Technological Institute of the Philippines Manila

Unit Operations Laboratory II, 1st Semester 2016-2017

AGITATION
Abstract This experiment gives an insight to
systems involving agitation. Using different
tank and impeller geometries, as well as the
fluid property, the power requirement to drive
an impeller is to be determined in this
experiment.

Index Terms Impeller, Agitation, Mixing, baffles, power

requirement, vortex

1. INTRODUCTION
Mixing of fluids is a discipline of fluid mechanics. Fluid
motion is used to accelerate the otherwise slow processes
of diffusion and conduction to bring about uniformity of
concentration and temperature, blend materials, facilitate
chemical reactions, bring about intimate contact of multiple
phases, and so on.
Agitation refers to forcing a fluid by mechanical means
to flow in a circulatory or other pattern inside a vessel.
Agitators usually consist of an impeller and a shaft. An
impeller is a rotor located within a tube or conduit attached
to the shaft. It helps enhance the pressure in order for the
flow of a fluid be done. Modern industrial agitators
incorporate process control to maintain better control over
the mixing process. For this experiment we are to
determine the power requirement of different impellers
derived from fluid properties and tank and impeller
geometry.

Fig. 1
There are three different types of impellers that can be
used in agitation. A propeller is an axial-flow, high-speed
impeller for liquids of low viscosity. A paddle is for simpler
agitation problems. Paddles turn at slow to moderate speeds
in the center of a vessel; they push the liquid radially and
tangentially with almost no vertical motion at the impeller
unless the blades are pitched. While turbines are effective
over a very wide range of viscosities.

Liquids are agitated for a number of purposes, depending

on the objectives of the processing step. These purposes
include
1.
2.
3.
4.

5.

Flow patterns in agitated vessel depends on the type of

the impeller, the characteristics of the fluid and the size and
proportion of the tank, baffles and agitator. Action of
agitation sometimes leads to formation of vortex, which is
undesirable because in vortex there is no real mixing. The
solid particles in the liquid settle in the bottom therefore, no
dissolution. And lastly, air may be entrapped in solution
causing degradation of oxdisable materials. Generally,
formation of vortex is undesirable but it can be prevented.
In small tanks, the impeller can be mounted off center. The
shaft is moved away from the centerline of the tank, then
tilted in a plane perpendicular to the direction of the move.
In larger tanks, the agitator maybe mounted in the side of
the tank, with the shaft in a horizontal plane but at an angle
with a radius. And lastly, baffles may be installed in larger
tanks. Fig. 2 shows typical stirred tank configurations and
timeaveraged flow patterns for axial flow and radial flow
impellers. In order to prevent formation of a vortex, four
vertical baffles are normally installed.

Suspending solid particles

Blending miscible liquids
Dispersing a gas through the liquid in the form
of small bubbles
Dispersing a second liquid, immiscible with the
first, to form an emulsion or suspension of fine
drops
Promoting heat transfer between the liquid and a
coil or jacket

Liquids are most often agitated in some kind of tank or

vessel. Typical agitation process vessel is shown in Fig. 1.
The liquid depth is approximately equal to the diameter of
the tank. An impeller is mounted on an overhung shaft,
which is driven by a motor. The impeller creates a flow
pattern in system, causing the liquid to circulate through
the vessel and return eventually to the impeller. These
vessels were designed depending on the nature of the
agitation problem.

Experiment No. 1
Diffusion of Liquids through Stagnant Non-Diffusing Air
Reynolds number can be correlated to the power number to
get the power requirement using a graph of Reynolds
number, power number and the type of impeller used, as
shown in Fig 3.

Fig. 2
For a given impeller and tank geometry, the impeller
Reynolds number determines the flow pattern in the tank:
Fig 3

D2 N
=

2.

where D = impeller diameter, N = rotational speed, and

and are the liquid density and viscosity. Rotational speed
N is typically reported in revolutions per minute, or
revolutions per second in SI units. Radians per second are
almost never used. Typically, Re > 104 is required for fully
turbulent conditions throughout the tank. A wide transition
region between laminar and turbulent flow occurs over the
range 10 <Re <104.

Apparatus:

Materials:

Impeller

Water

Tachometer
Meterstick
18 inches Tank
Zeny N. Naranjo, Chemical Engineering Department, Technological
Institute of the Philippines/ College of Engineering and Architecture,
Manila, Philippines, 09351947136 (e-mail: chinnaranjo@gmail.com).

While the flow pattern is observed, another important

consideration in design of an agitated vessel is the power
required to drive the impeller. The power P drawn by the
impeller is made dimensionless in a group called the power
number:

NP=

EQUIPMENTS AND APPARATUS

P gc
N 3 D5

The form of such correlation can be found by

dimensional analysis, given the important measurements of
the tank and the impeller, the distance of the impeller from
the tank floor, the liquid depth, and the dimensions of the
baffles if they are used. The number and arrangement of the
baffles and the number of blades in the impeller must also
be fixed. The variables that enter the analysis are the
important measurements of tank and impeller, the viscosity
and the density of the liquid, the speed, and because
Newtons law applies, the dimensional constant gc. The

Technological Institute of the Philippines Manila

Unit Operations Laboratory II, 1st Semester 2016-2017
3.

