Vibration of the mixing impellers used in polymer production reactors

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Polymers are a valuable export commodity for Canadian industry that adds value to our natural petroleum resources. Polymer production is also a competitive industry that requires a high degree of reliability and a minimum of uncertainty in the operation of process equipment. The reactors that mix the feedstock with catalyst at high pressure and temperature are key components of the production process. The present grant application proposes to conduct research in collaboration with Nova Chemicals into the vibration of the mixing impellers that are an essential component of the reactor. The research objectives include the development of a reduced order rotor-dynamic computer simulation tool, refined using a combination of experiment and LES CFD modelling, that permits the prediction of mixing impeller vibration amplitude, frequency, and stability limits. The availability of such an engineering tool would facilitate maintenance planning and failure diagnosis.