The mixing of viscous
Newtonian fluids was investigated in experiments
by means of decolorization visualization. Various inclined shaft and
offset impeller configurations were tested to develop complete mixing
with less energy consumption. It was found that isolated mixing regions
could be more easily destroyed with larger angles of inclination,
for example, 30°. A specific energy parameter was introduced
to quantify the energy required for complete homogenization based
on the mixing time and the specific power input. It was found that
an increased shaft angle reduces the specific energy required for
complete mixing. The results suggested that operating an angled-shaft
system at higher speeds is more energy-efficient. It was also found
that increased eccentricity and reduced impeller-to-bottom clearance
generally lead to reduced specific energy consumption for homogenization.
The CFD results confirmed that breaking the spatial symmetry in an
angled-shaft system leads to destruction of the regular regions in
the mixing tank. In addition, the CFD simulations showed that liquid
blending and particle dispersion can both be enhanced by using inclined-shaft
systems.
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