Techniques when designing mixing processesįig. The process parameters relevant to the problems concerned are required as basis: – Vessel dimensions – Product physical properties, such as density, ρ and viscosity η – Discontinuous or continuous production mode – Process description covering formulation, changes in level and viscosity – Is only one product to be manufactured, or is a complete range of products involved, each with very different requirements for the agitator system? The CFD simulation process and/or the test work cover: – – –ĭefinition of the principal mixing duty Selection of a suitable agitator system Scale-up rule to be applied or direct CFD simulation on a commercial scale Process engineering Knowledge base Expert system PROBLEM ANALYSIS The first step in designing mixing processes is to analyze whether the available expertise, such as that formalized in the EKATO expert system ANTOS, is sufficient, or whether there are problems which can only be solved by first performing tests and/or CFD simulations, see Fig. An expert system uses the results from laboratory tests, CFD simulations and industrial experience to produce an optimized agitator design.Ĭomputational fluid dynamics Problem analysis Linking this closely to experimental results from model/pilot-scale tests and knowledge gained from process technology enables problems to be analyzed cost-effectively in a minimum of time.
In recent years, the dramatic increase in computing power has led to the increased use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) as a design tool.
The increasing demands made on mixing processes mean that the efficient solution of the process problems involved in designing stirred vessels are continually gaining in importance. Mixing process design Problem analysis Testing Computational fluid dynamics