CFD Analysis of Flow Structures in a Mixing Chamber

Special mixing chambers are usually used to perform scientific experiments or for routine industrial production processes. This is the case, typically, of fan mixers in a baffled tank. Mixing chambers comprise, among other alternative elements, two counter-rotating fans at the bottom and top. These will eventually allow a mixing effect on the chamber with an adequate level of uniformity. Herein a computational flow simulation is performed for the mixing conditions of air and SO2 inside the chamber used in the CLOUD experiment, by studying in detail the flow structures and uniformity inside the chamber. This Unsteady Navier-Stokes computation is performed using the kω-SST and SAS turbulence models. A first validation step is performed by using an experimental test case, comprising a T-junction geometry, that performs the mixing of air and N2. Following this validation step a detailed analysis of the flow structures inside the 3D chamber is conducted, and specific insights are given regarding the flow uniformity. A detailed analysis of the computed mixing flow structures for the SST and SAS turbulence models is also described. It is shown that the SAS model captures with more detail the macro and meso-mmixing process with an accuracy of, at most, 6%. This value can be further reduced to values around 2% by resorting to high density meshes, with the associated computational burden.