A New Approach to Characterize Suspensions in Stirred Vessels Based on Computational Fluid Dynamics

Fluid dynamics simulations were applied for evaluating the suspension of particles in stirred vessels. The spatial distribution of particles throughout the vessel was characterized by a single parameter, here called the suspension quality (σ). Based on simulation results, a semi-empirical correlation was developed that correlated the suspension quality with the vessel geometry and solid and fluid properties, including a large variety of conditions, such as vessel and impeller diameters, impeller clearances, rotational speeds, particle densities and sizes. Comparison of the model with experimental data from the literature (Bohnet and Niesmak, 1980) suggests that the model can be extended to systems with different impeller geometries by adjustment of one single empirical parameter. The model can be used in the design of stirred vessels for the identification of the rotation speeds necessary to promote a specified suspension quality.