| Summary: | Synopsis
Solids suspension influences the quality of mixing and energy
requirement in a solid-liquid system, both of which determine the
efficiency of industrial processes such as nickel precipitation. Nickel
solids concentration distribution in a stirred tank was investigated
using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and experimental
methods. The concentration distribution of the nickel solids was
compared with that of sand and glass. The laser Doppler
velocimetry (LDV) method was used to measure the velocity field
for the liquid-only system and an optical technique was employed to
determine the axial solids concentration distribution. Regions of
inhomogeneity in the tank were identified. It was found that, for a
given solids loading, the solids concentration distribution depended
on both particle size and particle size distribution. High solids
loadings were investigated and a difference in the concentration
distribution pattern was obtained with nickel, flint glass and sand
particles. The CFD simulation results highlighted problems that
could be associated with some conventional experimental methods
of determining solids concentration distribution in a stirred tank.
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