TABLE OF CONTENT

NO.

TITLE

PAGE

1.

ABSTRACT / SUMMARY

2.

INTRODUCTION

3.

AIMS / OBJECTIVES

4.

THEORY

5.

APPARATUS

6.

PROCEDURES

7.

RESULT

8 - 10

8.

CALCULATIONS

11 - 12

9.

DISCUSSION

13

10.

CONCLUSIONS

14

11.

RECOMMENDATIONS

15

12.

REFERENCES

16

13.

APPENDICES

17

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ABSTRACT
This experiment is executed to study the factors affecting mixing using visualisation
and measurement techniques using a Liquid Mixing Equipment. Two different liquids which
are water and hydraulic oil is poured in the Liquid Mixing Equipment separately and the
behaviour is observed. The equipment consists of mainly a Perspex cylindrical mixing vessel
and a variable speed mixer system. The mixer system consist of a mixer controller and mixer
head. The mixer controller can be easily set up for a desired combination of mixer run time,
speed and torque range. The mixing vessel has a drain tap and a removable baffles. The
equipment has been designed for easy removal and installation of different types of impellers
which is Turbine Impeller, Flat Paddle Impeller and Screw Impeller. This equipment allows
student to vary the mixer speed, set the torque limits and measure the differential torque. A
timer is provided to mix material at constant interval of time. The system maintains speed
despite changes in viscosity and power.

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INTRODUCTION
Mixing is a common operation in the process industries and is generally performed by
a rotating impeller in a container. Products obtained from food, petroleum, mining,
pharmaceutical, pulp and paper, and chemical industries would not available without fluid
mixing equipment and technology. Mixing also plays a vital role in industrial waste treatment
and in environment cleaning.
Fluid mixing technique also allows observation of the segregated regions and how
they tend to disappear as the impeller speed increases.
The objective of this experiment is firstly, to observe the various flow pattern that can
be achieved by the use of different impellers with and without the use of baffles. Secondly, to
show how the power consumed by a mixer varies with speed, type of impeller, and with the
inclusion of baffles.
The apparatus that we use in this experiment are hydraulic oil, water, flat paddle,
baffles, turbine impellers, screw propeller and Fluid Mixing Apparatus.

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AIMS
Experiment 1
To observe the various flow patterns that can be achieved by the use of different impellers
with and without the use of baffles.
Experiment 2
To show how the power consumed by a mixer varies with speed, type of impeller and with
inclusion of baffles.

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THEORY
This experiment is mainly conducted to observe the various flow patterns that can be
achieved by using different impellers with and without using baffles. Besides, in this
experiment, we observe the power consumed by a mixer varies with speed, type of impeller,
and with the inclusion of baffles.
Theoretically, as illustrated, large liquid-circulation loops developed in stirred vessels
make mixing performance poor. For mixing to be effective, fluid circulated by the impeller
must sweep the entire vessel in a reasonable time. In addition, the velocity of fluid leaving the
impeller must be sufficient to carry material into the most remote parts of the tank.
Turbulence must also be developed in the fluid; mixing is certain to be poor unless flow in the
tank is turbulent. All these factors are important in mixing, which can be described as a
combination of three physical processes: distribution, dispersion and diffusion.
The patterns of those impellers as in theory, are known to be different. Flat paddle
impeller, has the most obvious, which forms a tornado-like flow patterns followed by turbine
impeller and screw propeller. Both oil and water if tested with baffles, they require less power
compared to when without baffles is used. This statement also works with measurement of
torque. In theory, the higher the angular speed, the higher power used.

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APPARATUS
Experiment 1
Fluid Mixing Apparatus filled with water up to a depth of 0.3m, flat paddle, turbine impellers,
screw propeller and set of baffles.
Experiment 2
Fluid Mixing Apparatus with hydraulic oil up to a depth of 0.3m, flat paddle and turbine
impellers, screw propeller and set of baffles.

6|Page

PROCEDURES
Experiment 1
1) Attach flat paddle impeller with base of bush level with the end of the shaft.
2) Add a small quantity of plastic pellets and make sure that the torque arm clam is
fixed.
3) Turn up the speed of the impeller in small increment; say 30rpm, until the pellets are
seen to swirl around in the water.
4) A vortex will be seen toform on the surface of the water.
5) A small quantity of plastic pellets added to the water shows the mixing pattern of the
liquid.
6) Repeat the procedure with each impeller and again with the four baffles in position
with each impeller.
7) Observe the movement of dye and pellets in each case.
8) When the concentration of dye becomes too high, the tank should be drained and
refilled with fresh water.
Experiment 2
1) Fill the tank up to a depth of 0.3m with light oil and attach the flat paddle impeller,
(0.9m x 0.06m) with the base of the bush level with the end of the shaft.
2) Increase the speed control knob in gradual increments and record the speed on the
speed indicator and the force on the forcemeter at each speed of the mixer.
3) Repeat using the turbine impeller and other flat bladed paddles.
4) The experiment can be repeated using angled rather than vertical paddles.
5) Repeat with the baffles fitted with each flat paddle and the turbine impeller.

