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Decreasing Entrainment in Settlers Using Turbulent Mixing
Decreasing Entrainment in Settlers Using Turbulent Mixing
Baruch Grinbaum
Bateman Advanced Technologies, Israel
ABSTRACT
Bateman Advanced Technologies, together with Turbulent Technologies, have developed the
Turbulent Settling (TS) technology for faster and more complete separation of liquids in solvent
extraction plants and, in particular, for decreasing organic entrainment in the aqueous phase by
means of a substantial reduction in the number of small droplets. In previous work a set of
mathematical models that describe distribution of turbulence and kinetics of breaking and
coalescence of drops was developed for mono-disperse approximation of drop size distribution,
and they proved to be applicable for qualitative description of the process. In the current research
these models were expanded to produce a quantitative mathematical description of coalescence
for small droplets in poly-disperse emulsions containing large and middle size droplets.
An original experimental method has been developed for measuring the rate of small droplets
coalescence. Experimental validation of the new model used a special mixing system, which
generates optimal turbulence distribution, to enhance the coalescence of the smallest droplets
onto the surface of larger droplets of the dispersed phase. The results showed an approximately
50% decrease in separation time and a 3–5 times decrease in organic entrainment in the aqueous
phase. Laboratory test results are in good correspondence with the theoretical description.
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CHAPTER 4
INTRODUCTION
The distribution of local turbulent energy dissipation rates in the agitators of traditional
mixer‐settlers is extremely non‐uniform. Bateman Advanced Technologies, together with
Turbulent Technologies, have developed new Turbulent Settling (TS) technology for
faster and more complete separation of liquids in solvent extraction plants and, in
particular, for decreasing organic entrainment in the aqueous phase.
The internals of the final mixing stage tank are replaced with a special mixing system that
generates optimal turbulence distribution for efficient coalescence of the smallest droplets
onto the surface of large and medium size droplets of the disperse phase. This leads to a
significant reduction in the number of small droplets present, which negatively affect
both the speed and the efficiency of phase separation. Generation of optimal turbulence
conditions is based on predictions from the mathematical model of drop breaking and
coalescence in turbulent flows developed earlier by Braginsky et al. [1–4].
The positive effect of the turbulent treatment of the emulsion has been tested across a
wide range of concentrations and physical properties of different liquids and mixing
conditions in the lab and verified in a pilot plant at the Lady Annie copper extraction
plant in Australia [5].
The results show that TS technology achieves a significant systematic decrease of organic
entrainment at both the extraction and the stripping batteries. After treatment of the
emulsion in a TS coalescer, the average concentration of organic in aqueous after settling
was 5.5 ppm, as compared to 20.3 ppm without TS treatment.
It was also found that the settling mode, (batch, continuous flow in production or
continuous flow in the pilot settler) did not affect organic entrainment as long as the
residence time remained constant. This can be explained by the nature of the separation
process. Large droplets easily separate in any correctly designed settler, while the
smallest droplets with a diameter of less than 15–20 microns cannot be separated and will
pass through any settler. Improvement of the separation using TS technology was
achieved due to coalescence of small droplets on the surface of larger ones.
The presented research is based on the mono‐disperse approximation of breaking and
coalescence of droplets, presented by Braginsky and co‐workers [1–4].
The change of the number of drops in mono‐disperse emulsion can be described [1] by
the Smoluchowski coagulation equation:
dd d
dτ 3V V∫
= ( N c − N b )dV (1)
,
where d is drop diameter, Nc and Nb are coalescence and breaking frequencies.
It is assumed [2–4] that the individual act of breaking occurs under action of a turbulent
velocity pulsation with amplitude v, exceeding a certain critical velocity v*. Then Nb is
defined as:
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CHAPTER 4
ε 1/3 ε 1/3
Nb = 2/3
P ( v ≥ v *)(1 − P(0) ) ≈ P ( v ≥ v *) e −19.6ϕ (2)
l l 2/3
A droplet will be present at the point with v >v* with probability 1‐P(0). It is calculated as
a function of the volume concentration of the disperse phase. Estimation of critical
velocity and probability P(v >v*) is based on the Kolmogorov model of turbulence, and is
dependent on the physical properties of phases (density, viscosity and surface tension),
local energy dissipation ε and the linear scale l that is proportional to droplet size.
The kinetics droplet coalescence depends [4] on the electrostatic repulsive pressure p in a
double layer on the interface. Pressure level is a function of the chemical composition of
phases and the presence of surface‐active agents. It is increased by emulsifiers and
reduced by coagulants. Accordingly to the model [4], the act of coalescence can occur
only if two droplets are pressed together with an instantaneous pressure p (turbulent
pulsation of pressure) that is higher than this critical repulsive pressure p*. Hence, the
coalescing frequency is defined as:
ε 1/3 ε 1/3
Nc = P ( p ≥ p *)(1 − Pλ (0) − Pλ (1) ) ≈ 2/3 P ( p ≥ p *) (1 − (1 + ϕ )e −ϕ ) (3)
λ 2/3
λ
The linear scale λ here is connected to the size of droplets. From Equation (3) above, the
frequency of drop coalescence depends on the value of repulsing pressure and on the
emulsion concentration ϕ. Thus the higher the emulsion concentration, the higher the
coalescence intensity. Under some conditions it can prevail over the breaking intensity
and the drop size will actually increase under the effect of mixing.
