NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF THREE DIMENSIONAL VELOCITY PROFILE OF HIGHLY VISCOUS NEWTONIAN FLUID IN AN AGITATED VESSEL WITH PADDLE IMPELLER

Abstract

A numerical algorithm for three-dimensional laminar flow in an agitated vessel was established by using the vector potential and the vorticity. This algorithm was applied to the numerical analysis of the velocity profile of a highly viscous Newtonian fluid in a closed cylindrical vessel with paddle impeller, because of the simplicity of the boundary conditions. The governing equations were solved by using the S.O.R. method. The calculated velocity profile agreed well with that observed by Yamamoto in the region between impeller and vessel bottom, where the boundary condition in the numerical analysis almost satisfied his experimental conditions. As the flow pattern near the impeller was scarcely affected by the nonexistence of a free liquid surface, the numerical results for power input and discharge flow rate coincided well with those observed by Nagata and Yamamoto.