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The objective of the current study is to develop a computational methodology to optimize and analyze the effect of the speed ratio through parametric studies of a 3D batch mixer in a chamber partially filled with rubber. The two rotors running at different speeds, in which rotor-to-rotor alignment is different at the different instances of a revolution, can potentially improve dispersive mixing by enhancing the elongational flow as well as distributive mixing by introducing more randomization.
Das et al., 2016, 2017a, 2017b; Dhakal et al., 2017a, 2017b
Three-dimensional, transient, isothermal, and incompressible computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are carried out for rubber mixing with two counter-rotating rotors in a partially filled rubber-mixing chamber in order to assess the effect of different speed ratios. The three different speed ratios that are investigated include 1.0, 1.125, and 1.5. Dispersion is the process of breaking down the ingredients such as solid agglomerate or liquid droplets, held together by cohesive forces, whereas distribution is the process of spreading out all the ingredients homogeneously throughout the domain. In order to assess dispersive mixing characteristics, a joint probability density function ( jPDF) of mixing index and magnitude of shear rate, calculated over a period of eigth rotor revolutions of the left rotor after 12 revolutions for speed ratios of (a) 1, (b) 1.125, and (c) 1.5.
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