METHODOLOGY

WITH BAFFLE:

Marine Impeller
Time
30s
60s
90s

Trial
1
11.00
13.47
15.97

Trial
2
9.83
12.57
12.68

Trial
3
10.63
8.63
12.63

120s

15.87

18.07

11.69

Ave.
rps

14.08

13.29

10.90

4 Blade Paddle
Impeller
Trial
Trial
Trial
1
2
3
7.03
7.57
7.17
7.65
7.10
8.27
8.09
7.67
10.0
0
8.43
9.70
10.3
9
7.80
8.01
8.96

TABLE OF CALCULATED REYNOLDS NUMBER AND POWER

REQUIREMENT
WITHOUT BAFFLE:

4.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

Ti
me

T H 2 O=30 C
=995.602

Marine Impeller
Trial 1
Trial 2

N 256983.
P

kg
m3
4

=8.196 x 10

89
26.99 W

220949.
25
17.15 W

Trial 3
234225.
17
20.44 W

Pave .=21.53 W

kgm
s2

Ti
me

DATA FOR THE SPEED OF THE IMPELLER

4 Blade Paddle Impeller

Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3

N 124731.
P

66
13.47 W

136551.
62
17.68 W

173877.
81
36.49 W

WITHOUT BAFFLE:

Marine Impeller
Time
30s
60s
90s
120s
Ave.
rps

Trial
1
10.03
11.42
11.00
10.92
10.84

Trial
2
9.37
9.85
8.92
9.13
9.32

Trial
3
9.73
9.90
9.79
10.08
9.88

Pave .=22.55 W

4 Blade Paddle
Impeller
Trial
Trial
Trial
1
2
3
4.27
4.93
4.68
3.88
4.22
4.68
3.93
4.14
6.33
3.97
4.26
6.71
4.01
4.39
5.60

WITH BAFFLE:

Ti
me

Marine Impeller
Trial 1
Trial 2

N 333794.
P

58
59.15 W

315066.
05
49.74 W

Trial 3
258406.
31
27.44 W

Experiment No. 1
Diffusion of Liquids through Stagnant Non-Diffusing Air

Pave .=45.44 W

Ti
me

a.

4 Blade Paddle Impeller

Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3

N 242620.
19
P
99.15 W

249152.
28
107.37
W

Calculate the power required kW of the

mixer.

Given:

Find:

Da = 0.61m

Dt 1.83 m

278702.
17
150.28
W

W 0.122 m
J 0.15 m

Pave .=118.93 W

90
1.50 rev/s
60
929 kg/m 3
N

5.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

Based on the data gathered, the power requirement of a

marine impeller is less than that of the 4 blade paddle. The
Reynolds number and power requirement also increases
when we used baffles in the tank. Therefore, the power
requirement of an impeller can be affected by the fluid
properties, as well as the tank and impeller geometry.
6.
1.

3.

Solution:

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS

N Re

Enumerate the different equipment for agitation and

discuss its uses.

2.

(10 cp)(1 x 10 -3 ) 0.01 Pa.s

For agitation, the equipment to be used may

base on the agitation problem. Different types
of impellers may be used. A propeller is an
axial-flow, high-speed impeller for liquids of
low viscosity. A paddle is for simpler
agitation problems. Paddles turn at slow to
moderate speeds in the center of a vessel; they
push the liquid radially and tangentially with
almost no vertical motion at the impeller
unless the blades are pitched. While turbines
are effective over a very wide range of
viscosities.

D a2 N (0.61) 2 (1.50)(929)

51852.135

0.01

For

Da / W 5 and Dt / J 12
N p 5 for N Re 51852.135

Np

Pg c
N 3 Da5

P (1)
(929)(1.50) 3 (0.61) 5
P 1324 J/s 1.324 kW (1.77 hp)

A double-flight helix impeller 3-ft diameter and 3-ft

high is operating at 30 rpm in a 3.2 ft diameter tank.
The tank is filled 85% full with a 1000 poise fluid
having a density of 65 lb/ft3. Estimate hp requirement.

b.

N Re

A flat blade turbine agitator with disk having six

blades is installed in a tank. The tank diameter is 1.83
m, the turbine diameter is 0.61 m. Dt = H and the
width is 0.122 m. The tank contains four baffles, each
having a width of 0.15 m. The turbine is operated at 90
rpm and the liquid in the tank has a viscosity of 10 cP
and a density of 929 kg/m3.

Da2 N (0.61) 2 (1.50)(929)

51.85

10

Np = 4

For the same conditions, except for the

solution having a viscosity of 10000 cP,
calculate the required kW.

Technological Institute of the Philippines Manila

Unit Operations Laboratory II, 1st Semester 2016-2017

Np

Pg c

N 3 Da5
P (1)
4
(929)(1.50) 3 (0.61) 5
P 1059 J / s 1.059kW 1.42hP