Analysis of solid concentration distribution in dense solid–liquid stirred tanks by electrical resistance tomography

Numerical Simulation of Dense Solid-Liquid Mixing in Stirred Vessel with Improved Dual Axial Impeller

Computational fluid dynamics (CFDs) were adopted in order to investigate the solid suspending process in a dense solid–liquid system (with a solid volume fraction of 30%), agitated by a traditional dual axial impeller and a modified dual axial impeller, otherwise known as a dual triple blade impeller (DTBI) and a dual rigid-flexible triple blade impeller (DRFTBI), respectively. The effects of rotational speed, connection strap length/width, and off-bottom clearance on the solid distribution were investigated. The results show that the proportion of solid concentration larger than 0.4 in the DTBI system was 26.56 times of that in the DRFTBI system. This indicates that the DRFTBI system can strengthen the solid suspension and decrease the solid accumulation in the bottom of the tank. Furthermore, the velocity and turbulent kinetic energy in the DRFTBI system were promoted. In addition, for an optimal selection, the optimum length of connection strap was 1.2 H1, the optimum range of connection strap width was D/7–D/8, and the off-bottom clearance selected as T/4 was better.

Recommended implementation of electrical resistance tomography for conductivity mapping of metallic nanowire networks using voltage excitation

The knowledge of the spatial distribution of the electrical conductivity of metallic nanowire networks (NWN) is important for tailoring the performance in applications. This work focuses on Electrical Resistance Tomography (ERT), a technique that maps the electrical conductivity of a sample from several resistance measurements performed on its border. We show that ERT can be successfully employed for NWN characterisation if a dedicated measurement protocol is employed. When applied to other materials, ERT measurements are typically performed with a constant current excitation; we show that, because of the peculiar microscopic structure and behaviour of metallic NWN, a constant voltage excitation protocols is preferable. This protocol maximises the signal to noise ratio in the resistance measurements—and thus the accuracy of ERT maps—while preventing the onset of sample alterations.

Quantitative Evaluations with 2d Electrical Resistance Tomography in the Low-Conductivity Solutions Using 3d-Printed Phantoms and Sucrose Crystal Agglomerate Assessments

Crystallization is a significant procedure in the manufacturing of many pharmaceutical and solid food products. In-situ electrical resistance tomography (ERT) is a novel process analytical tool (PAT) to provide a cheap and quick way to test, visualize, and evaluate the progress of crystallization processes. In this work, the spatial accuracy of the nonconductive phantoms in low-conductivity solutions was evaluated. Gauss–Newton, linear back projection, and iterative total variation reconstruction algorithms were used to compare the phantom reconstructions for tap water, industrial-grade saturated sucrose solution, and demineralized water. A cylindrical phantom measuring 10 mm in diameter and a cross-section area of 1.5% of the total beaker area was detected at the center of the beaker. Two phantoms with a 10-mm diameter were visualized separately in noncentral locations. The quantitative evaluations were done for the phantoms with radii ranging from 10 mm to 50 mm in demineralized water. Multiple factors, such as ERT device and sensor development, Finite Element Model (FEM) mesh density and simulations, image reconstruction algorithms, number of iterations, segmentation methods, and morphological image processing methods, were discussed and analyzed to achieve spatial accuracy. The development of ERT imaging modality for the purpose of monitoring crystallization in low-conductivity solutions was performed satisfactorily.

Critical review of different aspects of liquid-solid mixing operations

Mechanically stirred slurry tanks are utilized in several industries to perform various unit operations such as crystallization, adsorption, ion-exchange, suspensions polymerization, dispersion of solid particles, leaching and dissolution, and activated sludge processes. The major goal of this review paper is to critically and thoroughly analyse the different aspects of previous research works reported in the literature in the field of liquid-solid mixing. This paper sheds light on the advantages and limitations of various particle concentration measurement methods employed to assess the suspension quality and the extent of solid suspensions in slurry reactors. Attempts are being made to identify and compare various mathematical models and methods to quantify particle dispersion and distribution in slurry reactors. It has been shown that various factors such as geometric configurations, agitation conditions, and physical characteristics of liquid and solid have pronounced influence on local suspension quality and power consumption. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling can be extremely useful in assessing the suspension of solid particles in slurry tanks. A critical review of different scale-up procedures employed for solid suspension and distribution in liquid-solid systems is presented as well. The findings of this review paper can be useful for future research works in liquid-solid mixing.