Chapter 16: Blending and Agitation

Rules of Thumb for Chemical Engineers, 5th Edition

by Stephen Hall

This Excel workbook includes Visual Basic for Application function subroutines.
Macros must be enabled for them to work.

ChemEng Software sells an Excel template called PIPESIZE.

www.chemengsoftware.com
PIPESIZE sizes pipes for gases and liquids. It includes a database of properties for piping materials, fluids, roughness values,
Order on-line or by telephone, 24-h/d; credit cards accepted.
 Problem Statement:
Calculate the blend time for a mixer with one or two impellers

Inputs SI Units
Fluid
Mixing purpose
Degree of agitation
ro Fluid density kg/m3 1000
mu Fluid viscosity kg/m-s 0.001

Tank Geometry
T Diameter m 3
H Filled Height m 3.5

Impeller
Lowest impeller
Type
D1 Diameter m 2
W1 Projected blade height m
L1 Distance to mounting flange m
L' Distance to lower bearing m
C Distance off bottom m

Second impeller
Type
D2 Diameter m 2
W2 Projected blade height m
L2 Distance to mounting flange m

N Speed rps 1.42

Baffles
Number of baffles 4
B Baffle width m 0.25
Space between baffle and wall m 0.041667

Data Lookup and Calculations

Nre Reynolds number 12780000
gc Conversion factor 1
NQ Pumping number 0.8
Q Pumping capacity m3/s 9.088
NP Power number - lower impeller 1.3
P Power W 119112.8

NP Power number - upper impeller 1.3

P Power W 119112.8

P Total power (assume additive) W 238225.6

Mixing zone calculation, Np^(1/3) * Nre 13948001

Mixing zone Turbulent

Theta95 Mixing time, 95% uniformity s 9

Desired mixing uniformity 99%

Adjusted mixing time s 14.2

Volume m3 24.74004
Turnovers, 95% uniformity 3.40
 US Units

lb/ft3 62.43
lb/ft-s 0.000672

ft 9.84252
ft 11.48294

ft 6.56168
ft 0
ft 0
ft 0
ft 0

ft 6.56168
ft 0
ft 0

rps 1.42

4
ft 0.82021
ft 0.136702

12778151
32.17
0.8
ft3/s 320.9397
 1.3
ft-lbf/s 87867.01
hp 159.7582

1.3
ft-lbf/s 87867.01

ft-lbf/s 175734
hp 319.5164

13945983
Turbulent

99%
14.2

ft3 873.6863
3.40
 Problem Statement:
Calculate power and blend time for a helical ribbon impeller working in the
laminar flow range

Inputs SI Units US Units

Fluid
Mixing purpose Blend
ro Fluid density kg/m3 1000 lb/ft3
mu Fluid viscosity kg/m-s 100 lb/ft-s

Tank Geometry
T Diameter m 3 ft
H Filled Height m 3.5 ft

Helical Ribbon Geometry

D Diameter m 2.85 ft
h Overall height of impeller m 3.5 ft
p Pitch (height of one turn) m 0.5 ft
w Blade width m 0.285 ft
nb Number of blades 2

N Speed rps 0.1 rps

gc Conversion factor 1

Calculations
c wall clearance m 0.075 ft
clearance % of tank diameter 2.5%

Kp Power factor for helical ribbon 807.1066

P Power W 18683.81 ft-lb/s
hp

Theta Blend time s 109.5456

US Units

62.43
67.20882

9.84252
11.48294

9.350394
11.48294
1.64042
0.935039
2

0.1
32.17

0.246063

807.1066
13784.65
25.063

109.5456
 Problem Statement:
Estimate the settling velocity of solids in liquid

Inputs SI Units
Solids
Descriptive Spheres
ps density kg/m3 1,100
dn nominal diameter mm 1.0
solids concentration in slurry wt % 55%
Liquid
p density kg/m3 1,000
u dynamic viscosity Pa-s 0.0010
v kinematic viscosity cSt 1.0

Other
g gravitational acceleration m/s2 9.80

Calculations and Results

s specific gravity, solids 1.10
A formula coefficient A 0.79
B formula coefficient B 4.61
S* dimensionless particle parameter 7.83
W* dimensionless settling velocity 0.72
terminal settling velocity 2.26
correction factor 1.85
ws settling velocity cm/s 4.19

Data
Coefficients for Equation A B
Crushed 0.995 5.211
Natural Sediment 0.954 5.121
Well-Rounded 0.89 4.974
Spheres 0.794 4.606
Correction for Solids Concentration Solids% Factor
0 0.75
2 0.8
5 0.84
10 0.91
15 1
20 1.1
25 1.2
30 1.3
35 1.42
40 1.55
45 1.7
50 1.85
 US Units

Spheres
lb/ft3 68.53
in 0.039
wt % 55%

lb/ft3 62.30
cP 1.0
cSt 1.0

ft/s2 32.17

1.10
0.79
4.61
7.83
0.72
4.46
1.85
ft/min 8.25

Result
 Problem Statement:
Calculate the ungassed and gassed power required in an agitated vessel designed for gas
dispersion

