Effect of the attack angle on the roll and trailing vortex structures in an agitated vessel with a paddle impeller

Abstract

The purpose of the present study is to observe the effect of the blade attack angle on the roll and trailing vortex structures in a stirred vessel via laser-Doppler velocimetry (LDV). In this investigation, four-bladed paddle impellers with four attack angles, which were 45 ∘ , 60 ∘ , 75 ∘ and 90 ∘ , respectively, were used. By synchronizing LDV with a rotary encoder coupled to the impeller shaft, angle-resolved measurements of all three velocity components were performed. This experimental method made it possible to capture the details of the vortical structure both behind the impeller blade and discharge region. Our study on the mean flow structure generated by three types of pitched blade turbines ( 45 ∘ , 60 ∘ , and 75 ∘ , respectively) found that a single trailing vortex was formed around each turbine blade. Roll-up of the vortex sheet issuing from the blade tip was also observed, which indicated a major roll of trailing vortex generation mechanism for each pitched blade turbine.