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Optimizing the rotated arc mixer
Author(s) -
Singh Mrityunjay K.,
Anderson Patrick D.,
Speetjens Michel F. M.,
Meijer Han E. H.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
aiche journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.958
H-Index - 167
eISSN - 1547-5905
pISSN - 0001-1541
DOI - 10.1002/aic.11586
Subject(s) - mixing (physics) , flow (mathematics) , range (aeronautics) , tracking (education) , hagen–poiseuille equation , parameter space , computer science , field (mathematics) , set (abstract data type) , algorithm , simulation , mechanics , mathematics , physics , engineering , geometry , aerospace engineering , psychology , pedagogy , programming language , pure mathematics , quantum mechanics
Abstract Using the mapping method an efficient methodology is developed for mixing analysis in the rotated arc mixer (RAM). The large parameter space of the RAM leads to numerous situations to be analyzed to achieve best mixing, and hence, it is indeed a challenging task to fully optimize the RAM. Two flow models are used to study mixing: one based on the full three‐dimensional (3‐D) flow field, and a second one based on a simplified 2.5‐D model, where an analytical solution is used for transverse velocity components in combination with a Poiseuille profile for the axial velocity component. Detailed 3‐D velocity field analyses reveal locally significant deviations from the Poiseuille profile e.g., presence of back‐flow, but only minimal differences in mixing performance is found using both flow models (3‐ and 2.5‐D) in the RAM designs that are candidates for accomplishing chaotic mixing. Despite the computational advantage of the 2.5‐D approach over the 3‐D approach, it is still cumbersome to analyze mixing for large number of designs using techniques based on particle tracking, e.g., Poincaré sections, dye traces, stretching distributions. Therefore, in this respect the mapping method provides an engineering tool able to tackle this optimization problem in an efficient way. On the basis of mixing evaluations, both in qualitative and quantitative sense, for the whole range of parameter space, the optimum set of design and kinematical parameters in the RAM is obtained to accomplish the best mixing. © 2008 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2008