CHAPTER 9.

AGITATION AND MIXING

ABRAHAM ROGELIO MARTIN GARCIA

PRESENTATION OUTLINE
-Definitions
-Purposes of agitation
-Devices to produce agitation
-Power consumption of agitators
-Blending and Mixing
-Suspension of solid particles
-Dispersion Operations
-Agitator selection and Scale up

Copyright 2003 A. R. Martin

DEFINITIONS
Agitation: It refers to the induced motion of a
homogenous material in a specified way
Mixing: It is the random distribution, into and through one
another, of two or more initially separate phases
PURPOSES OF AGITATION
Suspending solid particles
Blending miscible liquids
Dispersing a gas through the liquid
Dispersing a second liquid to form an emulsion or
suspension
Promoting heat transfer

Copyright 2003 A. R. Martin

DEVICES TO PRODUCE AGITATION

IMPELLERS
Propellers (high-speed, low
viscosity)
Turbines (Moderate viscosity)
High-efficiency impellers

Three-blade
marine
propeller

Straight-blade
turbine

Disk turbine

Pitched-blade turbine
Concave-blade CD-6 impeller

Source: McCabe et al. 2001

Copyright 2003 A. R. Martin

DESIGN OF TURBINES

Da
Dt

1
3

S1

E
Dt

1
3

S2

H
Dt

S3

W
Da

1
5

J
Dt

1
12

S5

L
Da

1
4

S6

S4

Source: McCabe et al. 2001

Copyright 2003 A. R. Martin

POWER CONSUMPTION OF AGITATORS

It is a function of the volumetric flow rate and the kinetic energy
Values of NQ
NQ
q

Impeller

K >SDa n1  k  tan E SDaW @

q v nDa3
NQ

Ek
P
P

q
(Flow number)
nDa3

U Vt 2

2
q Ek

P
Un 3 Da5

D 2S 2
2

0.5

Four-blade 45q turbine (W/Da)=1/6

0.87

Disk turbine

1.3

HE-3 high-efficiency impeller

0.47

DSnDa 2

D 2S 2

Un 3 Da5

Marine propellers (square pitch)

N Q

NQ

Np

Un 3 Da5

(Power number)

Copyright 2003 A. R. Martin

Np

\ Re, Fr, S1 , S 2 ,..., S n 

Source: McCabe et al. 2001

Copyright 2003 A. R. Martin

N p n 3 Da5 U

For Re  10
P

K L n 2 Da3 P

For Re ! 10000
P

K T n 3 Da5 U

Source: McCabe et al. 2001

Copyright 2003 A. R. Martin

BLENDING AND MIXING

Source: McCabe et al. 2001

Copyright 2003 A. R. Martin

Source: McCabe et al. 2001

Copyright 2003 A. R. Martin

SUSPENSION OF SOLID PARTICLES

nc Da0.85

'U

0.45

SQ 0.1 D p0.2 g

B 0.13

Shape factor S

Dt/
E

Impeller type

Dt/D
Six-blade turbine
Da/W=5
Np=6.2

2
3
4

4
4
4

4.1
7.5
11.5

Two-blade paddle
Da/W=4
Np=2.5

2
3
4

4
4
4

4.8
8
12.5

Three-blade
propeller
Np=0.5

3
4
4

4
4
2.5

6.5
8.5
9.5

Copyright 2003 A. R. Martin

DISPERSION OPERATIONS


DS
Da

U C n 2 Da3

0.6

0.0581  5.4\ 

Source: McCabe et al. 2001

Copyright 2003 A. R. Martin

AGITATOR SELECTION AND SCALE UP

AGITATOR SELECTION
Depends on the viscosity of the liquid
For specific time of mixing, the best mixer is the one
that mixes in the required time with the smallest
amount of power
SCALE UP
Maintaining constant power per unit volume and
geometric similarity
2

n2
n1

Da1 3

Da 2

Copyright 2003 A. R. Martin