UNIT-5

• To understand Mixing, Agitation, Storage of

solids and various types of conveying of solids
 UNIT 5 Syllabus
• Mixing and agitation, power requirement for
mixing
• Problems
• Mixing of liquids (with or without solids)
• Mixing of powders, selection of suitable mixers.
• Bunkers, silos, bins and hoppers
• Transportation of solids in bulk, conveyer
selection.
• Different types of conveyers and their
performance characteristics.
Mixing and Agitation
 Agitation of liquids
• The unit operation is used to prepare
liquid–mixture by bringing in contact two
liquids in a mechanically agitated vessel or
container.
• Agitation refers to the induced motion of
liquid in some defined may, usually in
circulatory pattern and is achieved by some
mechanical device.
 Why agitation
• Dispenses a liquid which is immiscible with
the other liquid by forming an emulsion or
suspension of few drops.
• Suspends relatively lighter solid particles
• Promotes heat transfer between the liquid in
the tank and jacket surrounding the container.
• Blends miscible liquids
 Agitator
• The equipment consists of a
tank with an insulated
jacket, baffles, shaft with
motor, impeller.

• Other accessories such as

thermometer and dip- leg
are inserted inside the tank.
 Tank with impeller and baffle

• The role of baffles is to

remove stratification in the
radial direction and improve
mixing
• Baffles 4, Impeller 1
 Flow patterns in agitated vessels
• There are three principal currents in the vessel
during agitation (a) radial (perpendicular to the
shaft) (b) tangential (tangential to the circular path) )
(c) longitudinal (parallel to the shaft)
Two types of geometrical configuration
Points
• Tangential component induces vortex and
swirling, which in turn create stratification
responsible for non–uniform mixing. In such
case fluid particles are followed by another fluid
particle.
• At relatively higher rpm, the center of vortex
may reach impeller and air is sucked inside
which is not desirable.
• Swirling can be minimized by placing the shaft
slightly away from the center of the vessel or by
pacing the baffle against the tank wall.
Power requirement for mixing
 Power requirement
• Dimensional analysis is used to determine the
power requirement. Variables are

• As large viscous liquids require high power for

mixing similarly high density liquids also require
high power for mixing

• From buckingham pi theorem no of independent

dimensionless groups can be formed.
 Power requirement
• a) power no

• b) Reynolds no

• c) Froude no

• The other groups are

• n: rotation of the impeller

 Power requirement
• Power no is similar to friction factor

• Reynolds no is similar to speed and dia of the

impeller.

• Graphical results to calculate power no

 Power requirement
• Slope is -1 on log –log plot for Re no <10
• In turbulent flow viscous effects are
predominant and density is not important at
low Re no

• Tables are available to calculate kL

 Power requirement
• or
• At high Re no>10,000 power no is
independent of the Re no and viscosity is not
important flow is fully turbulent.

or

Tables are available to calculate P

Example 1

A flat-blade turbine with six blades is installed

centrally in a vertical tank. The tank is 1.83 m in
diameter, the turbine is 0.61 m in diameter & is
positioned 0.61 m from the bottom of the tank.
The turbine blades are 127mm wide. The tank is
filled to a depth of 1.83m with a solution of 50%
caustic soda at 65.6oC, which has a viscosity of
12cP and a density of 1498 kg/m3. The turbine
is operated at 90 rpm. What power will be
required to operate the mixer if the tank was
baffled?
Example 2

Calculate the theoretical power of a six bladed

turbine agitator with diameter 3m is running of
speed 2 rps in a tank system with standard
configuration. The tank is filled with liquid of
dynamic viscosity 1Pa.s and density 1000Kg/m3.
Assume KT=4.5 or KL=0.65 appropriately.
Solution:
𝐷2 𝜌𝑁
• Reynolds number for mixing: 𝑁𝑅𝑒 = =
𝜇
32 𝑥1000 𝑥2
= 18000.
1
• For baffled mixing, NRe >10000, Np=KT =4.5,
𝑃
Then 𝑁𝑝 = 5 3 ;
𝜌𝐷𝑎 𝑛
𝑃 = 4.5 𝑥 0.23 𝑥 35 𝑥1000 = 8748𝑊
Example 3

