Retrospect and Perspective of Micro-mixing Studies in Stirred Tanks

Abstract

Abstract: Mixing problems are most likely encountered and sometimes can be severe in scaling-up projects.Micro-mixing is an important aspect for fast or quasi-instantaneous reactions.Poor micro-mixing might produce more undesired by-products,leading to higher purification costs.This paper gives an extensive review and analysis of micro-mixing studies in single-and multiphase stirred tanks.The relevant experiment techniques,micro-mixing models and numerical approaches are critically reviewed and analyzed with remarks and perspectives.The reported studies on two-phase micro-mixing experiments and on the impact of the presence of the dispersed phases on turbu-lence have been limited to a narrow range of conditions.More importantly,disparities widely exist among different reports.Both Lagrangian and Eulerian models are based on oversimplified assumptions,which may lead to uncertainties or even unrealistic results.A heuristic model,which is from the perspective of CFD(computational fluid dynamics) and can cover the whole spectrum of scales and also focus on every sub-process,is desired in the future.

Key words: micro-mixing, multiphase, micro-mixing model, stirred tank, computational fluid dynamics

摘要： Mixing problems are most likely encountered and sometimes can be severe in scaling-up projects.Micro-mixing is an important aspect for fast or quasi-instantaneous reactions.Poor micro-mixing might produce more undesired by-products,leading to higher purification costs.This paper gives an extensive review and analysis of micro-mixing studies in single-and multiphase stirred tanks.The relevant experiment techniques,micro-mixing models and numerical approaches are critically reviewed and analyzed with remarks and perspectives.The reported studies on two-phase micro-mixing experiments and on the impact of the presence of the dispersed phases on turbu-lence have been limited to a narrow range of conditions.More importantly,disparities widely exist among different reports.Both Lagrangian and Eulerian models are based on oversimplified assumptions,which may lead to uncertainties or even unrealistic results.A heuristic model,which is from the perspective of CFD(computational fluid dynamics) and can cover the whole spectrum of scales and also focus on every sub-process,is desired in the future.

关键词: micro-mixing, multiphase, micro-mixing model, stirred tank, computational fluid dynamics

CLC Number:

TQ027.2

CHENG Jingcai, FENG Xin, CHENG Dang, YANG Chao. Retrospect and Perspective of Micro-mixing Studies in Stirred Tanks[J]. Chin.J.Chem.Eng., 2012, 20(1): 178-190.

程景才, 冯鑫, 程荡, 杨超. Retrospect and Perspective of Micro-mixing Studies in Stirred Tanks[J]. Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2012, 20(1): 178-190.

