1176 CHEMICAL AND METALLURGICAL ENGINEERING Vol. 27, N0.

24

A Method of Measung Stirrer

The Measurement of Performance

Experiments
Is Suggested and
in Which It Has
Been Applied to the Ordinary
Stirrer Performance“ Paddle Stirrer Are Described—
The Surprising Efllciency of_a
Paddle Stirrer Also Is Discussed
BY J. C. WOOD, E. R. WHITTEMORE AND W. L. BADGER

HE purposes for which‘ stirrers are used may

be analyzed as follows:
1. To mix two or more mutually soluble fluids.
2. To emulsify two or more mutually insoluble fluids.
3. To hold an insoluble solid in suspension in a fiuid.’
4. To dissolve a soluble solid.
5. To mix two or more viscous, pasty or solid
materials.
Evidently the performance of any given device will
be different when applied to the various uses above
enumerated; and in many cases in practice a given de
vice will be of appreciable value only in one of the cases.
Case 4 is perhaps only a special case of case 1, since
it consists mainly of removing a film of saturated solu—
tion from the surface of the crystals and mixing it with
the bulk of the solvent. It is hoped to present a paper
soon on this phase of stirring.
The theory of stirring has never been discussed to
the writers' knowledge; nor is there in the literature
any quantitative data on the performance of any type
of stirrer, from either the standpoint of power con
sumption or time for complete mixing. The writers Fig. 1—Arrangement of apparatus
have no mathematical theory to offer. We believe, how Fig. 2—Detalls of conductivity cell
ever, that the fact that our experimental data seem to
be unique gives them importance in spite of the fact the end of one of the sampling tubes and spoil the whole
that they are purely empirical. run. This method was therefore abandoned.
Next was tried the addition of strong commercial
EXPERIMENTAL Meruons AND EQUIPMENT
hydrochloric acid, with titration of the samples. This
The tank used in this work was a wood tank about was also very slow and tedious. It took 4 to 5 hours
5 ft. in diameter by 5 ft. high, and held about 600 gal. to make a test and analyze the samples. This prelimi
It was provided with a paddle stirrer (shown in Fig. 1). nary work,'however, showed that stirring was quite
It had a vertical wood post (3x3 in.) standing in a rapid. Most of the runs indicated a time of stirring
simple step bearing and rotated by bevel gears and a of about 1 minute.
counter-shaft. To this vertical post was attached a
timber shaved off at an Tar. CONDUCTIVIT'Y METHOD FINALLY ADOPTED
blade formed of a 3x3-in.
angle of 45 deg. as indicated. This type of stirrer is Finally the twojunior authors developed a method
very common and is regularly furnished by practically based on electrical conductivity which promises to have
all makers of tanks. a wide range of usefulness. A number of crude con
The principal problem was, obviously, to determine ductivity cells were made, and mounted so that liquid
when the tank was stirred. Sampling tubes of seamless from the sampling tubes could be drawn through them.
copper % in. inside diameter were inserted at four levels Several different types were used, but the form shown
(1, 2, 3 and 4 ft. from the bottom Of the tank) and in Fig. 2 was found to be the most useful. The elec
extended in for three different radial distances at each trodes were of brass, but with alternating current no
‘
level. troubles were experienced from electrolysis. The posi
Figure 1 is a view of the inside of the tank showing tion of the upper electrode could be accurately adjusted.
these tubes. These proved to be stiff enough to hold In the tests here reported, four or five such cells were
their position with the most violent stirring used. They connected in series electrically, with a total drop of 220
were brought down the outside of the tank and all ended volts across the set. Through each one was drawn a
at a common level so that the hydrostatic head on the stream of liquid from one of the sampling tubes, and
outlet was the same for all. acrOss each one was connected a voltmeter. The elec
At first, methyl violet was used. It was added in trodes were adjusted before a test so that all the cells
the form of a paste in water. Samples Were taken had the same electrical resistance at the start.
from all tubes every 30 seconds and measured in a col The tank was first filled with city water and then a
orimeter. This was very slow and very trying on the small amount of saturated sodium chloride solution was
eyes, and the work was greatly delayed by cloudy daysl run in from a storage tank. The amount used corre
Also occasional tarry lumps of the dye would lodge in sponded to 4 lb. solid salt per foot of water in the tank.
The arrangement (shown in Fig. 1) permitted this
'l’apcr prosean at the Richmond meeting of the American
Institute of Chemical Engineers. live. 6 to 9 1‘4"" solution to be added at the bottom of the tank. The