A flat blade turbine with six blades is installed

centrally in a vertical tank. The tank is 1.83 m in
diameter, the turbine is 0.61m in diameter and is
positioned 0.61m from the bottom of the tank. The
turbine blades are 127 mm wide. The tank is filled
to a depth of 1.83 m with a solution of 50 % caustic
soda at 65 0C, which has a viscosity of 12 cP and
density of 1498 kg/m3. the turbine is operated at 90
rpm. The tank is baffled. What power will be
required to operate the mixer. Assume KT=5.8 or
KL=65 appropriately.
Solution:
𝐷2 𝜌𝑁
• Reynolds number for mixing: 𝑁𝑅𝑒 = =
𝜇
0.612 𝑥1.5 𝑥1498
= 69675.
0.012
• For baffled mixing, NRe >10000, Np=KT =5.8,
𝑃
Then 𝑁𝑝 = 5 3 ;
𝜌𝐷𝑎 𝑛
𝑃 = 5.8 𝑥 1.5 𝑥 0.615 𝑥1498 = 2.47kW
3
Example 4

A flat blade turbine with six blades is installed

centrally in a vertical tank. The tank is 1.83 m in
diameter, the turbine is 0.61m in diameter and
is positioned 0.61m from the bottom of the
tank. The turbine blades are 127 mm wide. The
tank is filled to a depth of 1.83 m with a rubber
latex compound, which has a viscosity of 1200 P
and density of 1120 kg/m3. the turbine is
operated at 90 rpm. The tank is baffled. What
power will be required to operate the mixer.
Assume KT=5.8 or KL=65 appropriately.
Solution:
𝐷2 𝜌𝑁
• Reynolds number for mixing: 𝑁𝑅𝑒 = =
𝜇
0.612 𝑥1.5 𝑥1120
= 3.47.
120
• For baffled mixing, NRe <10, Np=KL/NRe
=65/3.47=18.7,
𝑃
Then 𝑁𝑝 = 5 3 ;
𝜌𝐷𝑎 𝑛
𝑃 = 18.7 𝑥 1.5 𝑥 0.615 𝑥1120 = 5.97kW
3
Mixing of liquids(with or with out
solids)
 The equipment for mixing of liquids with out
solids include Paddles, Marine type propellers
and Turbine

IMPELLERS
• Propellers (high-speed, low
viscosity)
• Turbines (Moderate viscosity)
• High-efficiency impellers
 Vortex formation
• When an impeller rotates in
a liquid the liquid is likely to
swirl in a mass and a vortex
will form which draws air
inside and wastes energy
which is prevented by
inserting baffles whose
width being about 10 % of
the tank diameter which
result in more rapid mixing
 Paddles
• Paddles turn at slow to moderate speeds in
the center of the vessel .
• The total length of the paddle impeller is 50
to 60 % of the inside diameter of the vessel
and width is 1/6 to 1/10 of its length.
• At slow speeds paddles give mild agitation
while at high speeds it needs baffles.
• Propellers
Propeller mixers for liquids
 Propellers
• Propellers drive the liquid down to the wall flow
upwards and return to the suction of the impeller
from the top.
• To prevent swirling the impeller is mounted off
center, moved away from center line then tilted
in a plane perpendicular to the direction of the
move.
• For propellers with side entering ,inclined or off
center not more than 1/18 of tank diameter is
needed
 Turbines
• Turbines are effective over wide range of
viscosities
• In low viscosity liquid they generate strong
currents that persists through out the vessel.
• Radial and tangential currents induce swirling
which is prevented by baffles or a diffuser ring.
• The blades may be straight or curved where
diameter of the impeller is 30 to 50% of the
diameter of the vessel.
 Mixing of liquids with solids
• If the solid is not too coarse and the
liquid is not viscous the amount of solid
per unit volume is not high solids can be
suspended by use of flat bladed turbine
and if the above condition is not satisfied
then the operation goes to kneading
machine or to some type of mixing of
solids with solids.
 Kneaders
• Kneaders are high intensity mixers
for cohesive solid systems.
• kneaders achieve their mixing action by
squashing the mass flat, folding it, and
squashing it again and tear the mass apart
and shear it between a moving blade and a
stationary surface.
• Common type of kneader is banbury mixer
Banbury mixer
• A Banbury mixer is a heavy-duty two arm
mixer that contains a chamber with a rotor in
each lobe.
• The material is fed at the top of the mixer, and
a floating weight, or ram which drops on top
of the feed to confine the material to the
mixing space and exert extra pressure on the
material.
• The rotors turn towards each other at
different speeds, and the material is sheared
between the rotors and the walls.
• The saddle between the rotors is attached to a
discharge door.
• Uses
• Banbury kneaders are typically used to mix
rubber and plastic solids, to dissolve rubber
and to disperse rubber in liquids.
• Kneaders are used primarily in the plastics and
rubber industries. They are commonly used
for resins, adhesives, putty, baking dough, and
cellulose additives
Mixing of Powders
• Mixing of powders is a common operation in any
industry. Most powders are known to be
cohesive, many agglomerate spontaneously when
exposed to humid atmosphere.

