The Effect of Number and Width of Baffles on Mixing Time in Copper Solvent Extraction Dynamic Mixers: CFD Simulation and Direct Photography

Document Type : Original Articles

Authors

• soroush parvizi ¹
• Eskandar Keshavarz Alamdari ²
• Seyed Soroush e din Razavi ²

¹ Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University

² AmirKabir University of Technology

10.22067/ma.v30i2.63478

Abstract

The dynamic mixer has been designed and meshed according to copper solvent extraction mixer. Validation of data has been done by the experimental setup. k-ɛ turbulent model and sliding mesh have been used for fluid flow simulation. Organic and aqueous liquids have been provided from the solvent extraction unit of Sarcheshmeh copper complex, Iran. The mixing time has been calculated using population balance model outputs analysis. According to the results, by increasing the number and width of baffles, mixing process is improved and mixing time is decreased. Increasing turbulent flow intensity made to improve the efficiency in this situation. An equation has been developed for calculating mixing time. The variables of the equation are baffles number and width.

Keywords

• population balance model
• dynamic mixer
• copper solvent extraction
• mixing time
• width and number of baffle
• computational fluid dynamics

---

References

1. Ascanio G., "Mixing time in stirred vessels: A review of experimental techniques", Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering, Vol. 23, pp. 1065-1076, (2015).

2. Montante G., Paglianti A., "Gas hold-up distribution and mixing time in gas–liquid stirred tanks", Chemical Engineering Journal, Vol. 279, pp. 648-658, (2015).

3 Lu W.-M., Wu H.-Z., Ju M.-Y., "Effects of baffle design on the liquid mixing in an aerated stirred tank with standard Rushton turbine impellers", Chemical Engineering Science, Vol. 52, pp. 3843-3851, (1997).

4. Ammar M., Driss Z., Chtourou W., Abid M., "Effects of baffle length on turbulent flows generated in stirred vessels", Open Engineering, Vol. 1, pp. 401-412, (2011).

5. Masiuk S., Łacki H., Strek F., "Power consumption and mixing times for liquid mixing in a ribbon mixer", Chemical Engineering Journal, Vol. 48, pp. 135-140, (1992).

6. Brůha O., Brůha T., Fořt I., Jahoda M., "Dynamics of the flow pattern in a baffled mixing vessel with an axial impeller", Acta Polytechnica, Vol. 47, (2007).