Abstract
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•CFD method was integrated with factorial design to reveal particle suspension.•Solid-liquid mixing performance of four typical impellers was compared.•Regression models for floating and sinking particles suspension were achieved.•Impeller optimization was proposed upon particle suspension and mixing energy.
The present study focuses upon the effect of the impeller on sinking and floating behavior of suspending particles in stirred tank reactor, employing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation where factorial design is used to investigate the main and interaction effects of design parameters on the particle distribution performance of four typical impeller designs. Factorial design results show the effect of diameter and width of the impeller and off-bottom clearance on sinking particles is different from that of floating particles and regression equations for sinking particles and floating particles are achieved separately. Meanwhile, optimal equations which quantitatively reveal the effect of impeller factors on suspension quality and energy input is established for impeller improvement. Besides the development of computational models, the combination of CFD simulation with factorial design method provides a useful approach to gain insight into the suspension behavior of sinking and floating particles, also it guides to optimize the impeller design.