Evaluation of Flygt Mixers for Application in Savannah River Site Tank 19 Test Results from Phase A: Small-Scale Testing at ITT Flygt

Abstract

The key findings of the small-scale Flygt mixer tests are provided in this section. Some of these findings may not apply in larger tanks, so these data must be applied carefully when making predictions for large tanks. Flygt mixer testing in larger tanks at PNNL and in a full-scale tank at the SRS will be used to determine the applicability of these findings. The principal objectives of the small-scale Flygt mixer tests were to measure the critical fluid velocities required for sludge mobilization and particle suspension, to evaluate the applicability of the Gladki (1997) method for predicting required mixer thrust, and to provide small-scale test results for comparison with larger-scale tests to observe the effects of scale-up. The tank profile and mixer orientation (i.e., stationary, horizontal mixers) were in the same configuration as the prototype system, however, available resources did not allow geometric, kinematic, and dynamic similitude to be achieved. The results of these tests will be used in conjunction with the results from similar tests using larger tanks and mixers (tank diameters of 1.8 and 5.7 m [Powell et al. 1999]) to evaluate the effects of scaling and to aid in developing a methodology for predicting performance at full scale.