(290a) CFD Role in Understanding Mixing Processes

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has helped the design and understanding of many industrial processes. This talk will focus on the role that CFD has played in Mixing, the main research area of Dr. Oldshue, whose memory is honored in this lecture. Some practical examples will be shown, and a more detailed description of two works described in the literature will be discussed: 1. A methodology where an optimization method is coupled to a CFD-based methodology to design a new impeller for solid suspension, and 2. A methodology to obtain a Nusselt equation for the heat-transfer coefficient in jackets and internal coils with the use of CFD without any experimental data. These two examples will illustrate the impact that CFD has had in the understanding and prediction of important stirred tank design data. The methodology to obtain the Nusselt number equation with the use of CFD is compared with the classical experimental work of Oldshue and Gretton (1954) for tanks heated (or cooled) with internal helical coils. The final Nusselt correlation was compared with all the 107 experimental points of the work by Oldshue and Gretton (1954), with an average deviation on the results of 10.7 %.