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RESULT
Screw propeller (with baffles)
Angular speed,

Angular speed,

Force, F

Torque, T

Power, P

rpm

(rad/sec)

(N)

(Nm-2)

(Watts)

50

5.24

0.00

0.0

0.000

100

10.47

0.91

0.1

1.047

150

15.71

1.82

0.2

3.142

200

20.94

5.45

0.6

12.564

250

26.18

10.00

1.1

28.798

300

31.42

16.36

1.8

56.556

350

36.65

20.00

2.2

80.630

400

41.89

28.18

3.1

129.859

Screw propeller (without baffles)

Angular speed,

Angular speed,

Force, F

Torque, T

Power, P

rpm

(rad/sec)

(N)

(Nm-2)

(Watts)

50

5.24

8.18

0.9

4.716

100

10.47

10.91

1.2

12.564

150

15.71

14.55

1.6

25.136

200

20.94

19.09

2.1

43.974

250

26.18

21.82

2.4

62.832

300

31.42

28.18

3.1

97.402

350

36.65

32.73

3.6

131.940

400

41.89

42.73

4.7

196.883

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Turbine impeller (with baffles)

Angular speed,

Angular speed,

Force, F

Torque, T

Power, P

rpm

(rad/sec)

(N)

(Nm-2)

(Watts)

50

5.24

31.82

3.5

18.340

100

10.47

34.55

3.8

39.786

150

15.71

37.27

4.1

64.411

200

20.94

43.64

4.8

100.512

250

26.18

52.73

5.8

151.844

300

31.42

60.00

6.6

207.372

350

36.65

74.55

8.2

300.530

400

41.89

101.82

11.2

469.168

Turbine impeller (without baffles)

Angular speed,

Angular speed,

Force, F

Torque, T

Power, P

rpm

(rad/sec)

(N)

(Nm-2)

(Watts)

50

5.24

27.27

3.0

15.720

100

10.47

29.09

3.2

33.504

150

15.71

31.82

3.5

54.985

200

20.94

33.64

3.7

77.478

250

26.18

36.36

4.0

104.720

300

31.42

39.09

4.3

135.106

350

36.65

43.64

4.8

175.920

400

41.89

53.64

5.9

247.151

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Flat paddle (with baffles)

Angular speed,

Angular speed,

Force, F

Torque, T

Power, P

rpm

(rad/sec)

(N)

(Nm-2)

(Watts)

50

5.24

57.27

6.3

33.012

100

10.47

87.27

9.6

100.512

150

15.71

124.55

13.7

215.227

200

20.94

172.73

19.0

397.860

250

26.18

218.18

24.0

628.320

300

31.42

266.36

29.3

920.606

350

36.65

317.27

34.9

1279.085

400

41.89

340.91

37.5

1570.875

Flat paddle (without baffles)

Angular speed,

Angular speed,

Force, F

Torque, T

Power, P

rpm

(rad/sec)

(N)

(Nm-2)

(Watts)

50

5.24

36.36

4.0

20.960

100

10.47

45.45

5.0

52.350

150

15.71

56.36

6.2

97.402

200

20.94

85.45

9.4

196.836

250

26.18

116.36

12.8

335.104

300

31.42

133.64

14.7

461.874

350

36.65

160.00

17.6

645.040

400

41.89

187.27

20.6

862.934

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CALCULATIONS
Experiment 2
Screw propeller (with baffles)
At 50 rpm,

= 0 Nm-2

Screw propeller (without baffles)

At 50 rpm,

= 0.9 Nm-2

Turbine impeller (with baffles)

At 50 rpm,

= 3.5 Nm-2

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Turbine impeller (without baffles)

At 50 rpm,

= 3.0 Nm-2

Flat paddle (with baffles)

At 50 rpm,

= 6.3 Nm-2

Flat paddle (without baffles)

