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Mass Transfer in Agitated Vessels: Energetic Aspects

This paper experimentally determines mass transfer rates between a liquid and a spherical particle immersed in an agitated vessel. Mass transfer coefficients are measured using an electrochemical method. The study considers two cases - agitation from mechanical stirring alone and agitation from both stirring and liquid jets from feed nozzles. Results show that mass transfer rates increase with specific power dissipated in the reactor. Knowledge of power dissipation can help predict mass transfer rates theoretically.

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Ayleen Mayorga
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48 views

Mass Transfer in Agitated Vessels: Energetic Aspects

This paper experimentally determines mass transfer rates between a liquid and a spherical particle immersed in an agitated vessel. Mass transfer coefficients are measured using an electrochemical method. The study considers two cases - agitation from mechanical stirring alone and agitation from both stirring and liquid jets from feed nozzles. Results show that mass transfer rates increase with specific power dissipated in the reactor. Knowledge of power dissipation can help predict mass transfer rates theoretically.

Uploaded by

Ayleen Mayorga
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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JOURNAL OF APPLIED ELECTROCHEMISTRY 11 (1981 ) 727-733

Mass transfer in agitated vessels: energetic aspects


A. S T O R C K , J. F. B R O D B E R G E R , D. H U T I N , G. V A L E N T I N
Laboratoire des Sciences du Gdnie Chemique, CNRS-ENSIC, 1 rue Grandville, 54042 Nancy Cedex,
France
Received 2 February 1981

This paper deals with the experimental determination of the mass transfer rates between the liquid of
an agitated vessel and a spherical particle immersed in a reactor. The spatial distribution of the mass
transfer coefficients is obtained using an electrochemical method and the influence of the most
pertinent hydrodynamic parameters (impeller speed and fluid residence time inside the vessel) is
deduced from experimental results. The study considers the two limiting cases of mechanical
agitation alone and agitation induced by the liquid jets generated by the feed nozzles. It is shown
that knowledge of the specific power dissipated per unit mass of fluid can be useful for the theoretical
prediction of the mass transfer rates.

Nomenclature used to carry out steps in which interphase mass


transfer controls the overall rate (e.g., in dissolu-
D molecular diffusion coefficient tion, crystallization, solid-liquid extraction and,
dp particle diameter more recently, fermentation). A survey of scien-
Di impeller diameter tific literature dealing with this general problem
Dv vessel diameter shows that extensive studies have been carried
E hydrodynamic parameter defined in out in the fields of mass transfer from suspended
Equation 8 solids to the liquid of the vessel (see for example
H vessel height [1-4] ) and mass transfer at the walls of the
k mass transfer coefficient vessel [5-8], but only a few studies are related
l characteristic length in Equation 2 [9-11] to the case of a fixed particle immersed
M mass of liquid in the vessel in an agitated vessel.
N rotational speed of agitator The local study of mass transfer from fixed
Np specific power number solute surfaces in a fully 'baffled' tank was first
P specific power delivered proposed by Miller [9] who measured the dis-
Qv volumetric flow rate of the feed fluid solution rates of benzoic acid particles. The
S area for fluid injection experimental results were used to verify a theo-
(Sc) = v/D = liquid Schmidt number retical model of velocity distribution inside the
(Sh) = kdp/D or kl/D = Sherwood number reactor. It seems, however, important to note
U local fluid velocity the scatter (-+ 40%) observed in the results. From
V vessel volume experimental results in the literature, Calderbank
x vertical distance between the bottom of and Moo Young [12] have deduced a general
vessel and the measuring point energetic correlation applying to heat and mass
coefficient in Equation 2 transfer in mixing vessels where the solid phase
v kinematic viscosity is in the form of a single, fixed, submerged body.
p fluid density They predicted an increase in the mass transfer
r = V/Qv = residence time in vessel coefficients as the specific power dissipation
level rises.
1. Introduction More recently, Le Lan etal. [10, 11] have
applied an electrochemical measuring method to
In chemical processing, agitated vessels are often the study of local mass transfer to a fixed particle
0021-891X[81/060727-07502.70/0 9 1981 Chapman and Hall Ltd. 727
728 A. STORCK, J. F. BRODBERGER, D. HUTIN AND G. VALENTIN

in three similar cylindrical vessels with or without


Axis2
baffles. The authors have established that the
stirring regime induced by a turbine is virtually I'q__ z Axis 1

H= By =O.Tm
independent of the dimensions of the vessel and I 2
Di =/3 Dv=3.3.10- m
that the peripheral speed of the blade is a good s=3/4Di
criterium for extrapolation. For a baffled tank r=1/4 Di
[11], it was also shown that the fluid velocity at a q= '/sDi
p= I/2r
given position in the vessel was proportional to q 5= % Dv
the blade speed. This result was verified by other
Hi
authors [13-15 ] from experimental measure-
ments of velocity distributions.
For processes operated in continuous, stirred-
tank reactors, the agitation level inside the vessel
is determined by two contributions: (a) that due
to the impeller rotation, (b) the agitation induced Outle~t ~ R u ~ injectionnozzles
by the kinetic energy of the liquid feeding the
reactor. In processing, where the fluid residence
time inside the vessel has to be small, contribution
(b) can be significant and can considerably modify
the results obtained in a classical tank. To our Axis 2 / ~
knowledge this is the first work to consider this "Add
configuration from a mass transfer point of view.
The main aims of this paper are:
Fig. 1. Schematic view of the agitated vessel.
(a) to determine experimentally the distribu-
tion of mass transfer coefficients inside a vessel
agitated simultaneously by an impeller and by located at the end of a small-diameter glass rod in
the kinetic energy of the feed fluids; order to prevent any hydrodynamic perturbation
(b) to determine the quantitative influence of by the probe.
the hydrodynamic parameters (impeller speed The spatial distribution of mass transfer rates
and fluid residence time); was determined in two directions, corresponding
(c) to predict the mass transfer rates from a to axes 1 or 2 in Fig. 1. As in previous studies
knowledge of the specific power dissipated in the [17-19], the overall mass transfer coefficients
reactor and to deduce energetic correlations. between the spherical particle and the liquid were
obtained electrochemically by means of the
2. Experimental cathodic reduction of ferricyanide ions. The liquid
(electrolyte) is a mixture of potassium ferricyanide
The design characteristics of the 0.78 dm 3 tank (10 -a M) and ferrocyanide (5 x 10-2 M) in a
used in this study are shown in Fig. 1 and corre- supporting electrolyte of NaOH (0.5 N). Experi-
spond closely to the standard configuration pro- mental values obtained at a constant temperature
posed by Holland and Chapman [16]. The tank (30 ~ C) for the electrolyte kinematic viscosity v,
was provided with a six-blade, flat-paddle agitator the ferricyanide diffusion coefficient D and the
and the agitator speed range in the tank was 0- Schmidt number (Sc) are respectively 0.914 x
2000 r.p.m. The liquid is continuously fed to 10 -6 m 2 s -1 , 8.8 x 10 -1~ m 2 s -1 and 1040.
the reactor from two injection nozzles located at
the bottom of the tank, as indicated in Fig. 1. The 3. Experimental results
fluid residence time 7-(defined as the ratio of the
reactor volume to the volumetric flowrate Qv) As an example, Fig. 2 presents the experimental
was varied between 5.7 s and infinity (correspond- distribution of k for a given impeller speed N and
ing to Qv = 0). The mass transfer rates are measured fluid residence time r. This figure clearly shows
on a spherical nickel probe (diameter 4 mm) the existence of three zones:

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