The Effects of Curved Blade Turbine on the Hydrodynamic Structure of a Stirred Tank

Abstract

This work is aimed at studying the hydrodynamic structure in a cylindrical stirred vessel equipped with an eight-curved blade turbine. Flow fields were measured by two-dimensional particle image velocimetry (PIV) to evaluate the effect of the curved blade turbine. Velocity field, axial and radial velocity distribution, root mean square (rms) of the velocity fluctuations, vorticity, and turbulent kinetic energy were presented. Therefore, two recirculation loops were formed close to the free surface and in the bottom of the tank. Moreover, the highest value area of the vorticity is localized in the upper region of the tank which follows the same direction of the first circulation loop. The turbulent kinetic energy is maximum at the blade tip following the trailing vortices.