MIXING SHOULD BE A process operation, not a me chanical problem. Yet, some plants push a mixer beyond the capability of its mechanical de- sign and then get themselves into trouble, While most mixers can pro- vide a long service life — for instance, some are still operating a than 30 years — mechanic: lems can shorten life or even break parts, Often, the processing capa bilities of the mixer fail before the equipment does, but poor process ing can cause mechanical problems, Usually, equipment manufacturers know the limits of their equipment and design to specified conditions. How- ever, over the life of a mixer, process requirements and conditions may change from those specified for de- sign. So, here, we will explore some fof the mechanical problems that yn = “Ms reve Sa ‘may befall mixing equipment. Most everyone appreciates the danger of overloading a mixes, usually by trying to mix a material chat is more viscous than the mixer can handle. Actually, many mixers are designed to cope with a wide range of materials and have considerable overload capabilities. Some portable mix: crs and high-speed dispersers can handle very high viscosities without overload- ve Suh mc yma Sw on than 1% che ve er (| Spel ee Towees oe ‘of motor capacity and so are less tol erant of upset conditions. While high. Micoiy i an obvious Iead factor in the moto loadin urbulent conditions A high densi lid, such sa minor str Signed for proces conditions. a any case By David S. Dickey, Me Teh, In. tear reducer, shafs, impeller blades and sro muh ty ninans mot ond Mechanical issues can cripple your mixer Sal process overloads can occur and may and spoil your process damage the motor of shorten the ie of i componcn 40 May 2006 worseMechanical failures [A mixer component, such as a shaft, shaft seal, impeller blade or gear reduces, may fail for several reasons. Differ- ences between actual process conditions and original design criteria often can cause problems. In other cases, installa tion shortcomings can contribute to equipment failures. The “werted” parts of the mixer must be designed to handle mechanical loads, process conditions and potential vibrations, Most mechanical loads come from an interac tion between the mixer and the fluid (Figure 1). Obviously, a force is necessary to rotate the impeller. That force is represented by a torque load transmitted by the shaft from the drive to the impeller. Besides the fluid forces that re sist the rorating impeller, moving fluid creates random hy- draulic forces that act perpendicularly to the shaft. These forces create a bending moment on the shaft. A typical cantilevered shaft, which is supported only by the mixer drive, can experience significant bending loads. So, sclec- tion of shaft diameter requires consideration of both the torque and bending loads. Torque is easily calculated from the basic relationship of power divided by speed, with an appropriate conver- sion factor for units: Ty = 63,025 Prag /N Ww where Tis toratc,inlbf P,,,. i moar power, hp; and Nis rotational speed, rpm, Hydraulic loads ace based on empicical relationships. [An expression for the bending load on a mixer shaft with 4 single impeller is: M-= 19,000 P_Lf,JND 2) where Mis the Bending moment, in-Ibf; Lis the “shaft length to support,” in; f, is the hydraulic load factor; and D is the impeller diameter, in. The “shaft length to sup- port” may exceed the shaft length inside the tank because the nearest support bearing may be in the drive or seal above the tank mounting or flange. Multiple impellers re- quire separate bending-load calculations for each, using the fraction of the motor power at each impeller and at the appropriate shaft length, and then surnming of the in- dividual bending loads The hydeaulic load factor may surpass 1.0 for cases where loads fluctuate, as in gas dispersion ot boiling sys- tems {fy = 2.0 to 3.0}, or where extreme extemal loads may occu, as with impacting large clumps of solids (f, = 3.0 to 7.0). The severe load most often overlooked is prolonged operation at che liquid level, as when filing oF emptying the tank. Operation near the liquid level may re sult in a significant hydraulic load factor {f, = 2.0 0 3.5), depending upon impeller type and mixing intensity. ‘Once the torque and bending loads have been estim ed, basic ealeulations can be made for the shear and tensile stresses in the mixer shaft. The expression for shear stress is: @,= 16(T + Mind? (3) sorchemislprs singcom > Pun yea force < Figur 1 Various ces contibuts ote load hat shaft must contend wth where o, is shear stress, psy and d is shaft diameter, in A typical allowable shear stress for carbon and stain- less sees is 6,000 psi. Ths stress level takes into account the effects of fluctuating mixing forces that could result in 2 fatigue file A similar expression for tensile stress is 6,2 16M + (Te + MP)" (4) where gs tensile stength, psi [A reasonable allowable tensile stress level for steels is 10,000 psi. Higher-than-allowable stress levels may lead 10 fatigue failure of the mixer shaft. Other factors, such as welds or steps in the shaft, may cause stress risers that may increase local stresses, which, in turn, could resuft in failures. Fluctuating loads also act on the impeller blades and may cause other component fal The vertical forces on the miser, such as weight, pres- sure and thrust, have litle impact on the shaft design but may affect mixer mounting. Axial low impellers create some axial thrust, enough to occasionally lift an impeller off shaft mounts, Bearings on the ousput shaft of the mixer drive must resist the lateral forces of the bending loads and the ax ial forces of weight and pressure. Bending loads also are transmitted up the shaft and may result in deflections be- tween the bearings, causing gear misalignment. Shaft de fictions also can lead to failures inthe shaft seals, since mechanical seals are especially susceptible to damage by large deflections May 2006 +41Natural frequency ‘A mechanical factor often overlooked in design is the mixer shaft’s natural frequency, often called the “critical speed.” When the natural frequency of the mixer shaft is too close to the operating speed of the mixer, a critical speed problem is likely. This frequency is much like that produced by a tuning