Chapter 38 - Experimental and CFD Characterization of Mixing in a Novel Sliding-Surface Mixing Device

Abstract

Rapid chemical processes such as precipitations and polymerizations are very sensitive to mixing conditions. For this reason, the design and development of novel mixing devices have an increasing importance in the modern chemical industry. This chapter discusses the mixing process of two reagents fed continuously in the Confined Mixing Zone of the Sliding-Surface Mixing Device, both experimentally and using a commercially available CFD package (FLUENT® 4.5). A 3D description of the reactor geometry is employed. Solutions of the Navier-Stockes equation along with the standard two equations κ-ɛ turbulence model provide both the velocity and energy dissipation fields. The finite rate reaction model from FLUENT is used to simulate the mixing process. Furthermore, experimental visualizations in a Plexiglas prototype are performed. A good agreement between experiment and simulation is obtained. The turbulence quantities provided by the simulations are used to calculate a micromixing time. These values are compared to experimental values obtained in a pervious work. Excellent qualitative and quantitative agreements are obtained between simulation and experiment.