Processing with mechanical mixers Occurs under either laminar oF turbulent flow conditions, depending on the impeller Reynolds number, defined as Re pND?/j. For Reynolds numbers below about 10, the process is lamina, also called ereeping flow. Fully turbulent conditions are achieved at Reynolds numbers higher than about 104, and the flow is considered transitional between these too regimes, ‘To design an effective stirred tank, an efficient impeller should be chosen for the process duty. More than one impeller may be needed for tanks with high aspect ratio (Z/T > 1.5). Sizing of the impeller is doxe in conjunction with mixer speed 10 achieve the desired process result, The appropriate size and type ‘of wall baffles must be selected to create an effective Now pattern. The mixer then estimated from available data on impeller characteristics, and the drive size is determined. The mixer design is finalized with mechanical design ‘of the shaft, impeller blade thickness, haffle thickness and supponts, inlovoutlet ozs, bearings, seals, gearbox, and Support structures. 6-21 Geometry A conventional stirred tank consists of a vessel equipped with a rotating mixer “The vessel is generally a vertical cylindrical tank. Nonstandard vessels such as those with square or rectangular cross-section, or horizontal eyliser vessels are sometimes used. The rotating mixer has several components: an impeller. shal shaft seal, gearbox, and a motor drive. Wall baffles are generally installed for Ueansitional and turbulent mixing to prevent solid body rozation (sometimes called {fluid swirl) and cause axial mixing between the top nd bottom of the tank. This is illustrated in a video clip recorded on the Visual Mixing CD affixed to the back cover of the hook. A conventional vertical cylindrical stirred tank with a top-enteting mixer is shown in Figure 6-1. Occasionally, a siall impeller, 8 ticker of kicker is installed close to the tank bottom t© ma \whea the liquid level drops below the main impeller Table 61 _lmpelle Classes and Specific Types ‘Axial low Propeller, pitched blade turbine, hydrofoil Rail Now Flatblade impeller, disk turbine (Rushton), hollow: blade turbine «smithy High shear Cowles, disk, bar, pointe blade impeller Specialy Reiweat curve impeller, sweptback impeller, spring impeller, laine turbines Upidown Disks, plat, circles A standard baflle configuration consists of four vertical plates having width ‘equal t0 8 to 10% (T/I2 to T/O) of the tank diameter. Narrower batfles are sometimes used for high viscosity systems, buoyant partiele entrainment (width = 2% of T), or when a small vortex is desired. A small spacing between baflles nd the tank wall (1.5% of T) is allowed to minimize dead zones particularly in solid—liquid systems. Wall bales increase the passer consumption of the mixer and generally enhance the process result “There are four types of turbine impellers, which are characterized by the flow pattems and level of shear they create: axial low, radial flow, hydrofoil, aad high- shear impellers. They have the widest use in low and medium viscosity liquid ‘applications, solids suspension, liquid-liquid emulsification, and gas dispersion, ‘Turbine impellers can have blades varying from 2 to 12 in number. Two blades are normally unstable mechanically, while itis difficult to install more than six blades on a hub. Axial flow impellers generally have three or four blades, and radial flow impellers are designed with six blades. te ae6-222 Radial Flow Impellers. Like axial flow turbine impellers, radial flow impellers (Figure 6-10) are commonly used for low to medium viscosity fui. Although they can be used for aay typeof single-and multiple-phase mixing duty, they are most effective for gas-liquid and liquid-liquid dispersion. Compared to axial flow impellers, they provide higher sheue and turbulence levels with lower pumping. Radial flow impellers discharge fluid radially outward to the vessel wall. With suitable baffles these flows are converted to strong top-to-hotom flows both above and below the impeller.