Computational analysis and experimental investigation of multi entry mixing nozzle

Fluid mixing is an essential process in many process industries and it is a unit operation in which relatively uniform mixture is obtained from two or more components. The degree of uniformity achievable varies widely depends upon the geometric and flow parameters of mixer. In many of the process industries it required to mix the fluids in various proportions, also the energy requirement should be minimum in order achieve efficient mixing. Hence a multi entry mixing nozzle was designed and fabricated with multiple entries in order to achieve a proportional mixing of fluids. In the present study, the influence of geometric and flow parameters on the performance of a mixing nozzle are examined. The analysis was carried out by using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods and experiments. A commercially available CFD software package FLUENT was used to predict flow, pressure, turbulent kinetic energy, velocity distribution in the mixing nozzle and the vorticity induced due to the incorporation of lobes or inserts. Also a CFD analysis has been carried out without incorporating mixing inserts and with mixing inserts in the mixing nozzle. An experimental setup of multi entry mixing nozzle was made and various experiments were conducted by using conductivity probe technique to optimize the structural parameters of mixing nozzle. An Investigation has been made to quantify the mixedness of mixing nozzle, position of primary nozzle and suction port.