Tip speed

Other Selection Problems. Additional considerations can arise when fans must handle soHds or gases of low density, or must be operated in parallel or series. A compHcated flow system involving several fans in parallel, all of which are ia series with a common exhaust fan, can lead to surging and vibration unless selected carefully. Maximum tip speed, bearing types, single- and double-inlet fans, and wheel and shaft natural frequency and rigidity must also be considered. 

Fan Rating. Axial fans have the capabiUty to do work, ie, static pressure capabiUty, based on their diameter, tip speed, number of blades, and width of blades. A typical fan used in the petrochemical industry has four blades, operates neat 61 m/s tip speed, and can operate against 248.8 Pa (1 in. H2O). A typical performance curve is shown in Figure 11 where both total pressure and velocity pressure are shown, but not static pressure. However, total pressure minus velocity pressure equals static pressure. Velocity pressure is the work done just to collect the air in front of the fan inlet and propel it into the fan throat. No useflil work is done but work is expended. This is called a parasitic loss and must be accounted for when determining power requirements. Some manufacturers fan curves only show pressure capabiUty in terms of static pressure vs flow rate, ignoring the velocity pressure requirement. This can lead to grossly underestimating power requirements. 

Performance Curves. Pan manufacturers furnish fan performance curves for each type fan available. These are typically based on 61 m/s (12,000 ft/min) tip speed and 1.20 kg/m (0.075 lb /ft ) density. To select a fan for a specific duty requires knowledge of the flow, static pressure resistance, and density of the actual operating conditions. Usually the fan diameter is known as well as some idea of operating speed a 61 m/s tip speed can often be assumed. 

The required PWL is used to determine the tip speed of the fan. The velocity of the blade tips equals the rpm x dia x tt. The American Petroleum Institute (API) determines PWL through the equation... 

A fan blade is continuously vibrating millions of cycles up and down ia operatioa over a short period of time. Each time a blade tip moves past an obstmction it is loaded and then unloaded. If forced by virtue of tip speed and number of blades to vibrate at its natural frequency, the ampHtude is greatly iacreased and internal stresses result. It is very important when selecting or rating a fan to avoid operation near the natural frequency. The most common method of checking for a resonance problem is by usiag the relatioa ... 

The velocity head JT in a pipe flow is related to Hquid velocity hy H = I Qc The Hquid velocity in a mixing tank is proportional to impeller tip speed 7zND. Therefore, JTin a mixing tank is proportional to The power consumed by a mixer can be obtained by multiplying and H and is given... 

Obviously shear rate in different parts of a mixing tank are different, and therefore there are several definitions of shear rate (/) for average shear rate in the impeller region, oc V, the proportionaUty constant varies between 8 and 14 for all impeller types (2) maximum shear rate, oc tip speed (%NU), occurs near the blade tip (3) average shear rate in the entire tank is an order of magnitude less than case / and (4) minimum shear rate is about 25% of case 3. 

When choosing the scale-up method, changes in other flow/power parameters and their impact on the process result must be considered. Figure 11 shows changes in important parameters for different scale-up bases. For example, scale-up based on same tip speed maintains the T / Ubut decreases P/ Uby 80%. T / Uis almost always increased on scale-up. Scale-up based on the same P/ Umeans a reduction in mixer speed by 66%, which also... 

The criterion of maintaining equal power per unit volume has been commonly used for dupHcating dispersion qualities on the two scales of mixing. However, this criterion would be conservative if only dispersion homogeneity is desired. The scale-up criterion based on laminar shear mechanism (9) consists of constant > typical for suspension polymerization. The turbulence model gives constant tip speed %ND for scale-up. 

Correlations of nucleation rates with crystallizer variables have been developed for a variety of systems. Although the correlations are empirical, a mechanistic hypothesis regarding nucleation can be helpful in selecting operating variables for inclusion in the model. Two examples are (/) the effect of slurry circulation rate on nucleation has been used to develop a correlation for nucleation rate based on the tip speed of the impeller (16) and (2) the scaleup of nucleation kinetics for sodium chloride crystalliza tion provided an analysis of the role of mixing and mixer characteristics in contact nucleation (17). Pubhshed kinetic correlations have been reviewed through about 1979 (18). In a later section on population balances, simple power-law expressions are used to correlate nucleation rate data and describe the effect of nucleation on crystal size distribution. 

At the fan-tip speeds required for economical performance, a large amount of noise is produced. The predominant source of noise is vortex shedding at the traihug edge of the fan blade. Noise control of aircooled exchangers is required oy the Occupational Safety and Health... 

David and Colvin [Am. Inst. Chem. Eng. J., 7, 72 (1961)]. Continuous heat transfer between kerosine and water unbaffled vessel. Open impellers (paddles and propellers) are better than closed (centrifugal and disk impellers) at the same tip speed. 

I = tip speed of the propeller or impeller, m/s p = crystal density, g/ciTr... 

Rietz disintegrators are normally supplied in rotor diameters from 10 to 60 cm (4 to 24 in), with rotational speeds to produce hammer tip speeds in ranges of 300 to 6700 m/min (1000 to 22,000 ft/min) and power ranges from 0.4 to 1.50 kW (V2 to 200 hp). Higher speeds and higher power are available. AC variable-frequency drives can eliminate belts and provide easier variation of speed. Models are available... 

Hammer Mills with Internal Air Classifiers The rotating components of the Raymond vertical mill are carried on its vertical shaft. They are the grinding element, double-whizzer classifier, and fan, as shown in Fig. 20-49. This mill has a hammer-tip speed of 7600 m/min (25,000 ft/min), so that it is effective for finer grinding than the Imp mill, which has a tip speed of 6400 m/min (21,000 ft/min). 

Equipment suitable for reactions between hquids is represented in Fig. 23-37. Almost invariably, one of the phases is aqueous with reactants distributed between phases for instance, NaOH in water at the start and an ester in the organic phase. Such reac tions can be carried out in any kind of equipment that is suitable for physical extraction, including mixer-settlers and towers of various kinds-, empty or packed, still or agitated, either phase dispersed, provided that adequate heat transfer can be incorporated. Mechanically agitated tanks are favored because the interfacial area can be made large, as much as 100 times that of spray towers, for instance. Power requirements for L/L mixing are normally about 5 hp/1,000 gal and tip speeds of turbine-type impellers are 4.6 to 6.1 i7i/s (15 to 20 ft/s). 

Some mycehal fermentations exhibit early sporulation, breakup of mycehum, and low yields if the shear is excessive. A tip speed or 250 to 500 cm/s (8 to 16 ft/s) is considered permissible. Mixing time has been proposed as a scale-up consideration, but httle can be done to improve it in a large fermenter because gigantic motors would be required to get rapid mixing. Culturing cells from plants or animals is beset by mixing problems because these cell are easily damaged by shear. 

Fig ure 1-5. The typioally flat turboexpander effioienoy oharaoteristie with various flowrates is shown here. Effioienoy versus the velooity ratio v (ratio tip speed to spouting velooity) is also shown. (Source Atlas Copco.)... 

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