Mixing efficiency of cross-bar and helical static mixer in upward gas-liquid flows

The process of dispersing gaseous phases into liquid bulks is one of the most widely used mixing processes in the chemical and process industry. The choice of an appropriate agitation system for the desired processes depends essentially on the efficiency to ensure high interfacial area at economically justifiable energy input. In this context, the static mixer technology emerges in many areas as an attractive alternative to conventional agitators such as continuous stirred tank reactors 1-3. Numerous static mixer designs, for example Helical (Kenics), SMV (Sulzer), SMX (Koch-Sulzer), LPD and ISG (Charles Ross & Son) have been proposed but only few designs are used in the industry. However, comparative performance studies of these mixers are scarce. In this contribution, the mixing capabilities of cross-bar and helical static mixers for upward gas-liquid flows will be presented at turbulent gas-liquid flow regime.