References

1 Fox,R.O.,Computational Models for Turbulent Reacting Flows,Cambridge University Press,Cambridge(2003).
2 Xu,S.,Feng,L.,Wang,K.,"Mixing in the production of polybutadiene rubber",China Elastomerics,6(4),49-52(1996).(in Chinese)
3 Pohorecki,R.,Baldyga,J.,"New model of micromixing in chemical reactors(1)General development and application to a tubular reactor",Ind.Eng.Chem.Fund.,22,392-397(1983).
4 Baldyga,J.,Bourne,J.R.,"A fluid-mechanical approach to turbulent mixing and chemical reaction.Part 2.Micromixing in the light of turbulence theory",Chem.Eng.Commun.,28,243-258(1984).
5 Baldyga,J.,Pohorecki,R.,"Turbulent micromixing in chemical reactors—a review",Chem.Eng.J.,58(2),183-195(1995).
6 Baldyga,J.,Bourne,J.R.,Turbulent Mixing and Chemical Reactions,Wiley,New York(1999).
7 Bourne,J.R.,Kozicki,F.,Rys,P.,"Mixing and fast chemical reaction(Ⅰ)Test reactions to determine segregation",Chem.Eng.Sci.,36 (10),1643-1648(1981).
8 Bourne,J.R.,Yu,S.,"Investigation of micromixing in stirred tank reactors using parallel reactions",Ind.Eng.Chem.Res.,33,41-55 (1994).
9 Villermaux,J.,Fournier,M.C.,"Potential use of a new parallel reaction systems to characterize micromixing in stirred tank",AIChE Symp.Ser.299,90,50-54(1994).
10 Guichardon,P.,Falk,L.,Andrieu,M.,"Experimental comparison of the iodide-iodate and the diazo coupling micromixing test reactions in stirred reactors",Trans.IChemE,79,906-914(2001).
11 Wang,Z.,"Numerical simulation and experimental study of mixing and precipitation in stirred tank",Ph.D.Thesis,Institute of Process Engineering,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing,China(2005). (in Chinese)
12 Assirelli,M.,Bujalski,W.,Eaglesham,A.,Nienow,A.W.,"Intensifying micromixing in a semi-batch reactor using a rushton turbine",Chem.Eng.Sci.,60(8-9),2333-2339(2005).
13 Guichardon,P.,Falk,L.,Fournier,M.C.,Villermaux,J.,"Study of micromixing in a liquid-solid suspension in a stirred tank",AIChE Symp.Ser.305,91,123-130(1995).
14 Barresi,A.A.,"Experimental investigation of interaction between turbulent liquid flow and solid particles and its effects on fast reactions",Chem.Eng.Sci.,52,807-814(1997).
15 Hofinge,J.,Sharpe,R.W.,Bujalski,W.,Bakalis,S.,Assirelli,M.,Eaglesham,A.,Nienow,A.W.,"Micromixing in two-phase(g-l and s-l)systems in a stirred tank",Can.J.Chem.Eng.,89,1029-1039 (2011).
16 Barresi,A.A.,"Selectivity of mixing-sensitive reactions in slurry systems",Chem.Eng.Sci.,55,1929-1933(2000).
17 Gore,R.A.,Crowe,C.T.,"Effect of particle size on modulating turbulent intensity",Int.J.Multiphase Flow,15(2),279-285(1989).
18 Unadkat,H.,Rielly,C.D.,Hargrave,G.K.,Nagy,Z.K.,"Application of fluorescent PIV and digital image analysis to measure turbulence properties of solid-liquid stirred suspensions",Chem.Eng.Res.Des.,87(4),573-586(2009).
19 Montante,G.,Occulti,M.H.,Magelli,F.,Paglianti,A.,"PIV measurements of mean flow and turbulence modulation in dilute solid-liquid stirred tanks",In:15th Int.Symp.on Appl.of Laser Techniques to Fluid Mechanics,Lisbon,Portugal(2010).
20 Zhang,Q.H.,"Experimental and numerical study of macro-mixing and micro-mixing in a stirred tank",Ph.D.Thesis,Institute of Process Engineering,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing,China (2009).(in Chinese)
21 Lin,W.W.,Lee,D.J.,"Micromixing effects in aerated stirred tank",Chem.Eng.Sci.,52(21),3837-3842(1997).
22 Brilman,D.W.F.,Antink,R.,van Swaaij,W.P.M.,Versteeg,G.F.,"Experimental study of the effect of bubbles,drops and particles on the product distribution for a mixing sensitive,parallel-consecutive reaction system",Chem.Eng.Sci.,54(13-14),2325-2337(1999).
23 Zhao,D.,Muller-Steinhagen,H.,Smith,J.M.,"Micromixing in boliling and hot sparged systems—Development of a new reaction pair",Trans.IChemE,80,880-886(2002).
24 Curl,R.L.,"Dispersed phase mixing(1)Theory and effects in simple reactors",AIChE J.,9(2),175-181(1963).
25 Mehta,R.V.,Tarbell,J.M.,"Four environment model of mixing and chemical reaction.Part Ⅰ.Model development",AIChE J.,29,320-329(1983).
