Introduction

Mixing of liquid-liquid system or the solid-liquid system is a complex operation to analyse and subject
to many variables. The degree of the bulk movement and the shear mixing that required in the process
should be consider in order to choice the mixer for the particular application. In order to predict full-
scale requirements, it is usual to model the system and apply dimensional analysis.

There are three conditions must be apply before the dimensional analysis can be used and the first one
is the geometric similarity that define the boundary conditions and the dimensions will have the same
ratio. The second condition is the kinematic similarity that requires velocities at the corresponding
points must have the same ratio with the other corresponding points and for the last condition that
must be apply is the dynamic similarity that requires ratio of forces at the corresponding points must
be equal to other corresponding points.

The modes of flow behaviour exist in a mixer laminar and turbulent flow. Both these flow conditions
may be described dimensionally but for turbulent flow its behaviour is less significant. In particular,
the power number becomes independent of Reynolds number beyond a certain turbulence range. A
further factor to consider is surface waves, which are, describe by the Froude number group. In a
mixer this phenomena is usually function of the height of the vortex, which forms. Arm field have
developed a model mixer, which can be used to predict the power consumption of a full-sized mixer
by equating Reynolds number and Froude number. The effect of placing baffles in the mixer vessel is
also investigated.
Objectives

There are some objectives that should be determined in this experiment and the first objective is to
observe the flow patterns that can be achieved by the use of the different impellers with and without
the use of baffles. The second objective is to test the relation between the power against speed with use
of different impellers with and without baffles. Last but not least, to compare the effectiveness of
different impeller configurations running the experiment at different speed either with or without the
uses of the baffles and also to compare the effectiveness of the mixing either at low or high viscosity
of liquids.
Theory

An impeller is the rotating component of a centrifugal pump that transfer energy from the motor that
drives the pump to the fluid that being pumped by accelerating the fluid outwards from the centre of
the rotation. The velocity achieved by the impeller is transfers into pressure when the outward
movement of the fluid is confined by the pump casing. Impeller are usually a short cylinders with an
open inlet to accept incoming fluid, vanes to push the fluid radially, and splined centre to accept a
driveshaft. The axial-flow turbines actually give a flow coming off the impeller of approximately 45
degree and therefore have a recirculation pattern coming back into the impeller at the hub region of the
blades.

Axial flow impellers include all impellers in which the blade makes an angle of less than 90 degree
with the plane of rotation. Axial flow impellers are usually run at the highest efficiency and the axial
flow impellers have the lowest NPSH requirement. The axial flow impellers normally started with the
discharge valve open therefore the axial flow impellers usually required the highest power requirement
to shut off. Axial flow impellers may also be mounted near the bottom of the cylindrical wall of the
vessel.

Radial flow impellers have blades which are parallel to the axis of the drive shaft. The smaller multi-
blade ones are known as turbines and the ones that is larger, slower-speed impeller with two or four
blades are often called paddles. The diameter of a turbines is normally between 0.3 and 0.6 of the tank
diameter. They should be specified for high head and low flow conditions.

Baffles are usually needed to stop the swirl in a mixing tank and without baffles the tangential velocity
coming from any impeller will causes the entire fluid mass to spin. The straight flat plate of a metal
that run along the straight side of vertically oriented cylindrical tank or vessel were the most common
type of baffles.

There is a tendency for a swirling flow pattern to form in the tank without the baffles regardless the
type of the impellers. A vortex is produced owing to centrifugal force acting on the rotating liquid but
there is a limit to the rotational speed that may be used, since one the vortex reaches the impeller and
the severe air entrainment might be occur. The swirling mass of the liquids normally created an
oscillating in tank that might create a large fluctuating force acting on the mixer.

For baffles tank, for vigorous agitation of thin suspensions, the tank is provided with baffles which flat
vertical strips set radially along the tanks wall. Four baffles are almost always adequate. A common
baffle width is 1:10 to 1:12 of the tanks diameter. Baffles are usually used with the turbine impellers or
the axial flow impellers for the Reynolds number greater than 10,000.

For the Reynolds number between 10-10,000 which is in the transient region, the width of the
baffles have been reduced to the standard width. Partial length baffles have been used if the
circulation pattern is satisfactory in the tank without the baffles and the vortex creates problem and
the length of the baffles extend about 1/3 of the liquid volume.

For the Reynolds number that are less than 10 which is in the region of the laminar flow the
consumption of the power are still the same whether in the present of the baffles or without the baffles.
The flow pattern may be affected by the baffles but not always advantageously. The baffles are usually
placed on or two widths radially in order to allow the fluid to circulate behind the baffles and at the
same time it will produce some axial deflection of flow.