CFD Investigation of Hydrodynamics in an Industrial Suspension Polymerization Mixing Reactor

Turbulent flow field in a 200 m3 industrial suspension polymerization reactor, which is a baffled agitated vessel, was simulated using CFD. Multi-reference frame (MRF) methods and k-? turbulence model were used to solve turbulent flow equations. It was found that turbulent flow field in reactor is non-homogenous. This non-homogeneity is especially common among three compartments of a reactor based on turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) dissipation rate. A compartment around the impeller with very high rate of TKE dissipation (impeller zone), a compartment around the baffles with a relatively high rate of TKE dissipation (baffle zone) and a relatively big compartment in bulk of flow with low TKE dissipation rate (circulation flow). Therefore a three-compartment model was used to explain the non-homogeneity of turbulent flow field. The parameters of this model are compartment volume ratios (?i and ?b), compartment energy dissipation ratios (?b and ?i) and exchange flow rates (Qi and Qb), which were obtained from simulations for different agitation rates.