CFD analyses for stirred tank reactor: mixing behaviour of different density liquids

The aim of this work is to numerically assess the dynamics of the mixing process of two different density liquids in a stirred tank reactor. The mixing of different density liquids is common operation in the process industry which occurs when a higher density liquid is injected into a tank filled with a lighter density one or in the case of impeller malfunctioning when such a system of different density liquids can get stratified. The process might prove to be of significant importance, particularly in the case of reacting liquids for large-scale reactors operating in the industry.
The CFD analyses, performed with the CFX-5 numerical package, were carried out for a non-baffled stirred tank reactor, mechanically agitated by a Pfaudler impeller. Although the non-baffled vessel posses an axi-symmetric behaviour on macromixing scale, the process was regarded as three dimensional in order to demonstrate the local instabilities associated with the blade passage. The dynamic mixing behaviour of two miscible liquids with different densities was numerically predicted from initially stratified conditions to complete mixing. The gas phase was involved in the simulations to investigate the effect of the free surface deformation on the mixing process, which was modelled using the free surface model. The multicomponent model was applied to the liquid phase in which the two different density liquids were present. The suitability of the different turbulence models was also addressed but the k-ε turbulence model was finally employed. The numerical simulations were performed on different size grids to ensure obtaining of grid independent results. However, the grid elements size was kept relatively low because of the dynamic behaviour of the liquid surface central vortex. Additionally, the impeller acceleration was taken into account.
The accuracy of the numerical predictions was evaluated experimentally using a video visualisation technique. The initially stratified lighter (alcoholic) coloured component and the heavier (water) transparent one were brought into motion by the rotating impeller. The mixing process was captured by a digital camcorder and subsequently the images were digitally processed. The procedure was repeated for a number of different initial concentrations of the lighter liquid to obtain the colour-calibration curve. The numerical predictions were evaluated at several locations, close to the vessel central line and wall, for which the optical distortions were minimal. Since the video visualisation technique provides the integral mixing curves at the chosen locations, the predicted concentration values were exported and averaged along the lines corresponding to these locations.
The hydrodynamics of the above described system is of particular concern for many chemical and biochemical reactions engineered to take place in stirred tank reactor. Although the initial conditions were to some extend idealised in order to avoid some complications raised by the presence on an injection, the studies showed strong influence on the density difference on the homogenisation.