Investigation and Visualization of Flow Fields in Stirred Tank Reactors Using a Fluorescence Tracer Method

Abstract

AbstractIn this study, flow fields in stirred tank reactors are investigated by a fluorescence tracer method. For these measurements, a fluorescent dye is inserted into a stirred tank reactor and distributed by the impeller flow, following the characteristic main circulation pathways. By this means, the main flow fields can be detected and visualized. Originally developed and used for the investigation of viscoelastic fluids, the method was adapted for Newtonian fluids with low viscosity in this study, with impeller installation height and impeller Reynolds numbers selected as influencing parameters. The resulting flow fields in both single‐ and double‐impeller setups match the known structures from literature excellently. Therefore, the developed fluorescence tracer method has proven to be a promising supplement to the established repertoire of fluid investigation methods, with little effort in both experiment itself as well as the following data analysis steps.