Inputs SI Units
Geometry and Parameters
T Tank diameter m 1.30
D Impeller diameter m 0.52
Impeller speed rpm 42
NP Power number 5.0

Liquid
H Liquid height m 3.77
pL Density, liquid kg/m3 1,000
uL Viscosity, liquid Pa-s 0.0010

Gas
Gas flow rate, actual am3/h 14

Other
g Gravitational acceleration m/s2 9.81
gc Conversion factor m/s2 1.00

Calculations
A Tank cross-section m2 1.33
V Volume m3 5.00
v Superficial gas velocity m/s 0.003

QG Gas flow rate, actual m3/s 0.004

N Impeller speed rps 0.70

NFl Gas Flow Number 0.040

NFr Impeller Froude Number 0.03

D/T Impeller ratio 0.40

No discernable action
Gas Dispersion Regime Flooding

Gas Flow number at transition 0.04

RPD at transition 0.86
RPD Relative Power Demand 0.85
Nre Reynolds Number
P Power, ungassed W 65
pG Power, gassed W 56

Data Results

N P Regime
40 49 No discernable actionFloo
60 152
Regenerate Power
Curve 80 360
100 713
120 1,255
140 2,025
160 3,067 Recirculating
180 4,421 Recirculating
200 6,131 Recirculating
220 8,237 Recirculating
240 10,782 Recirculating
260 13,808 Recirculating
280 17,358 Recirculating
300 21,472 Recirculating
320 26,194 Recirculating
340 31,565 Recirculating
360 37,628 Recirculating
380 44,425 Recirculating
400 51,998 Recirculating
420 60,388 Recirculating
440 69,639 Recirculating
460 79,792 Recirculating
sel designed for gas

US Units

ft 4.27
ft 1.71
rpm 42
5.0

ft 12.37
lb/ft3 62.3
lb/ft-s 0.00067

acfm 8

ft/s2 32.17
ft/s2 32.17

ft2 14.29
ft3 176.7
ft/s 0.010

ft3/s 0.14
rps 0.70

0.040
0.03

0.40

No discernable action
Flooding

0.04
0.86
 0.85

hp 0.09
hp 0.07

Results

Ungassed Power, W
100,000
o discernable actionFlooding

10,000

ecirculating
ecirculating
ecirculating
ecirculating 1,000
ecirculating
ecirculating
ecirculating
ecirculating
ecirculating 100
ecirculating
ecirculating
ecirculating
ecirculating
ecirculating 10
10 100
ecirculating
ecirculating Impeller Speed, rp
 100 1000
Impeller Speed, rpm
 Problem Statement:
Calculate shaft diameter, torque, and first critical speed, for up to 3 identical impellers on one shaft. Assume that
power is equally distributed among the impellers.

Inputs SI Units
Impellers
D Diameter m 0.660
Number of impellers 2
Np Power Number 5.0
fH Hydraulic service factor 1.0
Shaft
Np Speed rps 2.08
L Shaft length from bottom bearing m 4.22
Sb Bearing span, Sb m 0.30
Distance between impellers m 2.01
Modulus of elasticity N/m2 1.97E+11
Shaft density kg/m3 8,027
Allowable shear stress N/m2 4.10E+07
Allowable tensile stress N/m2 6.90E+07
Mixture
ro Density of mixed liquid kg/m3 1,000
P Power, total W 5,588

Intermediate Calculations
Geometry and Power - impeller-specific
Shaft length, top impeller m NA
Shaft length, middle impeller m 2.21
Shaft length, bottom impeller m 4.22
Power per impeller W 2,794
Weight of blades, per impeller
hydrofoil kg 7.35
4-blade PBT kg 5.70

Calculations
Torque N-m 434
Bending moment (maximum) N-m 626

Shaft diameter
Based on shear m 0.05
mm 45.57
Based on tensile m 0.05
mm 46.79
Selected shaft diameter mm 50
Weight of hub
Read from chart kg 9.0

Total weight for each impeller with hub

hydrofoil kg 16.35
W 4-blade PBT kg 14.70

Equivalent weight, not including shaft

We hydrofoil kg 18.71
4-blade PBT kg 16.81

Natural frequency - First Critical Speed

hydrofoil rps 1.24
4-blade PBT rps 1.27

Data
Conversion factors for blade weight formula
hydrofoil 0.14
4-blade PBT 0.084
one shaft. Assume that

US Units

in 26.0
2
5.0
1.0

rpm 125.0
in 166.0
in 12.0
in 79.0
psi 2.86E+07
lb/in3 0.29
psi 6,000
psi 10,000

lb/in3 0.036
hp 7.50

in NA
in 87.0
in 166.0
hp 3.75

lb 16.2
lb 12.6

in-lbf 3,782
in-lbf 5,547

in 1.79
mm 45.37
in 1.84
mm 46.77
in 2.0
lb 20.0

lb 36.24
lb 32.58

lb 41.45
lb 37.27

rpm 76.15
rpm 78.25

Results

0.5
0.3