Turbulent dispersion results from gel-sphere processes and application to centrifugal contactors

Abstract

Three different devices using controlled velocities of organic liquids were applied to disperse aqueous solutions as drops. One consisted of simple tubes of small diameters. A second contained motionless mixer units inside large tubes. The third employed couette flow of the organic liquid between a cylindrical rotor and a stationary cylinder. These devices were applied to gel-sphere processes in which the liquid drops are converted into solid gel spheres of hydrated metal oxides. The gel-sphere products are good, strong spheres and allow good measurement of the sphere and the drop-size distributions. The drop diameters must be controlled and predictable to allow preparation of product spheres of the desired sizes. Empirical correlations were determined for application to the gel-sphere processes. The theory of turbulent dispersion based on eddy velocities has been developed by Kolmorogoff, Hinze, and others. Davies reviewed this theory and the agreement of theory with four types of dispersion devices for energy dissipation rates of 6 to 400,000 W/g. The gel-sphere results for drop-size distribution are for energy dissipation rates of 10/sup -3/ to 1.5 W/g. Those combined results support the theory of turbulence as the dispersion mechanism over a range of 10/sup 9/ for the rate of energy dissipation. The turbulent dispersion with Couette flow is the mechanism for mixing in an advanced design of centrifugal contactors for solvent extraction. The theory of turbulence is applied to predict drop sizes and mixing power for centrifugal contactors as developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). 14 refs., 7 figs., 6 tabs.