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Characterization of mixing in shaker table containers
1Chemical Engineering Department North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, North Carolina 27411, USA.
Biotechnology and Bioengineering
|March 25, 1992
Summary
This study investigates shaker table beaker mixing using dye dispersion to determine mixing times across laminar and turbulent regimes. Results provide a correlation for scaling mixing processes from lab to pilot scale.
Area of Science:
- Chemical Engineering
- Fluid Dynamics
- Process Intensification
Background:
- Efficient mixing is crucial for chemical processes.
- Shaker tables offer a method for mixing in beakers, but their performance across different flow regimes requires detailed study.
- Understanding mixing dynamics is key for process optimization and scale-up.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally determine mixing times in shaker table beakers.
- To investigate the influence of various parameters on mixing efficiency.
- To establish a correlation for scaling mixing operations.
Main Methods:
- Utilized dye dispersion as a quantitative tracer to measure mixing times.
- Conducted experiments across a range of conditions, from laminar to turbulent flow regimes.
- Systematically varied rotational speed, material volume, and viscosity.
Main Results:
- Characterized different flow patterns within the beakers during mixing.
- Determined the transition Reynolds number (Re) between flow regimes.
- Quantified the impact of rotational speed, volume, and viscosity on mixing time.
Conclusions:
- Mixing time is dependent on flow regime, rotational speed, volume, and viscosity.
- A graphical correlation was developed to predict mixing times.
- The findings facilitate the scale-up of shaker table mixing from laboratory to pilot scale.
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