Research on fluid motion characteristics and structural evolution in reciprocating mixing tanks

doi:10.1016/j.cjche.2024.12.001

中国化学工程学报 ›› 2025, Vol. 79 ›› Issue (3): 120-134.DOI: 10.1016/j.cjche.2024.12.001

Research on fluid motion characteristics and structural evolution in reciprocating mixing tanks

Li Wang^1,2, Shibo Wang^1,2, Huiqiang Yang^1,2, Yuling Zhai^1,2, Jianxin Xu^1,2

1. Engineering Research Center of Metallurgical Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction, Ministry of Education, Kunming 650093, China;
2. Faculty of Metallurgical and Energy Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093, China

收稿日期:2024-09-24 修回日期:2024-11-30 接受日期:2024-12-03 出版日期:2025-03-28 发布日期:2025-01-20
通讯作者: Li Wang,E-mail:20222202221@stu.kust.edu.cn;Shibo Wang,E-mail:ph.d.wangshibo@foxmail.com
基金资助:
The authors thank the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2022YFC3902000), Yunnan Major Scientific and Technological Projects (202202AG050002; 202202AG050007), National Natural Science Foundation of China (52166004).

Research on fluid motion characteristics and structural evolution in reciprocating mixing tanks

Li Wang^1,2, Shibo Wang^1,2, Huiqiang Yang^1,2, Yuling Zhai^1,2, Jianxin Xu^1,2

1. Engineering Research Center of Metallurgical Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction, Ministry of Education, Kunming 650093, China;
2. Faculty of Metallurgical and Energy Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093, China

Received:2024-09-24 Revised:2024-11-30 Accepted:2024-12-03 Online:2025-03-28 Published:2025-01-20
Supported by:
The authors thank the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2022YFC3902000), Yunnan Major Scientific and Technological Projects (202202AG050002; 202202AG050007), National Natural Science Foundation of China (52166004).

摘要/Abstract

摘要： A new stirring method, reciprocating stirring, is developed by incorporating a periodic axial reciprocating motion into conventional stirring. This study employs computational fluid dynamics methods, utilizing volume of fluid and user-defined functions to control and analyze the flow field characteristics in a reciprocating stirred tank. Compared to conventional stirring, reciprocating stirring increases the overall fluid velocity by approximately 7.9%, turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) by 35.9% to 45.6%, and the turbulent dissipation rate by 10.6% to 15.7%. The primary reason is the dynamic integration of multiple flow regions, which enhances fluid interface interactions. Additionally, the study investigates the dynamic evolution of the vortex structure, uncovering the correlation between the impeller's start-stop behavior and the vortex area. The optimal impeller plate designs, forward sine-4/12D and reverse sine-5/12D, were determined based on the effective area of TKE. Reciprocating stirring, in comparison to conventional stirring, enhances secondary flow intensity by 67.3% to 93.7% and shortens mixing time by 56.6% to 173.0%.

关键词: Reciprocating stirring, Numerical simulation, Vortex, Chaotic properties, Mixing enhancement

Abstract: A new stirring method, reciprocating stirring, is developed by incorporating a periodic axial reciprocating motion into conventional stirring. This study employs computational fluid dynamics methods, utilizing volume of fluid and user-defined functions to control and analyze the flow field characteristics in a reciprocating stirred tank. Compared to conventional stirring, reciprocating stirring increases the overall fluid velocity by approximately 7.9%, turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) by 35.9% to 45.6%, and the turbulent dissipation rate by 10.6% to 15.7%. The primary reason is the dynamic integration of multiple flow regions, which enhances fluid interface interactions. Additionally, the study investigates the dynamic evolution of the vortex structure, uncovering the correlation between the impeller's start-stop behavior and the vortex area. The optimal impeller plate designs, forward sine-4/12D and reverse sine-5/12D, were determined based on the effective area of TKE. Reciprocating stirring, in comparison to conventional stirring, enhances secondary flow intensity by 67.3% to 93.7% and shortens mixing time by 56.6% to 173.0%.

Key words: Reciprocating stirring, Numerical simulation, Vortex, Chaotic properties, Mixing enhancement

Li Wang, Shibo Wang, Huiqiang Yang, Yuling Zhai, Jianxin Xu. Research on fluid motion characteristics and structural evolution in reciprocating mixing tanks[J]. 中国化学工程学报, 2025, 79(3): 120-134.

Li Wang, Shibo Wang, Huiqiang Yang, Yuling Zhai, Jianxin Xu. Research on fluid motion characteristics and structural evolution in reciprocating mixing tanks[J]. Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2025, 79(3): 120-134.

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Research on fluid motion characteristics and structural evolution in reciprocating mixing tanks

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