Development of tangential rotors using numerical and experimental methodologies

Abstract

Since the 1970s, the development of internal mixers for discontinuous processes has undergone rapid evolution dictated by the need for higher quality of the compounds produced and also for high productivity to combat rising costs. A continuous evolution in rotor shapes has occurred, both for ‘intermeshing' rotors and for the more traditional ‘tangential' types. To determine the potential benefits of a certain shape of rotor, it is necessary to study the flow field generated inside the mixing chamber. Ideally the methods employed should produce an optimised shape reasonably rapidly and permit analysis of the many geometric parameters characterising the shape of the rotor. Computational fluid dynamics methods have been widely employed in the development of a new design of tangential rotor. A case study of such a development is given and the experimental validation of the calculated shape reported.