A REPRINT FROM THE AUGUST 1995 ISSUE OF pynemical, ngynecrin Progres CONSIDER MECHANICAL DESIGN OF AGITATORS Julian B. Fasano, Jerry L. Miller, and Steve A. Pasley Chemineer, Inc.Consider Mechanical Design of Agitators Accounting for hydraulic and mechanical forces will help eliminate problems of undue vibration and ensure a properly- designed support structure, ‘and Stove A. Pasley, ‘Chem noe, re. isitators correctly designed fom a process standpoint must be just as accurately designed from mechanical standpoint Many of the mechanical factors involved in the design of an agitator were covered in the 1970s by Hill and Kime (J), and Ram sey and Zoller (2). Newer tools and igor: ‘mation suggest a revisit ofthis ae Most agitators consist of a shaft and im- peller system, as shown in Figure 1. En neering analysis may re- quire that some agitators use a bearing at the bot- tom of the tank to add sionally support the shaft. Shaft design must acco ‘modate hydraulic and me- chanical system loads and ‘must avoid proximity to the natural frequency. ‘Therefore. appropriate d- sign requires a determin tion of the shaft and ian ppller natural frequency. OF prime concern is the Iteral natural frequency. Dynamic methods for accurately determin natural froquency are dis ‘cussed, a8 Well as forcing sources and thei frequen- ies. Appropriate support for an agitator and the effects of structural stifness are addressed, in addition t0 iam provements in mechanical seals, fastener locking techniques, and materials of con- struction. Knowledge-based systems (KBS) and finite-element analysis (FEA) 60 + AUGUST 1965 * cHEMIcALENGINEERING PROGRESS Be Figure 1. Most agiitors consist of e shaft and impeller system have permitted 2 more precise examination cof designs and optimization. These and other areas of advancement have improved the quality, life, and operation of agitators, Dynamic tion. deflection, Critical speed or natural frequency is the frequency of free vibration of a Sys tem. Itis the frequeney at which an un damped system with a single degree of freedom will oscilate ‘upon momentary dis placement from its rest Position. ‘The operating speed of the shaft and impeller system must be sufliciently far from the systems natural frequen- ¢y (0 prevent deflections that would cause the shaft material to yield. Ramsey and Zoller (2y have covered the ele ‘ments of natural frequen- ey for a shaft and im- peller system using a Tumped-mass, static tech- nique for computing the critical speed of 1 shaft and impeller system. ‘Static models general- ly assume that there is an infinitely stiff stricture to which the agi- ot is mounted. When the structure's stiffness is sufficiently low, the static ‘model is compromised, and accurate pre- dictions of natural frequency cannot be made, Because a shaft and impeller sys-