Perfecting the design of mixing devices for incompletely filled horizontal equipment

Abstract

Horizontal equipment with sectioned rotors generating large, continuously renewed interphase contact surfaces when mixing highly viscous media make for fairly high productivity and product quality, which depend mostly on the design of the elements of longitudinal mixing devices with sectioning disks. This paper reports on investigations which show that horizontal reactors should be fitted with mixing devices in the form of V-shaped longitudinal braces. It is determined that the most important parameters characterizing the work of the horizontal equipment with mixing devices are the thickness of the reacting liquid film, surface of interphase contact, the extent of the stagnation zone, time of homogenization, power expended in mixing, viscosity of the liquid, rotation frequency of the rotor, and coefficient of fullness of the equipment. In this study, water and aqueous solutions of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose were used as the working liquids. A comparative analysis of three types of mixing devices shows that the V-shaped brace with a clearance is the most effective, generating the maximum phase contact surface, forms a very thin liquid film, prevents hydraulic impacts, and is simple in design.