CFD analysis of several design parameters affecting the performance of the Maxblend impeller

A CFD characterization of the hydrodynamics of the Maxblend impeller with experimental validations has been carried out with viscous Newtonian and non-Newtonian inelastic fluids. The mixing cases investigated were the non-baffled configuration with Newtonian and shear-thinning fluids, and the baffle...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Computers & chemical engineering 2008-08, Vol.32 (8), p.1831-1841
Main Authors: Devals, C., Heniche, M., Takenaka, K., Tanguy, P.A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bottom clearance
Maxblend impeller
Mixing
Power consumption
Rheology
Shear rates
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Summary:A CFD characterization of the hydrodynamics of the Maxblend impeller with experimental validations has been carried out with viscous Newtonian and non-Newtonian inelastic fluids. The mixing cases investigated were the non-baffled configuration with Newtonian and shear-thinning fluids, and the baffled configuration with only Newtonian fluids. The study focused on the effect of the impeller bottom clearance and the Reynolds number on the power characteristics, the distribution of shear rates and the overall flow conditions in the vessel. It was found that the bottom clearance plays a significant role on the power consumption, and that the value of the Reynolds number and the power law index strongly affect the axial pumping efficiency and the shear rate profile. The best performance was obtained when the impeller Reynolds number is superior to 10.
ISSN:0098-1354
1873-4375
DOI:10.1016/j.compchemeng.2007.09.007