Mixing Scale-Up

Small Mistakes Can Mean Big Success

David S. Dickey
MixTech, Inc.

Previous Mixing Webinars

Fluid Mixing: Still Needed for the Process

Industries in the 21st Century
Dr. Arthur W. Etchells, III
February 10, 2010

Identifying Mixing Problems

Dr. Suzanne Kresta
June 9, 2010
2

Overview of Presentation

Turbulent Mixing some basics

Geometric Similarity and Scale-up
More Complicated Scale-up
Testing for Limits and Mechanisms
Successful Scale-up

Mistakes

Not every day you are told to make

mistakes some can be good
Mixing scale-up is more than just applying
Rules of Thumb
Laboratory and pilot studies should
investigate the effects of mixing on both
success and failure
A good approach to scale-up is often
avoiding failures
4

Mixing Scale-up

Basics of scale-up start with geometric similarity

the simple approach
Scale-up Rules should be the result of a pilot
study, not just the supposition of a mechanism
All studies should look at a range of possible
operating and design conditions
Scale-up results must be both practical and
positive
Mixing becomes more difficult with scale-up
5

Mixing Basics
Typical Nomenclature
B
d

L
H or Z

Cb C

T tank
diameter
D impeller
diameter
N rotational
speed
V tank
volume

Standard Baffles
for Turbulent Mixing
T/12
Baffle W idth

4 Baffles at 90 deg.

T/72
Baffle Spacing

T
Tank Diam eter

Plan View

Elevation View

Geometric Similarity Scale-up

B2

B1

Z2
Z1

W2
W1

D2
D1

C2

C1

T1

T2

Reasons for Testing with

Geometric Similarity

Effects of geometry are often the least

known variables in mixing
Different impeller tests

type of impeller (pitched-blade, hydrofoil, etc.)

diameter of impeller (D/T)
number of impellers
location of impellers off-bottom clearance

Different mixer types (top, side, angle, etc.)

Basic flow patterns and problems
9

Dimensionless Groups
for Mixing

Reynolds number
inertial / viscous forces

Power number
applied / inertial forces

Froude number
inertial / gravity forces

Blend time number

blending / rotation time

NRe

D2 N

NP

P
N 3 D5

N2 D
g

NFr

D
N
T

10

Relational Quantities
Turbulent Conditions & Geometric Similarity

Volume
Tip Speed
Power

vtip

HT

D3

ND

N 3 D5

3 5
3
N 3D 2
power/volume P V N D D
2
5

P
N

N
D
Torque
torque/volume V N 2D 5 D 3 N 2D 2
1N
Blend Time

11

Scale-up with Geometric Similarity

Nlarge

Nsmall

Dsmall

Dlarge

For any positive exponent [n] large scale

rotational speed is smaller than small
scale rotational speed
Practical and reasonable scale-up
12

Scale-up with Equal Tip Speed

v tip
v tip

large

Nlarge Dlarge
Nlarge
n

ND

v tip

Nsmall Dsmall

small

Nsmall

Dsmall

Dlarge

1
13

Scale-up Results with Equal

Tip Speed

Optimistic scale-up
smallest practical large-scale mixer
comparable liquid velocities

Some conservatism from increased

Reynolds number
Often used for
comparable mixing intensities as observed
equal drop size for liquid-liquid dispersion

Longer blend time larger micro-scale

turbulence

14

Scale-up with Equal

Power per Volume

N 3D 2

large

PV

3
2
Nlarge
Dlarge

3
2
Nsmall
Dsmall

PV
PV

small

Nlarge

Nsmall

Dsmall

Dlarge

3
15

Scale-up Results with Equal

Power per Volume

Conservative scale-up
largest practical large-scale mixer
more intense large-scale mixing

Often used for

maintain local mixing intensity for fast
chemical reactions
equal mass transfer coefficient in gas
dispersion

Longer blend time similar micro-scale

turbulence

16

Scale-up with Equal

Torque per Volume
V

N 2D 2

large

2
2
Nlarge
Dlarge

2
2
Nsmall
Dsmall

Nlarge
n

small

Nsmall

Dsmall

Dlarge

same as equal tip speed

different without geometric similarity
17

Scale-up Results with Equal

Torque per Volume

Realistic scale-up
smallest practical large-scale mixer
comparable liquid velocities
somewhat independent of D/T

Some conservatism from increased

Reynolds number
Often used for
comparable mixing intensities as observed

Longer blend time larger micro-scale

turbulence

18

Scale-up for Equal

Solids Suspension
Dsmall
Nlarge Nsmall

Dlarge

1 n 0.6

exponent depends on settling velocity

and other factors, such as
geometry and concentration
19

Scale-up Results with Equal

Solids Suspension

Practical / Empirical scale-up

exponent depends on particle settling velocity
low values [n=1] of exponent for slowly settling
particles that follow liquid velocity
high values [n>2/3] of exponent for rapidly
settling particles
practical large-scale mixer

