measured in a vicinity of a Rushton type impeller placed in the middle of the tank. Profiles of mean velocities of radial, tangential and axial components were obtained. The profiles of radial and tangential velocity components in the impeller discharge stream were approximated by a modified Gaussian distribution.

Based on conventional turbulent jet theory and the general theoretical framework of scalar dispersion in turbulent shear flows, a novel formulation of the radial impeller's jet in stirred tanks is introduced. Whereas previous studies considered the impeller's jet as developed, it is now comprised of two separate spatial regions along the radial axis: the zone of flow establishment (ZFE) and the zone of established flow (ZEF). This formulation is accompanied with semi‐analytical expressions for the prediction of turbulent key parameters including the random part of k and ε in the ZFE. The new theoretical framework is validated both with laser Doppler anemometry measurements and with 3‐D numerical simulations using the standard turbulent model. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 61: 1413–1426, 2015

The radial discharge jet from the standard Rushton turbine was investigated by the CFD calculations and compared with results from the Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA) measurements. The Large Eddy Simulation (LES) approach was employed with Sliding Mesh (SM) model of the impeller motion. The obtained velocity profiles of the mean ensemble-averaged velocity and r.m.s. values of the fluctuating velocity were compared in several distances from the impeller blades. The calculated values of mean ensemble-averaged velocities are rather in good agreement with the measured ones as well as the derived power number from calculations. However, the values of fluctuating velocities are obviously lower from LES calculations than from LDA measurements.

Results of heat transfer coefficient measurements in an agitated vessel heated or cooled by the liquid media flowing in a helical pipe coil are presented in this paper. The multistage impeller made of two pitched six-blade impellers and adjustable clearance was used in a vessel with conical bottom. The transient method based on measuring the temperature dependency on time and solving the unsteady enthalpy balance was used to determine the heat transfer coefficients between the agitated liquid and the helical pipe coil. The results are summarized by the Nusselt number correlations, which describe the dependency on the impeller Reynolds number. The second part of this paper introduces a theoretical analysis of the flow in the liquid batch near the helical pipe coil. Based on the known pumping capacity of the multistage impeller, the characteristic velocity near the helical pipe coil can be evaluated. This characteristic velocity can be then used to determine the Nusselt number describing the heat transfer in a flow around a cylinder with the same cross-section profile as the helical pipe coil. A clear correlation between this Nusselt number and the integral Nusselt number is presented in this paper and introduces an alternative approach for prediction of heat transfer characteristics on the basis of hydrodynamic parameters describing an agitated system.

This article describes intensification of the fluidized-bed drying process for regenerated spherical-shape ion exchanger particles in the batch mode, achieved by a mechanical stirrer in the fluidized bed layer of the dried particles. The effect of the mechanical stirring system on the drying process was examined. Calculations as well as results of comparison measurements provide evidence of a favourable effect of stirring on the total drying time as compared to the initial unstirred system. The regenerated ion exchanger particles pass to the fluid state in a shorter time and the ultimate total drying time is thus more than 60% shorter.

The main topic of this study is the experimental measurement and mathematical modelling of global gas hold-up and bubble size distribution in an aerated stirred vessel using the population balance method. The air-water system consisted of a mixing tank of diameter T = 0.29 m, which was equipped with a six-bladed Rushton turbine. Calculations were performed with CFD software CFX 14.5. Turbulent quantities were predicted using the standard k-epsilon turbulence model. Coalescence and breakup of bubbles were modelled using the homogeneous MUSIG method with 24 bubble size groups. To achieve a better prediction of the turbulent quantities, simulations were performed with much finer meshes than those that have been adopted so far for bubble size distribution modelling. Several different drag coefficient correlations were implemented in the solver, and their influence on the results was studied. Turbulent drag correction to reduce the bubble slip velocity proved to be essential to achieve agreement of the simulated gas distribution with experiments. To model the disintegration of bubbles, the widely adopted breakup model by Luo & Svendsen was used. However, its applicability was questioned.

The velocity field around the standard Rushton turbine was investigated by the Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA) and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements. The mean ensemble-averaged velocity profiles and root mean square values of fluctuations were evaluated at two different regions. The first one was in the discharge stream in the radial direction from the impeller where the radial flow is dominant and it is commonly modelled as a swirling turbulent jet. The validity range of the turbulent jet model was studied. The second evaluated region is under the impeller where flow seems to be at first sight rather rigorous but obtained results show nonnegligible values of fluctuation velocity.