Power Consumption and Mixing Intensity of Jet Flow Mixer in Industrial Tank

Abstract

A jet flow mixer is a novel agitator type widely used in the industry. However, scientific research has yet to be conducted on this impeller type. In this study, six types of fluids with various properties widely used in the paint industry were chosen to calculate the positioning of the jet flow mixer in the tank. Calculations were performed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software and validated using literature data. Simulations were conducted to consider the inside of the jet flow mixer and the inside of the tank. The initial calculations made for jet flow mixers allowed the determination of volume flow and power numbers for three types of mixers (propeller agitator and Pitched Blade Turbine with three and four blades). Those parameters were then used in subsequent calculations, obtaining the optimal inclination angle of the agitator and power consumption for each considered case. The jet flow mixer with a propeller impeller positioned at an angle of 45° proved to be the choice to achieve the best results.