• Agitation of the powder may result in migration

of smaller particles downwards and of larger
ones upwards.

• Segregation of mixtures is due to difference in

particle size, density shape and resilience.
 V type mixer
• The type of mixture used for dry powders is V
type mixer which is a rotating container type.
• V-blender consists of two cylindrical sections
joined at an angle of around 90◦The angle
between the cylinder and the centre line in the
off-axis rotating drum mixer is 40◦.
• The mixer is rotated about a horizontal axis with
mixing resulting from the tumbling motion of the
particles.
• The material falls as the blender turns, ultimately
towards the apex and then towards the legs of
the ‘V’. The particles of the material move in both
vertical and horizontal directions so that a
complete mixing occurs.
• For batch work dry • Dry mixer
mixer is often used

• It consists of a semi
cylindrical trough
provided with two or
more ribbon spirals
which is covered to
keep in dust.
 Dry mixer
• One of the spiral is right side and the other
left side so that material moves back and forth
in the trough .
• Paddles introduce air and add to powder
mobility
• Better mixture quality for free-flowing
powders.
• Not suitable for cohesive powders.
 Turbula mixer
• The Turbula shaker-mixer is
used for a homogeneous
mixing of powdery
substances with differing
specific weights and particle
sizes.
• By rotation translation and
inversion of particles it has
high efficiency.
• The mixing container is set
into a three-dimensional
movement
 Turbula mixer
• It exposes the product to continuously
changing, rhythmically pulsing motion.
• It operates by tumbling the solids inside a
revolving vessel with speeds up to about 40
rpm (about half the critical speed at which the
centrifugal force on the particles exceeds the
pull of gravity).
• Its working capacity is about 50% to 60% of
the volume.
SILOS
 Silos
• A silo is a structure for storing bulk materials.

• Silos are more commonly used for bulk

storage of grain, coal, cement, carbon
black, woodchips, food products and sawdust.

