Quantitative Measurements of Micro- and Macromixing in a Stirred Vessel using Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Kling, K. | Mewes, D.

Affiliations: Institute of Process Engineering, University of Hannover, Callinstr. 36, D-30167 Hannover, Germany. Tel: +49-511 762 3638; Fax: +49-511 762 3031; E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: The Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) technique enables measurement of the local degree of deviation in an arbitrary plane inside the mixing vessel. This is achieved by injecting a mixture of an inert dye and a reacting fluorescent into the vessel. The inert dye serves as a tracer for the macromixing. The fluorescent characteristics of the reacting dye change while undergoing a fast chemical reaction with the vessel content and it therefore shows the micromixing indirectly. The concentration fields of the dyes are measured simultaneously. For that a laser beam is expanded into a thin light sheet which illuminates an arbitrary plane in the mixing vessel, exciting the fluorescent dye in this area. The emitted light is detected by a CCD-camera which is positioned vertical to the measurement plane. The fluorescent light passes through two optical filters which are suitable for separating the fluorescent light of the two dyes. The light is then projected on half of the camera chip each so that the same display window is detected twice, and thus the local concentration of the two dyes can be measured simultaneously. Low Reynolds number measurements are performed in a mixing vessel equipped with a Rushton turbine. The lamellar structure is clearly resolved. Areas of micromixing are detected by calculating the local degree of deviation from the concentration fields. These areas are mainly found in the boundary layer of the lamellas.

Keywords: Micro- and macromixing, LIF, Stirred vessel, Concentration field

Journal: Journal of Visualization, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 165-173, 2003