Based on these results, it has been concluded that the models, developed previously for
mono‐disperse approximation of drop size distribution, are adequate as a qualitative
description of the process. In order to provide a quantitative mathematical description,
these models must be supplemented with a description of the coalescence of small
droplets in poly‐disperse emulsions containing large and middle size droplets.
The system of equations presented above allows us to describe the kinetics of drop breaking
and coalescence as a function of tank and agitator geometry and the properties of phases.
In the presented work this model has been expanded to poly‐disperse emulsions and
tested across a wide range of mixing conditions and liquid properties and proven to be
good at prediction of average drop diameters.
droplets. As described above, coalescence can occur only if two droplets are pressed
together with an instantaneous pressure p that is higher than the critical repulsive
pressure p*. In this system the source of pressure p is turbulent pulsations of the scale dS.
Thus from the Kolmogorov model the value of average pulsation velocity is vdav ≈ (ε d S )1/3 .
S
Assuming that in the spectrum of the turbulent pulsations of the value 3vdavS are
presented in significant quantity, we assign vd S = 3vdavS . The value of maximum
pulsation pressure of scale ds is
p = ρ v d S / 2 ≈ 5 ρ ( ε d S ) 2 / 3 (4)
Now the necessary condition for coalescence p > p* can be written in the form
that gives for the dissipation energy required for the coalescence of droplets of diameter dS:
ε d ≈ 1 / d S ( 0. 2 p * / ρ ) 3 / 2 (6)
S ,
i.e., the value of energy dissipation that ensures efficient elimination of small droplets of
given diameter is inversely proportional to their diameter.
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CHAPTER 4
Water and kerosene (density 0.820 g/ml) were used. The emulsification of the ‘organic’ in
the kerosene solution was done using high shear impellers of different types and sizes
with angular velocity between 1800 to 3000 rpm. The mean drop diameter in the
emulsion was measured. Later, 500 ml of kerosene is added to the emulsion, making O:A
ratio equal 1:2 and the TT coalescer is applied for 5 min at different angular velocities
between 300 an 600 rpm.
The mixture after treatment contained large drops of kerosene, and was allowed to settle
for 3 minutes, to guarantee that all large drops of kerosene will rise to the surface, but
that tiny organic drops will stay in the water. A sample of aqueous phase was drawn for
turbidity measurement, which was plotted as a function of the TT coalescer velocity. The
angular velocity that resulted in maximal transparency of the emulsion was recorded.
Values of energy dissipation ε corresponding to these angular velocities were defined
using existing calculation methods.
The drop diameters and the experimentally defined energy dissipation values corresponding to
the best coalescence condition for these droplets are presented in the graphs below (Figure 1).
These results are compared in the graphs with the values theoretically predicted by Equation (6).
One can see that the energy dissipation required for effective coalescence of small
droplets using the TT coalescer is inversely proportional to their diameter, and that the
proposed model gives a relevant estimation of the critical energy dissipation value.
550
Coalescer speed, rpm
500
450
400
350
7 12 17 22 27
Sauter mean diameter, micron
30
Energy dissipation rate, W/kg
25
20
15
10
5
7 12 17 22 27
Sauter mean diameter, micron
Figure 1 Left: Critical coalescer speed as function of Sauter mean diameter of droplets to be eliminated Right:
calculated values of critical energy dissipation near coalescer’s blade as function of Sauter mean diameter. Solid
lines are predicted by Equation 6 and calculated basing on TT coalescer design
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REFERENCES
Braginsky, L.N. & Kokotov, Y (2004) Kinetics of Break‐up and Coalescence of Drops in Mixing Vessels,
International Symposium on Liquid‐Liquid Two Phase Flow and Transport Phenomena,
Antalya, Turkey, 1997, pp. 567–574. [1]
Braginsky, L.N. & Belevizkaya, M.A (1990) Break‐up of Drops in Mixing Vessels in the Absence of
Coalescence, Theoretical Foundations of Chemical Engineering (USSR), vol. 24, no. 4. [2]
Braginsky, L.N. & Belevizkaya, M.A. (1991) Influence of Viscosity on Drop Size in Mixing Tanks,
Theoretical Foundations of Chemical Engineering (USSR), vol. 25, no. 6. [3]
Braginsky, L.N. & Kokotov, Y.V. (1993) Influence of Turbulence and Viscosities on the Kinetics of Drop
Breaking, Journal Dispersion Science and Technology, 1993, no. 3. [4]
Kokotov, Y., Braginsky, L, Shteinman, D, Slonim, E., Barfield, V. & Grinbaum, B. (2010) Turbulent
Settling (TS) Technology for Solvent Extraction, ALTA 2010‐Nickel, Cobalt, Copper &
Uranium & Gold Conference Proceedings. [5]
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