Used in combination with other design

experience
20

Impractical Scale-up Criteria

Equal Reynolds number small mixer

Nlarge

Nsmall

Equal Froude number large mixer

Nlarge

Dsmall

Dlarge

Nsmall

1
2

Dsmall

Dlarge

Equal blend time very large mixer

0

Nlarge

Nsmall

Dsmall

Dlarge

Nsmall
21

More Complicated Scale-up

Not all scale-up should use geometric

similarity
Not all scale-up can be done with
geometric similarity lack of available
equipment
Which scale-up method applies in
complicated or multiple processes
primary process result
secondary process result
22

Geometric Similarity Does Not Work

for Equal Heat Transfer per Volume
Q
V large
h A T
V
large

Q
V

small

h A T
V
small

same T , A D 2, V D3
h
D large

h
D small
23

Agitated Heat Transfer

Nu
hT
h

hD
N
3

k Re

N D

1
Pr 3

h
D large

h
D small

large

Nlarge

1
D 3

small

Nsmall

Dsmall

Dlarge

24

Area per Volume Scale-up

Area increases as square of diameter

Volume increases as cube of diameter
Area per Volume decreases as diameter
increases
Problem for heat transfer temperature
control
Problem for other area per volume
processes
25

Non-Geometric Scale-up

Size change by geometric similarity

usually to correct tank diameter

Adjust volume
increase volume for taller tank
decrease volume for shorter tank

Adjust impeller diameter or type

Make adjustments in large scale
equal power/volume
equal torque/volume
equal tip speed
26

Multiple Processes
Multiple processes multiple scale-up
rules
Combination

dispersion
chemical reaction
heat transfer

Use design methods in combination with

scale-up
27

Scale-up Depends on Testing

At a minimum test at multiple impeller

speeds in small scale
Investigate both success and failure
Most processes require some minimum
level of agitation
A few processes have a maximum level of
agitation
Hopefully find a successful range
28

Scale-up Rules Can Be Unreliable

The conventional rules for scale-up are based

on an assumption that the primary mixing
mechanism is known
Rarely is any single mechanism clearly known
and exceptions are common
My First Rule of Mixing is that All of the Other
Rules Have Exceptions
Two remaining options for scale-up
test for mechanisms
be conservative
29

Testing for Mechanisms

If the only variable tested in a pilot study is

rotational speed increasing speed means

increased power
increased torque
increased tip speed
which one?

If studies of the same process are conducted with

different size impellers and different speeds
equal power, equal torque, or equal tip speed can be
observed independently

Tests at different scales may also identify scaleup mechanisms

30

Be Conservative

The most conservative and still practical

scale-up is equal power per volume
Equal power per volume may result in
extremely large full-scale mixers, unless
applied to a failure or near failure in the
small scale
Less conservative scale-up like equal tip
speed or torque per volume may be
applied to a clearly successful
(conservative) small-scale result

31

Reasons for Conservatism

Certain and rapid start-up

reduced impeller size easy
larger mixer size costly and slow

Possibility of future capacity increase

de-bottleneck plant for higher throughput

Cost of mixing equipment small compared

to total plant
mixer may convert raw materials to products
mixing is often essential for process success
32

The Most Important Test Result

The most important test result may be a smallscale failure

The conditions which caused the small-scale
failure must be avoided with scale-up to a largescale process
Avoid having a large failure by finding your
potential failures in the small scale

Make your mistakes on the small scale

Make your money on the large scale

33

Be Sure That Failures Are

Documented

Failures occur often in the laboratory, but

knowing about them may help the
developers in the pilot plant
Failures in the pilot plant may help
engineers when designing or operating
the plant
By the time a process reaches the large
scale plant, the failures should be known
and avoided
34

The Development/Scale-up Process

Laboratory tests and information should

help the pilot plant conduct good tests
The pilot plant should explore operating
limits for the full-scale process
The full-scale process should take
advantage of laboratory and pilot-plant
results
A scale-up decision cannot be an
afterthought when testing is finished
35

Mixing Scale-up

Mixing scale-up can be done by different

methods

geometric similarity
scale-up rules
process design methods
intermediate scale results

No one method always works

Knowing the limits of mixing requirements
always helps
36

More Information

Handbook of Industrial Mixing

Science and Practice

Chapters on many aspects of mixing

scale-up recommendations and examples throughout

Editors: Edward L. Paul, Victor A. Atiemo-Obeng, and
Suzanne M. Kresta
John Wiley & Sons, 2004

Plenty of other published articles on

mixing
37

Mixing Scale-Up
Small Mistakes Can Mean Big Success
David S. Dickey
MixTech, Inc.
www.mixtech.com
d.dickey@mixtech.com
(937) 431-1446
38

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