Numerical analysis of enhanced mixing in a Gallay tote blender--颗粒学报PARTICUOLOGY

Ren, X., Zhou, G., Xu, J., Cui, L., & Ge, W. (2016). Numerical analysis of enhanced mixing in a Gallay tote blender. Particuology, 29, 95-102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.partic.2016.01.008

Numerical analysis of enhanced mixing in a Gallay tote blender

Xinxin Ren ^a, Guangzheng Zhou ^a *, Ji Xu ^a, Lijie Cui ^b, Wei Ge ^a *

a State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Complex Systems, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
b School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China

10.1016/j.partic.2016.01.008

Volume 29, December 2016, Pages 95-102

Received 11 July 2015, Revised 17 December 2015, Accepted 7 January 2016, Available online 8 May 2016, Version of Record 18 November 2016.

E-mail: gzzhou@ipe.ac.cn; wge@ipe.ac.cn

Highlights

• Mixing of Gallay tote blender with multi-bladed baffle was evaluated via GPU-based DEM simulation.

• The baffle effectively enhanced the convective mixing both in the axial and radial directions.

• Axial mixing rate was affected by the gap between the baffle and the wall.

• Optimum baffle length corresponding to the maximum mixing rate was obtained.

Abstract

The mixing performance of a multi-bladed baffle inserted into a traditional Gallay tote blender is explored by graphic processing unit-based discrete element method software. The mixing patterns and rates are investigated for a binary mixture, represented by two different colors, under several loading profiles. The baffle effectively enhances the convective mixing both in the axial and radial directions, because of the disturbance it causes to the initial flowing layer and solid-body zone, compared with a blender without a baffle. The axial mixing rate is affected by the gap between the baffle and the wall on the left and right sides, and an optimal blade length corresponds to the maximum mixing rate. However, the radial mixing rate increases with the blade length almost monotonically.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Powder mixing; Tote blender; Granular materials; Discrete element method; Simulation; Baffle

文章导读