Review Paper
Measurement of Power Consumption in Stirred Vessels—A Review

https://doi.org/10.1205/cerd.82.9.1282.44164Get rights and content

Mixing is a very common operation in the process industries, usually performed by mechanical agitation. Accurate methods are necessary for the estimation of the net power draw to the fluid (the only relevant for process results). This paper reviews the literature of the last 35 years on the methods for measuring power draw in stirred tanks and fermentors (during actual cultures) of sizes ranging from laboratory to industrial scale. Overall, very few papers report details on the techniques. The majority of the information comes from reports in which power consumption measurements were only a technique and where this specific methodology is in general poorly described. Depending upon the principle of measurement, four main techniques have been reported: electric, calorimetric, reaction torque and strain. The advantages and disadvantages of the methods are discussed, some new data from the authors’ laboratory are provided and the potential of new techniques is outlined.

References (49)

  • T. Asai et al.

    Estimation of oxygen absorption coefficient and power consumption in a stirred tank fermentor

    J Ferment Technol

    (1982)
  • G. Ascanio et al.

    Design of a system for measuring the power draw in a stirred tank with multiple impellers

  • G. Ascanio et al.

    High precision measurement of torque in stirred vessels

  • F.G. Bader

    Modeling mass transfer and agitator performance in multiturbine fermentor

    Biotechnol Bioeng

    (1987)
  • G. Böhme et al.

    Consistent scale-up procedure for the power consumption in agitated non-Newtonian fluids

    Chem Eng Technol

    (1988)
  • E. Brito De la Fuente et al.

    On the role of elasticity on mixing with a helical ribbon impeller

    Trans IChemE, Pt A, Chem Eng Res Des

    (1991)
  • J.R. Bourne et al.

    Power and heat transfer to agitated suspensions—use of heat flow calorimetry

    Chem Eng Sci

    (1981)
  • J.R. Bourne et al.

    Application of heat flow calorimetry to measuring heat transfer to agitated suspensions

    Inst Chem Eng Symp Ser

    (1981)
  • D.E. Brown

    The measurement of fermentor power input

    Chem Ind

    (1997)
  • P.J. Carreau et al.

    Mixing of Newtonian and non-Newtonian liquids: screw agitator and draft coil system

    Can J Chem Eng

    (1992)
  • M. Charles

    Fermentation design and scale-up

  • S. Chatwin et al.

    Successful power measurement in agitated vessels

    Lab Sci Technol

    (1985 September)
  • EEL Operating Equipment Manual

    (1994)
  • R.D. Godoy-Silva et al.

    Effect of impeller geometry on the production of aroma compounds

  • Cited by (0)

    View full text