• Three types of silos are in widespread use

today: tower silos, bunker silos, and bag silos.
 Silos
• A silo is a structure for
storing bulk materials.
• Silos are more commonly
used for bulk storage of
grain, coal, cement, carbon
black, woodchips, food
products and sawdust.
• Three types of silos are in
widespread use today:
tower silos, bunker silos,
and bag silos.
 Tower silos
• Storage silos are cylindrical
Small Stave silos
structures, typically 10 to
90 ft (4 to 30 m) in diameter
and 30 to 275 ft (10 to 84
m) in height and taller silos.
Concrete silos being the
larger diameter. They are
made of Wood staves,
concrete staves, cast
concrete. Silos can be
unloaded into rail cars,
trucks or conveyors.
 Bunker silo
• Bunker silos are trenches, Bunker silo being filled and
compacted
usually with concrete walls,
that are filled and packed
with tractors and loaders.
The filled trench is covered
with a plastic tarp to make it
airtight. These silos are
usually unloaded with a
tractor and loader. They are
inexpensive and especially
well suited to very large
operations.
 Bag silo
• Bag silos are heavy plastic
8' diameter by 150 foot silo bag
tubes usually around 8 to 12 ft shown just after filling and sealing.
in diameter and of variable
length as required for the
amount of material to be
stored. They are packed using
a machine made for the
purpose, and sealed on both
ends. They are unloaded using
a tractor or skid-steer loader.
The bag is discarded in
sections as it is torn off. They
can be used as a temporary
measure when growth or
harvest conditions require
more space.
BINS
 BINS
• These are usually of cylindrical
or rectangular shape and
made of metal or reinforced
concrete.
• Bins are used to store abrasive
materials and are wider and
short in height
• Silos are tall and small in
diameter.
• The vertical portion of these
vessels is the cylinder while
the converging section is the
hopper
• All the containers are charged through the top
and discharged at the bottom.
• With these storage vessels there is a friction
between the wall and solid particles.
• This frictional force tends to reduce the
weight of solids and thus the pressure exerted
by the solids on the floor get reduced.
• The actual pressure depends on two
parameters namely the manner in which
solids are packed inside the container and
ratio of normal pressure to applied pressure.
Hoppers
• Hoppers are used primarily in materials
handling as storage vessels, transporters, and
feeders.
• In a mass flow hopper, all the material inside
the hopper moves down the walls and exits.
• The flow is based upon a first-in, first-out
principle and is uniform and reliable upon
discharge. Moisture content, temperature,
age, oil content, and solid levels must be
regulated to ensure effective flow.
Uses Mass flow hopper
• Mass flow hoppers are used
in virtually every type of
industry and come in a
variety of sizes. Hoppers are
most often used for raw
material and product
storage as well as feeders
for different processes.
Adv
• Flow will not cake or spoil.
• Controlled segregation.
Disadvantages
• Flow will not cake or spoil.
• Controlled segregation.
 Funnel flow hopper
• In funnel flow, the material Funnel flow hopper
along the funnel walls
remains stationary, while
the material in the center
falls through the outlet
creating a rat hole, or
channel. Funnel flow
hoppers have a greater
angle from the center of the
cone as shown below.
• Uses: Funnel flow is versatile and can be used in
many of the same applications as mass flow. A
funnel flow design is most effective when the
solid particulate is coarse, free-flowing and not
prone to caking and funnel flow is used when
segregation is not important.
• Advantages:
• Well known technology.
• Less expensive than mass flow.
• Disadvantages:
• Segregation spoilage and caking occur.
• Bridging occurs, preventing constant flow.
CONVEYORS
 INTRODUCTION
 Are used for handling
materials
 Used in all industries
 Consists majorly of two
major components
 Mechanical Assembly
 Conveying Assembly
 Conveyor selection
Selection of conveyor depends on
• capacity
• Shape and size of the material
• Material to be transported horizontal,
vertical
or inclined.
• Accumulation and sorting
• loading and pickup points need to be.
 Advantages & Disadvantages
• Convey • Inclination
almost any angle must be
type of solid less than 220
material • Cannot
• Easy to adapt transport
to plant anything
layout greater than
1200
 Types of Conveyors

• Belt Conveyor
• Bucket Elevator
• Screw Conveyor
• Chain Conveyor
• Pneumatic Conveyor
 Types of Conveyors
Belt Conveyors
–Conveys materials along
horizontal, and slightly inclined
paths
–Driven by power operated roll
mounted underneath the
conveyor or at the one end of
the conveyor.
–supported on either rollers or
on metal slider pan and we call
them roller conveyor and slider
conveyor respectively
 Types of Conveyors
Bucket Elevators
–Used where there is need of
vertical conveying of
materials.
–Used for conveying
powdered, granular and lumpy
materials.
–Extensively employed in
building materials chemical
industries plant etc.
 Types of Conveyors
Screw Conveyors
–These are the oldest and are
of simple design, easy to
maintain.
–Permits intermediate
discharge of materials at
several points.
–Advantages being these are
compact and easily adapted to
congested locations
–Horizontal, vertical, inclined
conveyors are also available.
Screw Conveyors
 Types of Conveyors
Pneumatic Conveyors
–Involves the transportation
of a wide variety of dry
powdered an granular solids d
in a gas stream.
air.
–In most cases the gas is
normally
–Where special conditions
prevail, different gases are
used.
 Pneumatic conveyers
Advantages
• Flexibility in routing
• Dust free transportation of
a variety of products
• Mechanical parts are at
ground level
• Units are self cleaning &
safer to operate
Disadvantages
• Energy requirements are
higher
• Material must be dry
• Incorrect design can result
in particle degradation
• More noisy
• Limited distance
 Size Specification
• Size depends on the requirement :

– Speed
– Cost
– Efficiency
– Maximum load it takes
– Length of travel
 Industrial Applications

–Packing
–Inspecting
–Painting
–Assembling
–Testing
 References
• 1. McCabe, W.L., Smith, J.C., and Harriot, P., “Unit Operations
in ChemicalEngineering”, 7th Edn., McGraw-Hill, 2005.
• 2. Badger W.L. and Banchero J.T., “Introduction to Chemical
Engineering”,Tata McGraw Hill, 1997.
• Encyclopedia of chemical Engineering Equipment.
• Mixing of solids in different mixing devices
Sadhan¯a Vol. 33, Part 6, December 2008, pp. 721–731
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silo