26 Villermaux,J.,Devillon,J.C.,"Representation de la coalescence et de la redispersion des domaines de segregation dans un fluide par un modele d'interaction phenomenologique",In:Proc.Second Intern. Symp.on Chem.React.Eng.,Amsterdam,the Netherlands,1-13 (1972).
27 Fox,R.O.,Erjaee,G.,Zou,Q.,"Bifurcation and stability analysis of micromixing effects in the chlorite-iodide reaction",Chem.Eng.Sci.,49,3465-3484(1994).
28 Pohorecki,R.,Baldyga,J.,"The inluence of intensity of mixing on the rate of precipitation",In:Proc.Industrial Crystallization′78,North-Holland,Amsterdam,249-258(1979).
29 Baldyga,J.,Bourne,J.R.,"A fluid-mechanical approach to turbulent mixing and chemical reaction.Part 3.Computational and experimental results for the new micromixing model",Chem.Eng.Commun.,28,259-281(1984).
30 Baldyga,J.,Bourne,J.R.,"Simplification of micromixing calculations(Ⅰ)Derivation and application of new model",Chem.Eng.J.,42,83-92(1989).
31 Baldyga,J.,Bourne,J.R.,Hearn,S.J.,"Interaction between chemical reactions and mixing on various scales",Chem.Eng.Sci.,52,457-466(1997).
32 Li,X.,Chen,G.T.,Chen,J.F.,"Simplified framework for description of mixing with chemical reactions(1)Physical picture of micro-and macromixing",Chin.J.Chem.Eng.,4(4),311-321(1996).
33 Li,X.,Chen,G.T.,"Simplified framework for description of mixing with chemical reactions(2)Chemical reactions in the different mixing regions",Chin.J.Chem.Eng.,4(4),322-332(1996).
34 Baldyga,J.,Podgorska,W.,Pohorecki,R.,"Mixing-precipitation model with application to double feed semibatch precipitation",Chem.Eng.Sci.,50(8),1281-1300(1995).
35 Akiti,O.,Armenante,P.M.,"Experimentally-validated micromixing-based CFD model for fed-batch stirred-tank reactors",AIChE J.,50(3),566-577(2004).
36 Phillips,R.,Rohani,S.,Baldyga,J.,"Micromixing in a single-feed semi-batch precipitation process",AIChE J.,45(1),82-92(1999).
37 Ranade,V.V.,Bourne,J.R.,"Reactive mixing in agitated tanks",Chem.Eng.Commun.,99,33-53(1991).
38 Toor,H.L.,"Turbulent mixing of two species with and without chemical reactions",Ind.Eng.Chem.Fundam.,8,655-659(1969).
39 Patterson,G.K.,"Application of turbulence fundamentals to reactor modelling and scaleup",Chem.Eng.Commun.,8,25-52(1981).
40 Baldyga,J.,Bourne,J.R.,"Comparison of the engulfment and the interaction-by-exchange-with-the-mean micromixing models",Chem. Eng.J.,45,25-31(1990).
41 Marchisio,D.L.,Barresi,A.A.,Fox,R.O.,"Simulation of turbulent precipitation in a semi-batch taylor-couette reactor using CFD",AIChE J.,47(3),664-676(2001).
42 Wang,Z.,Zhang,Q.H.,Yang,C.,Mao,Z.S.,Shen,X.Q.,"Simulation of barium sulfate precipitation using CFD and FM-PDF modeling in a continuous stirred tank",Chem.Eng.Technol.,30(12),1642-1649(2007).
43 Veroli,G.d.,Rigopoulos,S.,"Modeling of turbulent precipitation:a transported population balance-PDF method",AIChE J.,56(4),878-892(2010).
44 Öncül,A.A.,Janiga,G.,Thévenin,D.,"Comparison of various micromixing approaches for computational fluid dynamics simulation of barium sulfate precipitation in tubular reactors",Ind.Eng.Chem. Res.,48,999-1007(2009).
45 Meyer,D.W.,Jenny,P.,"Micromixing models for turbulent flows",J. Comput.Phy.,228,1275-1293(2009).
46 Meyer,D.W.,Jenny,P.,"A mixing model for turbulent flows based on parameterized scalar profiles",Phys.Fluids,18(3),035105(2006).
47 Valino,L.,"A field Monte Carlo formulation for calculating the probability density function of a single scalar in a turbulent flow",Flow Turbul.Combust.,60(2),157-172(1998).
48 Akroyd,J.,Smith,A.J.,McGlashan,L.R.,Kraft,M.,"Comparison of the stochastic fields method and DQMoM-IEM as turbulent reaction closures",Chem.Eng.Sci.,65,5429-5441(2010).
49 Jones,W.P.,Navarro-Martinez,S.,"Numerical study of n-heptane autoignition using LES-PDF methods",Flow Turbul.Combust.,83 (3),407-423(2009).
50 Pope,S.B.,Turbulent Flows,Cambridge University Press,Cambridge(2000).
51 Kerstein,A.R.,"A linear-eddy model of turbulent scalar transport and mixing",Combust.Sci.Technol.,60(4-6),391-421(1988).
52 Colucci,P.J.,Jaberi,F.A.,Givi,P.,Pope,S.B.,"Filtered density function for large eddy simulation of turbulent reacting flows",Phys. Fluids,10(2),499-515(1998).