At 50 rpm,

= 4.0 Nm-2

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DISCUSSION
In the first experiment we used different impellers to observe the various flow patterns
in water with and without baffles. Different types of impellers have different type of flow
patterns in a baffled tank. In a baffled tank, flat paddle and turbine impeller produce radial
flow pattern whereas screw propeller produces axial flow pattern. Without the baffle, the three
types of impellers produced the same flow pattern which is tangential flow pattern.
Flat paddle agitators promote good radial flow in the plane of the impeller with the
flow dividing the wall to form two separate circulation patterns. One portion flows down
along the wall and back to the center of the impeller from below, and the other flows up
toward the surface and back to the impeller from above.
Screw propeller agitators drive the liquid down to the bottom of the tank, where the
stream spreads radially in all directions toward the wall. Then it flows upward along the wall,
and returns to the suction of the propeller from the top.
Turbine impellers operate at low speed and are much larger than propellers. Turbine
can divert the flow pattern of fluid by radial flow or axial flow in the tank. Radial design
make the fluid to flow at high velocity in radial direction whereas axial impellers, make the
fluid to flow parallel to shaft in downward direction and then push the fluid towards the wall
of the agitator tank.
For the second experiment, we still use the flat paddle, screw propeller and turbine
impellers but this time we manipulate the angular speed to get the power consumed by a
mixer in a hydraulic oil with the inclusion of baffles. At the end of this experiment two, we
can see that when the angular speed increase, the power consumed is also increase. From our
result, we also can see that the power consumed for flat paddle and turbine impellers with
baffled are more higher than the power consumed in unbaffled tank whereas for screw
propeller, the power consumed in an unbaffled tank is more higher than in baffled tank. This
happened due to some errors that is inevitable during the experiment.

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CONCLUSIONS
The main objective of this experiment is to observe the various patterns flow obtained
from different types of impeller. There are 3 types of impellers used which are screw, flat
paddle and turbine. In addition, we also tested the impeller with both water and oil. We
observe the power consumed when water is placed with oil. We tested them both by using
baffles and without baffles.
Based on the results, we can observe there are various patterns of flow for each
different types of impellers used. When the turbine impeller is used, it shows a very deep and
sharp tornado-like form of flow. The turbine impeller is then placed with flat-paddle and it
shows less deep and not a very sharp tornado-like form. The screw impeller is used which
shows the most calm form with less deep than flat-paddle impeller.
The experiment is observed with and without using baffles. If the baffles is used, the
flow becomes calmer and shows less movement. Even so, when the turbine impeller is used
with baffles, the surface of water becomes wavy due to the presence of baffles.
As recorded from the results, when we use the flat paddle with baffles attached, we
start by setting the speed at 100 rpm, and we get the power consume is 100.512 watt.
However when tested with 400 rpm, we manage to get 1570.875 watts. In theory, with baffles
used we consume more energy. This is proven as when the screw propeller is used without
baffles with angular speed 100 rpm, we recorded the power 52.350 watts. For 400 rpm, with
baffles attached, we recorded the power consumed is only 862.934 watts.
In conclusion, different types of impeller shows various types of flow. Different types
of liquids used also affect the pattern of flow as different liquid has different density and
viscosity which highly result in different pattern of flow. As mentioned before, the use of
baffles increase the amount of torque and also increase the power consume. Lastly, the flat
paddle impeller consume the highest power compared to turbine and screw and it is proven
that different types of impeller show different and various pattern of flows.

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RECOMMENDATIONS
The recommendations that can be made after conducted this experiment are:
From the result obtained, there is a slight different for screw propeller (either with or
without baffles). Supposedly, the power for screw propeller with baffles should be
higher than screw propeller without baffles, but, the result obtained that the power for
screw propeller with baffles is lower than screw propeller without baffles. This is
because it cannot spin properly due to loose and wear of the screw propeller.
Besides, the tank should be close and tighten with screw because it will give a
momentum to the torque during the experiment is conducted.
The blades (screw propeller, turbine imoeller, flat paddle) must be tighten at the torque
arm before operates the Fluid Mixing Apparatus.
After each blade were about to change, the torque arm should be wiped with tissue, to
make sure that the blades is spin effectively without the disturbance from the oil stain
on the surface.

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REFERENCES
1. M. K Suzanne. (2004). Handbook of Industrial Mixing: Science and Practice. John
Wiley & Sons.
2. T. Cameron. (2007). Springer handbook of experimental fluid mechanics. Springer.
3. M. A. Rao. (2007). Rheology of Fluid and Semisolid Foods: Principles and
Applications. Springer, 2nd edition
4. http://ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu/AA/00/00/03/83/00157/AA00000383_00157_00296.pd
f
5. http://www.scribd.com/doc/72158398/Exp3-Fluid-Mixing
6. www.siam.org/pdf/news/951.pdf

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