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Nusselt number correlation for a jacketed stirred tank using computational fluid dynamics
Author(s) -
Daza Silvia Araujo,
Prada Ronald Jaimes,
Nunhez José R.,
Castilho Guilherme J.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
the canadian journal of chemical engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.404
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1939-019X
pISSN - 0008-4034
DOI - 10.1002/cjce.23385
Subject(s) - impeller , nusselt number , computational fluid dynamics , heat transfer , mechanics , heat transfer coefficient , materials science , fluid dynamics , thermodynamics , reynolds number , physics , turbulence
The heat exchange in stirred tanks occurs mainly due to the impeller rotation and overall circulation of the fluid that promotes a more effective heat transfer between fluid and heat transfer surfaces. The type of impeller used and the size of the vessel (that affects the relation heat transfer area and volume of the vessel) have significant effects on the heat transfer. The heat transfer coefficient is very much dependent on the impeller and the speed of rotation. Empirical correlations are usually used to estimate the process side heat transfer coefficient. However, its dependence on the geometrical parameters restricts the use of those correlations to specific tank configurations. In this respect, the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has recently emerged as an alternative to experimental studies. The procedure proved to be faster and lower cost, and the results proved to be accurate. In this study, CFD was applied to obtain a Nusselt number correlation for a jacketed stirred tank equipped with a six‐blade Rushton turbine impeller. The Nusselt number correlation obtained from the simulated model agrees with experimental data providing a reliable representation of the heat transfer in the tank.