MIXING TIME

It is the time what require the fluid to achieve given degree of

homogeneity starting from the completely segregated state.

Tracers: acids, bases or salts.

Circulation time
Time mixing for a Independent of the type of impeller and turbulent
Rushton turbine flow the mixing time (10% deviation) can be
calculated:

Single stirrer with baffles

Tanks of diameter up to 2.7 m

Vessels of cylindrical
geometry
Mixing time for different type of impeller

nt T
Dashed line for unbaffle tank and solid line for baffle tank. t m=
N
 Example of the mixing time

An agitated vessel in 1.83 m in diameter contains a six-blade

straight-blade turbine 0.61 m in diameter, set one impeller above
the vessel floor, and rotating at 80 rev/min. It is proposed to use
this vessel for neutralizing a dilute aqueous solution of NaOH at 21
°C with a stoichiometrically equivalent of concentrated nitric acid.
Assuming that all the acid is added to the vessel at one time.

Liquid density 62.3 lb/ft3

Liquid viscosity 6.6x10-4 lb/ft*s

How long will it take for the neutralization to be complete?

 AGITATOR SCALE UP
According to the nature of the variables of process the similarity
criterion can be classified as:

Geometry similarity
Dynamic similarity
Kinematic similarity
Thermal similarity
Chemical similarity
Biochemical similarity

Scale-up procedure

1) Calculate of scale-up ratio (R). Assuming that the original vessel

is a standard cylinder with DT1=H1.
 D 2T 1∗H 1 D T3 1
V 1=π =π
4 4
D 3T 2 2) Apply the R value to all of dimensions
π
V2 4 D 3T 2 or geometry proportions
= 3
= 3
V1 D DT 1
π T1 D i 2 =R∗D i 1 at general J 2=R∗J 1
4
V 2 (1/ 3) D T 2
R=
( )
V1
=
DT 1

3) Might be selected and applied to calculate the stirrer speed

(N2) n
D n Where the n factor is based on empirical
1
N 2 =N 1 ( )
R ( )
=N 1 T 1
DT 2 and theoretical considerations

n=1.0 for equal liquid motion.

n=2/3 for equal rates of mass transfer (which is equivalent to equal power per unit
volume.
n=3/4 for equal suspension of solids.

4) Knowing N2, determinate the power requirement with the

equations or figures respective .
Guidelines for liquids of normal viscosities
●
Mild agitation and blending 0.1-0.2 KW/m3 of fluid.
●
Vigorous agitation and blending 0.4-0.6 KW/m3 of fluid.
●
Mass transfer is important 0.8-2.0 KW/m3 of fluid.
●
Class activity

Could I deduce the value of n factor of the scale-up criteria for

equal power per unit volume and equal liquid motion?

Example
●
An agitation system uses a curved-blade disc turbine with six blades.
The given conditions are sizes are DT1=1.83 m, Di1=0.61 m, WB1=0.0915
m, LB1=0.171 m, WBF=0.183 m, N=90 rev/min, liquid density 929 Kg/m3
and liquid viscosity 0.01 Pa*s. It is desire to scale up these results for a
vessel whose volume is three times as large.
a) Equal liquid motion.
b) Equal power per unit volume.
 Scale up of stirred vessels
Criterium of equal liquid motion
The same stip velocity for both tanks
νi = π∗Di∗N i
π∗Di 1∗N i 1= π∗Di 2∗N i 2
Di 1
( )
N i 2=N i 1∗
Di 2
As the ratio between DT ∧Di is the same for tank 1∧tank 2
DT 1 Di 1
=
DT 2 Di 2
DT 1
( )
N i 2=N i 1∗
DT 2
Thereforen=1.0
Criterium of equal power per unit volume
P1 P1 P2 P2
= = =
V 1 π∗D T 1 V 2 π∗D 3T 2
3

4 4
3
P 1 DT 1
=
( )
P 2 DT 2
3 5
P=N ' p∗ρ∗N i ∗Di
N ' p∗ρ∗N 3i 1∗D 5i1 D T 1 3

=
( )
N ' p∗ρ∗N i 2∗D i 2 D T 2
3 5

DT 1 Di 1
=
DT 2 Di 2
N 3i1 D T 2 2
=
( )
N i 2 DT 1
3

2/3
DT 1
N i 2=N i1∗
( )
DT 2
 References
●
Doran P. Bioprocess Engineering Principles. 2nd ed. Elsevier. 2013.
●
McCabe W, Smith J and Harriot P. Unit Operations of Chemical
Engineering. 5th ed. McGraw Hill. 1993.

●
Geankoplis C. Transport Process and Unit Operations. 3rd ed. Prentice
Hall 1993.