[1]	Lijuan Zhao, Zhe Tan, Xiaoguang Zhang, Qijun Zhang, Wei Wang, Qiang Deng, Jie Ma, De'an Pan. Research on process modeling and simulation of spent lead paste desulfurization enhanced reactor [J]. Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2023, 60(8): 293-303.
[2]	Qi Yang, Weikang Dai, Maoshuai Li, Jie Wei, Yi Feng, Cheng Yang, Wanxin Yang, Ying Zheng, Jie Ding, Mei-Yan Wang, Xinbin Ma. Enhanced selective hydrogenation of glycolaldehyde to ethylene glycol over Cu⁰-Cu⁺ sites [J]. Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2023, 57(5): 141-150.
[3]	Chengang Yang, Huaizhi Han, Quan Zhu, Xiangyuan Li. Cracking and buoyancy effect on hydrocarbon endothermic and heat transfer characteristics in rectangular mini-channel [J]. Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2023, 56(4): 242-254.
[4]	Shuangfei Zhao, Yingying Nie, Wenyan Zhang, Runze Hu, Lianzhu Sheng, Wei He, Ning Zhu, Yuguang Li, Dong Ji, Kai Guo. Microfluidic field strategy for enhancement and scale up of liquid–liquid homogeneous chemical processes by optimization of 3D spiral baffle structure [J]. Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2023, 56(4): 255-265.
[5]	Qi Han, Xin-Yuan Zhang, Hai-Bo Wu, Xian-Tai Zhou, Hong-Bing Ji. Different efficiency toward the biomimetic aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol in microchannel and bubble column reactors: Hydrodynamic characteristics and gas–liquid mass transfer [J]. Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2023, 55(3): 84-92.
[6]	Songsong Wang, Hong Li, Changyuan Tao, Renlong Liu, Yundong Wang, Zuohua Liu. Study on cavern evolution and performance of three mixers in agitation of yield-pseudoplastic fluids [J]. Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2023, 55(3): 111-122.
[7]	Yongbo Zhou, Yang Jin, Jun Li, Qinyan Wang, Ming Chen. Numerical study on the hydrodynamics behavior of a central insert microchannel [J]. Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2023, 53(1): 361-373.
[8]	Tianpeng LiZhou, Jiajia Luo, Tiefeng Wang. Enhancement of acetylene and ethylene yields in partially decoupled oxidation of ethane by changing the composition of heat carrier [J]. Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2022, 47(7): 71-78.
[9]	Zewen Chen, Yongjun Wu, Jian Wang, Peicheng Luo. Study on the solid–liquid suspension behavior in a tank stirred by the long-short blades impeller [J]. Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2022, 47(7): 79-88.
[10]	Liying Chen, Junheng Guo, Wenpeng Li, Shuchun Zhao, Wei Li, Jinli Zhang. A numerical study of mixing intensification for highly viscous fluids in multistage rotor–stator mixers [J]. Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2022, 47(7): 218-230.
[11]	Shidong Xue, Jingkun Han, Xi Xi, Junyi Zhao, Zhong Lan, Rongfu Wen, Xuehu Ma. Rapid velocity reduction and drift potential assessment of off-nozzle pesticide droplets [J]. Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2022, 46(6): 243-254.
[12]	Zijun Li, Shubo Wang, Sai Yao, Xueke Wang, Weiwei Li, Tong Zhu, Xiaofeng Xie. Experimental and numerical study on improvement performance by wave parallel flow field in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell [J]. Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2022, 45(5): 90-102.
[13]	Yongjun Wu, Pan You, Peicheng Luo. Effect of pitched short blades on the flow characteristics in a stirred tank with long-short blades impeller [J]. Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2022, 45(5): 143-152.
[14]	Ning Liu, Xingping Liu, Fumin Wang, Feng Xin, Mingshuai Sun, Yi Zhai, Xubin Zhang. CFD simulation study of the effect of baffles on the fluidized bed for hydrogenation of silicon tetrachloride [J]. Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2022, 45(5): 219-228.
[15]	He Yang, Aqiang Chen, Shujun Geng, Jingcai Cheng, Fei Gao, Qingshan Huang, Chao Yang. Influences of fluid physical properties, solid particles, and operating conditions on the hydrodynamics in slurry reactors [J]. Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2022, 44(4): 51-71.