(100e) Comparing Full Tank Flow Field Predictions in Turbulent Mixing Tanks Using Finite Volume and Lattice Boltzmann Computational Fluid Dynamics Approaches.

For applications where reactants are added far from the regions of high intensity mixing, for example near the top surface, the flow patterns in the full vessel may be important for predicting local mixing rates. The flow driven by many impellers results in a wall jet that rises up towards the surface before returning to the impeller region. Some previous work has investigated the wall jet experimentally as in Bittorf and Kresta [1] and computationally as in Bhattacharya and Kresta [2].

This work compares the predictions of the wall jet behavior into the bulk of the tank using Large Eddy Simulation using finite volume and lattice Boltzmann approaches in different tank systems. We will compare results across the simulation techniques and also against experimental flow field data from literature where available. We will discuss the prediction power of CFD using these different approaches, and the possible mechanisms that cause the differences in prediction.

[1] KJ Bittorf, SM Kresta. AICHE Journal, 2001.

[2] S Bhattacharya, S Kresta. Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering. 2002