Project Synopsis

Develop a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of an agitated reaction vessel for the production of a beverage product in support of scale-up from bench top to a commercial scale design.

Project Summary

Process Engineering Associates, LLC (PROCESS) was contracted by the client, a beverage manufacturing company, to develop a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model for an agitated reaction vessel.  The reactor’s geometry and multiple impeller configuration were scaled from an existing, smaller system previously tested by the client.  PROCESS was asked to verify key system parameters prior to construction of the new, scaled-up larger design.

PROCESS modeled the reactor using MStar CFD software.  The following model graphical and numerical results were reported for two (2) different impeller speeds:

  • Time to impeller equilibrium, determined from the calculated pumping number
  • Velocity profile, used to identify potential dead spots in the vessel
  • Strain rate profile, used for comparison against the existing system due to sensitive components being mixed in the vessel
  • Blending time, determined from the coefficient of variation (COV) for the scalar field used in a simulated ‘dye’ test.

These results were used by the client to confirm the reactor design and agitator operating speeds.

Industry Type

Beverage Products  

Utilized Skills

  • CFD Modeling
  • Reactor Scale-up Support
  • Agitated Vessel Evaluation.

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