1.

0 ABSTRACT

This fluid mixing experiment has been conducted on 3rd October 2017. Mixing is a

common operation in the process industries and is generally performed by a rotating

impeller in a vessel.

Mixing of fluids considered when two fluids are mixed together. In this experiment,

we just used water as the fluid in the tank as the viscosity of other fluid, such as oil, is

high and the value of torque is higher too. This experiment has two objectives and one of

them is to observe the flow patterns that can be achieved by the use of different impellers

with and without the use of baffles. The second objective is to show how the power

consumed by a mixer varies with speed, type of impeller, and with the inclusion of

baffles.

Before starting the experiment, we need to do the general start-up procedures. The

power was switched on and tightening screws were fastened. Then, shaft was lifted up

and brought down by using lifting chain attached to the shaft. Then, the tank was filled

with 30 liters of water. A flat paddle impeller was attached at the end of the shaft. After

that, the angular speed of the impeller was adjusted to 50 rpm to 400 rpm with the

increment of 50 rpm and the flow pattern of the water at every angular speed was

observed and the torque was recorded.The experiment was repeated but the flat paddle is

replaced with turbine impeller and the flow pattern was observed too. Lastly, a baffle

were placed inside the tank with flat paddle impeller and turbine impeller and the reading

of torque was taken. Then the experiment was repeated without the use of baffles. All the

values of angular speed (), force, torque and power were calculated.
2.0 THEORY

Mixers are used in a wide range of industries to combine different materials together

to form one final product from the mixing process. Products obtained from food,

petroleum, mining, pharmaceutical, pulp and paper, and chemical industries would not be

available without fluid mixing equipment and technology. Mixing also plays a vital role

in industrial waste treatment and in environmental cleaning, such as sulfur dioxide

absorption for treatment of acid rain. A wide range of mixing situations can be found in

practice, which may involve high or low viscosity fluids, suspending solids in liquids,

dispersing gas or solids in liquids, etc. The simplest way used to improve mixing

efficiency consists of increasing the rotational speed, which unfortunately leads to higher

energy consumption.

Various types of vessel and tanks of different geometrical shapes and sizes are used

for mixing fluids. The top of the vessel may be open or sealed, the vessel bottom

normally not flat but rounded to eliminate sharp corners or regions into which the fluid

currents would not penetrate; dished ends are most common. The liquid depth is

approximately equal to the diameter of the tank. An impeller is mounted on an overhung

shaft which means that shaft supported from above. The shaft is motor driven; this is

sometimes directly connected to the shaft, but is more often connected through a speed-

reducing gearbox. Figure below shows the standard tank configuration.

 J : Baffle width
H : Liquid height
L : Agitator blade length
W : Agitator blade width
E : Height of the agitator from the bottom of
the tank
DA : Agitator diameter
DT : Tank diameter

Figure 2.1 shows a standard tank configuration

Agitation is important to get many chemical processes done, and there is wide range

of available impellers that can provide the optimum degree of agitation for any process.

The problem arises in selecting the best impeller for the required process. Physical

properties such as viscosity play an important role in the selection of impellers in laminar,

transitional, and turbulent operations. Generally, impellers can be classified into two

groups, which is:

Impellers with a small blade area, which rotates at high speed. These includes

turbines and marine propellers.

Impellers with a large blade are, which rotate at low speed, which rotate at low

speeds. These include anchors,paddles, and helical screws.

In this experiment, flat paddle and turbine impellers are used to observe the flow

pattern of water. The impeller flow patterns give impact to the result of mixing process.

The flow pattern depends on the impeller type which gives variation in flow patterns

resulting from different impeller types. The two main types of the flow patterns are axial
and radial. The differences in the flow patterns can cause variations in distribution of

shear rate and energy dissipation rate within the mixing tank.

Turbulent impellers are classified as axial or radial flow impellers. Axial flow

impellers cause the tank fluid to flow perpendicular to the impellers rotation axis. Small

blade, high-speed impellers are used to mix low to medium viscosity liquids. Axial flow

impellers include all impellers in which the blade makes an angle of less than 90 degree

with the plane of rotation. They run at the highest efficiency and they have the lowest

NPSH requirement. They require the highest power requirement at shut off, so they are

normally started with the discharge valve open. Axial flow impellers may also be

mounted near the bottom of the cylindrical wall of the vessel.

Figure 2.2 shows radial flow pattern produced by turbine impeller.

Figure 2.3 shows axial flow pattern produced by a marine propeller.

 Axial flow devices such as high-efficiency (HE) impellers and pitched blade turbine

give better performance than conventional pitched blade turbines. They are best suited to

provide the essential flow patterns in a tank that keep the solids suspended. High-

efficiency impellers effectively convert mechanical energy to vertical flow required to

overcome the effects of gravity on solids in suspension. They also provide the same

levels of solid suspension at reduced capital and operating costs.

During the mixing of fluids, it is essential to avoid solid body rotation and large

central surface vortex. When solid body rotation occurs, adequate mixing is not achieved

because the fluid rotates as if it were a single mass as shown in Figure 2.4a. Centrifugal

force of the fluid causes a central surface vortex to be thrown outward by the impeller.

Entrainment of air results if the vortex reaches an impeller, resulting in reduced mixing of

the fluids. This situation can be averted by installing baffles on the vessel walls, which

impede rotational flow without interfering with radial or longitudinal flow. Effective

baffling is attained by installing vertical strips perpendicular to the wall of the tank.

a b c d
Figure 2.4 shows agitator flow patterns. a) Axial or radial impellers without
baffles produce vortex. b) Off-center location reduces the vortex. c) Axial
impeller with baffles. d) Radial impeller with baffles.
In order to calculate the angular speed () we use the equation:

= r.p.m x 2
60
= rad/s
To calculate the value of torque (), we use the equation:

= Force (F) x r where r is torque arm = 0.11m

= N.m
To calculate the Power, we use the equation:

Power =
= Watts
10.0 CONCLUSION

The first objective of this experiment is to observe the flow patterns that can be

achieved by the use of different impellers with and without baffles.The flow of fluid

when baffle is inserted in the tank is the fluid flow smoothly in circular motion when

baffle is not inserted in the tank.

The second objective is to show the power consumed by a mixer varies with

speed, types of impeller and with the inclusion of baffles.When water is used as the fluid

in the tank,the values of force,torque and power calculated is higher with baffle compared

to water without baffle.This experiment is success because the objectives stated are

achieved.