fork. A combination of the shaft length, shaft and impeller weights, and the elastic modulus of the shafe material establishes a frequency at which the shaft will vibrate, If external forces, such as the operat ing speed of the mixer, match the natural frequency, cata- strophie failure often occurs. ‘Most large mixers are designed to operate below the ist natural frequency of the mixer shaft. Typically the operat- ing speed of the mixer is restricted to less than 85% of the natural frequency to avoid vibration problems. Ifthe rota tional speed and natural frequency are too close, the ensuing vibrations cause large deflecrions, which most often lead to a severely bent mixer shaft. Recently, for instance, a 6-in-liam- eter stainless stel shaft was bent so far that it only stopped ‘when ie struck an obstruction in the tank. Undamped vibra tions can result in extremely large mechanical forces. The calculation of the natural frequency for a mixer SCL) einfocement pac ANSI nozzle ‘lass 150 or 300 4 Reinfocerent pad ae “A ANS pa (ass 150 0300 \ ie einfocement pas Fue 2s cull o provide adoquat sts and support 42 + May 2006 shaft requires considerable knowledge about the details of the shafe and impellers, including information about the impeller weights and the shaft bearings, which usually are inside the mixer drive. A complete calculation involves in- dividual impeller weights, distance from support bearings, and spacing between support bearings. Natural frequency calculations are best done by the manufacturer. However, the mixer user should know the natural frequency because variable frequency drives (VEDs) can be overspeeded, ‘causing the mixer to approach the critical speed, Unlike large mixers, portable units often operate above the First natural frequency. These smaller mixers typically accelerate quickly enough to pass safely through the natucal frequency without incident. However, problems may devel- ‘op when the mixer runs for longer periods near the natural frequency, as can occur with VEDs and air motors. While the mixer operator may instinctively respond to eliminate the vibrations, it may be too late to prevent a bent shaft or even injury. Shaft natural frequencies must be avoided, Mixer mounting Another factor in mechanical design for mixers is the mounting. While obvious design problems may result in total failure to support the mixer, other shortcomings can bbe more subtle and cause seemingly unrelated mechanical failures. Design of the mixer support must consider all of the mechanical loads on the mixer (Figuze 1). First, the torsion and bending loads, previously calcu- lated for shaft design, must be used to design the mounting, Howeves, typical designs for tanks and structural supports do not adequately account for the dynamic nature of mixer loads. A support structure such as a beam in a building can withstand considerable flexure without failing. The bridge structures used to support mixers over large open tanks can hhave enough flexure to cause motion sickness in someone standing on a support that does not have adequate stiffness The same flexure can result in considerable movernent with a dynamic load such as a mixer. Just as allowable stress levels for shaft design must be kept well below yield stresses to avoid fatigue failures, sup- port design must include adequace margins to provide suf- ficient stiffness. Static load designs typically use 2.5 times the calculated torque and 3.0 times the bending, loads to avoid large deflections in the mixer supports Second, the axial loads, which are not a real factor in shaft design, Become much more significant in mounting, design. The static weight of a large mixer can be consi ecable when including the total weight of a motos, gear drive, seal assembly, shaft and multiple impellers. These downward loads are important bet so too can be the upward load caused by tank pressure, With large pres sures, the flanges, pedestals and drive bearings all must be strengthened to handle increased loads. The mixer shaft passing through a seal acts like a piston in transmitting worchemicalprocessngcomforce, which can be significant. For instance, a 3-in-diam- eter shaft (cross-sectional area of 7,07 in?) in a vessel at 300-psi pressure will create an upward force of 2,121 Ib ‘on the mixer drive and supports. The nozzle or pad mounting for a mixer (Figure 2) re quires that support be distributed across the head of the tank. A nozzle uses gussets to provide sufficient stiffness and support. A reinforcing or stiffening plate, called a “skull cap,” often is formed to the head of the tank to increase stiffness around the nozzle or pad. Without this reinforcement, the head must be thicker and more expensive, The reinforcement also reduces the possibil- ity that the outer ends of the nozzle gussets can cause fatigue cracks where stresses are concentrated. Wichin practical limits, the better the mixer is supported, the less likely other failures will occur, A flexible or weak mounting will lead to other mechani- cal problems. Deflections in the mixer mounting may rest in a bent shaft or worn shaft bearings. A flexible mounting also may allow vibrations that will prompt premature seal failures. A weak mounting will decrease the first natural frequency of the mixer shaft — and thuss may cause critical speed problems not anticipated in the mixer design. Make the most of your mixer ‘A mixer can best solve process problems if it isn't hampered by mechanical problems. Moreover, always keep in mind that a mechanical problem also can be a safety problem, An appreciation of design considerations and meth- ods puts you in a better position to identify some of the more common mechanical problems and even sug- gest possible solutions. For new equipment, the more the manufacturer understands about your process, the less likely that mechanical problems will develop later. For existing equipment, avoid increased bending loads and operating near the eritical speed to prevent major mechanical problems. [For more information about mixer design, see the chapter on “Mechanical Design of Mixing Equipment” co-authored by David Dickey in the Handbook of Indus- trial Mixing, Jobn Wiley & Sons, Inc. (2004).] GP Dr. David S. 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