Optical Measurement Method of Particle Suspension in Stirred Vessels

Suspending particles in liquids is an important and versatile case for industrial stirring processes. By using advanced optical, non‐invasive measurement techniques like particle image velocimetry (PIV), it is possible to gain deep insights into the involved fluid dynamics without affecting the flow. However, for suspensions, the application of PIV is not trivial since both, suspended and tracer particles are present and need to be discerned during experiments. The here presented method development solves this problem and thus leads to a better insight into turbulent kinetic energy distribution, which can be utilized for process optimization through improved stirred vessel design. The power requirement for suspension generation of different agitators depending on their diameter and installation height in a flat‐bottomed vessel with internals was investigated. Coupled with velocity and turbulent kinetic energy distribution of the suspended particles, recommendations for an energy‐optimized vessel design could be provided.