Mechanically agitated in-vessel

Figure 8.2 is a schematic of an in-vessel, static-pile composting device. In mechanically agitated, in-vessel composting, contaminated material is aerated and blended with carbon-source materials in a mechanical composter. These devices have been used at municipal sewage treatment facilities and applied to explosives waste. 

Figure 8.5 Comparison of costs for windrow composting mechanically agitated, in-vessel composting (MATV) and incineration of Umatilla Army Depot soils as a function of total soil volume treated.

Windrow composting performance was comparable to, or better than, previously tested aerated static pile (ASP) and mechanically agitated in-vessel (MATV) composting in terms of the rate and extent of explosives removal. 

A vertical cylindrical, and mechanical agitated pressure vessel, equipped with baffles to prevent vortex formation is the most widely used fermenter configuration. The baffles are typically one-tenth of the fermenter diameter in widtli, and are welded to supports tliat extend from the sidewall. A small space between the sidewall and the baffle enables cleaning. Internal heat transfer tube bundles can also be used as baffles. The vessels must withstand a 45 psig internal pressure and full vacuum of -14.7 psig, and comply with the ASME code. 

Bubble columns - that is, cylindrical vessels without mechanical agitation, in which gas is bubbled through a liquid, and their variations, such as airlifts... 

Bubble columns Mixing is promoted without mechanical agitation in cylindrical vessels by introducing gas into a liquid through a sparger. One variation of bubble column reactors preferred by industry is the airlift bioreactor. 

Fort, I., P. Vortuba, and J. Medek (1999). Turbulent flow of liquid in mechanically agitated closed vessel, manuscript from I. Fort. 

The choice of a bubble column or an agitated vessel depends primarily on the solubihty of the gas in the liquid, the corrosiveness of the liquid (often a gas compressor can be made of inexpensive material, whereas a mechanical agitator may have to be made of exotic, expensive materials), and the rate of chemical reac tion as compared with the mass-transfer rate. Bubble columns and agitated vessels are seldom used for gas absorption except in chemical reac tors. As a general rule. 

Stirred Vessels Gases may be dispersed in hquids by spargers or nozzles and redispersed by packing or trays. More intensive dispersion and redispersion is obtained by mechanical agitation. At the same time, the agitation will improve heat transfer and will keep catalyst particles in suspension if necessaiy. Power inputs of 0.6 to 2.0 kW/m (3.05 to 10.15 np/1,000 gal) are suitable. 

Slurry Reactors with Mechanical Agitation The catalyst may be retained in the vessel or it may flow out with the fluid and be separated from the fluid downstream. In comparison with trickle beds, high heat transfer is feasible, and the residence time can be made veiy great. Pressure drop is due to sparger friction and hydrostatic head. Filtering cost is a major item. 

The hold-up and bubble diameter in mechanically agitated vessels are given by the following empirical expressions ... 

Heat transfer coefficient to fluids in a vessel using mechanical agitated coils or jacket... 

As mentioned above batch crystallizers are usually simple vessels provided with some means of mechanical agitation or particulate fluidization. These have the effect of reducing temperature and concentration gradients, and maintain crystals in suspension. Baffles may be added to improve mixing and heat exchange or vacuum systems may be added, as appropriate. Various design combinations are available and some are illustrated in Figure 7.1. 

In an airlift fermenter, mixing is accomplished without any mechanical agitation. An airlift fermenter is used for tissue culture, because the tissues are shear sensitive and normal mixing is not possible. With the airlift, because the shear levels are significantly lower than in stirred vessels, it is suitable for tissue culture. The gas is sparged only up to the part of the vessel cross section called the riser. Gas is held up, fluid density decreases causing liquid in the riser to move upwards and the bubble-free liquid to circulate through the down-comer. The liquid circulates in airlift reactors as a result of the density difference between riser and down-comer. 

Based on the practical history of scale-up, most fermentation processes for alcohol and organic acid production have followed the concepts of geometric similarity and constant power per unit volume. From the above concept, and as a strong basis for translation of process criteria, only physical properties of the process were considered in the scale-up calculation. For power consumption in an agitated vessel, there is a fixed relation between impeller speed, N, and impeller diameter, l)t. The constant power per unit volume, for a mechanical agitated vessel is given by ... 

In many instances, two or more miscible liquids must be mixed to give a product of a desired specification, such as, for example, in the blending of petroleum products of different viscosities. This is the simplest type of mixing as it involves neither heat nor mass transfer, nor indeed a chemical reaction. Even such simple operations can however pose problems when the two liquids have vastly different viscosities. Another example is the use of mechanical agitation to enhance the rates of heat and mass transfer between the wall of a vessel, or a coil, and the liquid. Additional complications arise in the case of highly viscous Newtonian and non-Newtonian liquids. 

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