Effects of blade rake angle and gap on particle mixing in a cylindrical mixer

Performance optimization of a mixer is an issue of great significance in many industrial technologies dealing with particulate materials. By means of Discrete Element Method (DEM), this work examines how the mixing performance of a cylindrical mixer is affected by the two design parameters: blade rake angle and blade gap at the vessel bottom, extending our previous work on particulate mixing. The flow and mixing performance are quantified using the following: velocity fields in vertical cylindrical sections, Lacey's mixing index, inter-particle forces in vertical cylindrical sections through the particle bed and the applied torque on the blade. Simulation results show that the mixing rate is the fastest for a blade of 90 rake angle, but interparticle forces are large. Conversely, the inter-particle forces are small for a blade of 135 rake angle, but the mixing rate is slow. The simulation results also indicate that the force applied on particles, velocity field and mixing are interrelated in that order. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.