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Oil dispersion with a turbine mixer
Author(s) -
Rounsley R. R.
Publication year - 1983
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.690290412
Subject(s) - impeller , drop (telecommunication) , turbulence , turbine , materials science , emulsion , volume (thermodynamics) , dispersion (optics) , mechanics , environmental science , engineering , mechanical engineering , physics , thermodynamics , chemical engineering , optics
A laboratory study was conducted to determine the factors influencing the dispersion of oil with a turbine mixer. Drop‐size distributions as a function of time were related to the impeller diameter, power expended in relation to the liquid volume, and the final emulsion temperature. It was surprising that higher temperatures produced smaller mean drop diameters but at the expense of a wider distribution. An optimal batch size for the emulsion was found to exist in processing. Below this size, tank surface and internal turbulence waste much of the energy; above this size, the energy per unit volume became a critical factor. Other trials were made to determine the effect of the turbulence of the tank surface, tank geometry, number of impeller blades, and turbine configuration. These all significantly affect drop size and should be considered in the design and selection of dispersing equipment.