Investigation of Continuous-Flow Mixing of Non-Newtonian Fluids with Energy-Efficient Coaxial Mixers through Advanced Flow Visualization Techniques and Computational Fluid Dynamics

通过先进的流动可视化技术和计算流体动力学研究使用节能同轴混合器的非​​牛顿流体的连续流动混合

• 批准号: RGPIN-2019-04644
• 负责人: EinMozaffari, Farhad
• 金额: $ 2.4万
• 依托单位: Ryerson University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2019-01-01 至 2020-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=684796
• 关键词: Investigation; Continuous; Flow; Mixing; Non

Continuous-flow mixing is widely utilized in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food, polymer, wastewater treatment, chemical, and biochemical industries since it has several advantages over the batch mixing operation. For instance, it provides high production rates, improves process control, and saves operation time and labor costs by eliminating loading and unloading materials and between-cycle cleaning. However, a comprehensive study performed in our research lab demonstrates that the continuous mixing of non-Newtonian fluids with the traditional mixers is far from ideal mixing and creates non-ideal flows (e.g. channeling, recirculation, and dead zone) that significantly affect the quality of the final product. The elimination of these non-ideal flows is a difficult task and requires a considerable increase in power consumption of the traditional mixers. Our preliminary study shows that the use of the coaxial mixers (a combination of a close clearance impeller and a central impeller) is a promising approach for the mixing of non-Newtonian fluids with complex rheology in the continuous mode. Thus, there is a clear need to fully investigate the use of energy-efficient coaxial mixers in the continuous-flow mixing of non-Newtonian fluids. The long term research program goal is to develop methodology and tools to design energy-efficient mixing systems for fluids with complex rheology in the continuous mode and to incorporate process dynamics into the scale up criteria through advanced flow visualization techniques and computational fluid dynamics.***The work is of great importance to the chemical industry of Canada. Failure to provide the necessary mixing may result in severe manufacturing problems ranging from costly corrections in the plant to complete failure of a process. The annual loss due to poor mixing is estimated at $10 billion in the North America chemical industry alone [Handbook of Industrial Mixing]. The proposed research program will improve our understanding of continuous-flow mixing of complex fluids with the energy-efficient mixers and answer some of the fundamental questions about the design criteria. Applying the findings of this study will reduce the effect of non-ideal flows and improve variability reduction in the continuous mixing processes. This will lead to capital cost savings, chemical cost reduction, improved equipment design and selection, more reliable process monitoring and control, increased throughput for existing plant, improved quality of products, and more efficient use of power. Thus, the proposed research will contribute to the increased economic activity of the Canadian chemical industry, and will impact our society, quality of life, health and environment. It will also contribute to the education and training of HQP in the field of mixing technology, rheology, advanced flow visualization techniques (e.g. tomography and ultrasonic velocimetry), computational fluid dynamics, dynamic modeling and identification.

连续流混合广泛应用于制药、化妆品、食品、聚合物、废水处理、化学和生物化学工业，因为它比间歇混合操作具有若干优点。例如，它提供了高生产率，改善了过程控制，并通过消除装卸材料和循环间清洁来节省操作时间和劳动力成本。然而，在我们的研究实验室进行的一项全面研究表明，非牛顿流体与传统混合器的连续混合远非理想的混合，并会产生非理想的流动（例如沟道，再循环和死区），这些流动会显著影响最终产品的质量。消除这些非理想流是一项艰巨的任务，并且需要显著增加传统混合器的功耗。我们的初步研究表明，同轴混合器（一个紧密的间隙叶轮和中心叶轮的组合）的使用是一个很有前途的方法，在连续模式下的非牛顿流体与复杂的流变性的混合。因此，显然需要充分研究在非牛顿流体的连续流混合中使用节能同轴混合器。长期研究计划的目标是开发方法和工具，以连续模式为具有复杂流变性的流体设计节能混合系统，并通过先进的流动可视化技术和计算流体动力学将过程动力学纳入放大标准。这项工作对加拿大的化学工业具有重要意义。不能提供必要的混合可能导致严重的制造问题，从工厂中昂贵的校正到过程的完全失败。据估计，仅在北美化学工业中，每年因混合不良而造成的损失就达100亿美元[工业混合手册]。拟议的研究计划将提高我们的理解复杂流体的连续流动混合与节能混合器，并回答一些基本问题的设计标准。应用这项研究的结果将减少非理想流动的影响，并改善连续混合过程中的可变性降低。这将导致资本成本节约，化学品成本降低，改进设备设计和选择，更可靠的过程监测和控制，增加现有工厂的吞吐量，提高产品质量，更有效地使用电力。因此，拟议的研究将有助于增加加拿大化学工业的经济活动，并将影响我们的社会，生活质量，健康和环境。它还将有助于HQP在混合技术，流变学，先进的流动可视化技术（如层析成像和超声波测速），计算流体动力学，动态建模和识别领域的教育和培训。