Abstract
Because the mixing efficiency is influenced remarkably by varying the geometrical configurations, the study of flow characteristics inside the mechanical agitator is very important to improve the performances. The draught tube in the agitator makes intermixing between the screw and tube by interrupting radial flow, and it makes circulation region in a mixing chamber. In general, the helical screw agitator with a draught tube (HSA) is proved more efficient to mix than the others. Consequently, such as the shapes of helical screw, number of pitches and the variation of angular velocity are the main parameters for improving the capacity of HSA. And also the suspension of the solid particles in the agitator can be determined these parameters. The rate of solids suspension in the mixing chamber was quantified with a statistical average value, of. Numerical analyses were carried out, using a commercial CFD code, Fluent, to obtain the velocity, pressure and particle distributions under steady, laminar flow and no-slip conditions. Results are graphically depicted with various parameters.
