Comparative numerical and experimental investigation of process viscometry for flows in an agitator with a flat blade turbine impeller

Hae Jin Jo; Wook Ryol Hwang; Young Ju Kim

Korea-Australia Rheology Journal, Vol.32, No.2, 137-144, May, 2020

DOI10.1007/s13367-020-0012-7 Export Citation

Comparative numerical and experimental investigation of process viscometry for flows in an agitator with a flat blade turbine impeller

Hae Jin Jo, Wook Ryol Hwang^†, and Young Ju Kim^{1, †}

School of Mechanical Engineering, Research Center for Aircraft Parts Technology (ReCAPT), Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea
¹Resources Engineering Plant Research Department, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, Pohang 37559, Republic of Korea

E-mail:,

This paper presents a method for measuring the viscosity of generalized Newtonian fluid directly in flows generated by flat-blade turbine impellers, which are commonly used for moderate mixing and dispersion. A flat-blade turbine with four blades is defined as a model system and analyzed through numerical simulations with experimental verification. Carbopol 940 solution, a high viscosity non-Newtonian fluid with a yield stress, and a bentonite based drilling mud solution were selected as test fluids. Numerical simulation techniques for flow in agitators with a yield stress was established using the rotating coordinate system and flow solutions were validated with experiments by comparing the torque on the impeller shaft. The Metzner-Otto constant and the energy dissipation rate constant were predicted by numerical simulations using the Metzner-Otto correlation and validated via experiments. The effective viscosity that reproduces total energy dissipation rate identical to that of a Newtonian fluid was obtained from both numerical and experimental methods at different impeller speeds, from which the material viscosity curve was established as a function of the shear rate. The accuracy of viscosity prediction was compared with a rheological measurement and the average relative error was below 12% and 7% in the experiment and simulation, respectively. This method has the advantage of being able to measure the in-situ viscosity, where a drilling mud needs to transport more and heavier cuttings and careful preparation of the mud is key issue to a successful drilling process.

Keywords:agitators;process viscometry;torque measurement;numerical simulation;Metzner-Otto correlation

[References]

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[1] Alexandrou AN, Le Menn P, Georgiou G, Entov V, J. Non-Newton. Fluid Mech., 116(1), 19 (2003)

[2] La Fuente EB, Nava JA, Lopez LM, Medina L, Ascanio G, Tanguy PA, Can. J. Chem. Eng., 76(4), 689 (1998)

[3] Carreau PJ, Chhabra RP, Cheng J, AIChE J., 39, 1421 (1993)

[4] Doraiswamy D, Grenville RK, Etchells AW, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 33(10), 2253 (1994)

[5] Dyke KV, Drilling Fluids, Mud Pumps, and Conditioning Equipment, The University of Texas at Austin, U.S.A., 1998.

[6] Edwards MF, Godfrey JC, Kashani MM, J. Non-Newton. Fluid Mech., 1, 309 (1976)

[7] Eriksson I, Bolmstedt U, Axelsson A, Appl. Rheol., 12, 303 (2002)

[8] Furukawa H, Kato Y, Inoue Y, Kato T, Tada Y, Hashimoto S, Int. J. Chem. Eng., 2012, 1 (2012)

[9] Hoogendoorn CJ, den Hartog AP, Chem. Eng. Sci., 22, 1689 (1967)

[10] Housner GW, Hudson DE, Applied Mechanics Dynamics (2nd Ed.), van Nostrand, New York, U.S.A., 1959.

[11] Jo HJ, Jang HK, Kim YJ, Hwang WR, Korea-Aust. Rheol. J., 29(4), 317 (2017)

[12] Metzner AB, Otto RE, AIChE J., 3, 3 (1957)

[13] Mitsoulis E, Mitsoulis E, Rheology Review, British Society of Rheology, U.K., 135 2007.

[14] Nagata S, Nishikawa M, Tada H, Gotoh S, J. Chem. Eng. Jpn., 4, 72 (1971)

[15] Papanastasiou TC, J. Rheol., 31, 385 (1987)

[16] Paul EL, Atiemo-Obeng VA, Kresta SM, Handbook of Industrial Mixing, John Wiley & Sons, New York, U.S.A., 2003.

[17] Rieger F, Ditl P, Novak V, Chem. Eng. Sci., 34, 397 (1979)

[18] Tanguy PA, Thibault F, Delafuente EB, Can. J. Chem. Eng., 74(2), 222 (1996)

[19] Thakur RK, Vial C, Djelveh G, Labbafi M, Chem. Eng. Process., 43(10), 1211 (2004)

[20] Wichterle K, Wein O, Agitation of concentrated suspensions, CHISA, B4.6, 1., 1975.

[21] Woziwodzki S, Broniarz-Press L, Ochowiak M, Chem. Eng. Tech., 33, 1099 (2010)