Tank mixing

It is necessary to keep tank contents mixed or agitated in many applications. Conventional mixing in a tank requires mechanical mixing components, such as a large, motor-driven impeller.

An alternative is to use a submerged eductor mixing nozzle, TurboMix®, together with a pump, which greatly reduces system complexity, capital cost and maintenance requirements.

 

How does the TurboMix® eductor mixing nozzle work?

The TurboMix® eductor mixing nozzle is completely submerged below the liquid in the tank and operates based on the simple premise that when velocity increases, pressure decreases.

The TurboMix® is designed to take the velocity of the fluid pumped into the nozzle and convert it into a low-pressure zone that induces surrounding liquid in the tank to enter into the nozzle. In this fashion, the pumped fluid is effectively mixed with the tank contents, and the amount of fluid that exits the nozzle is three to five times the amount of fluid pumped. This multiplier effect allows greater mixing efficiency while using a smaller pumping capacity.

Even after liquids are combined, mixing nozzles can agitate the combined fluid. For instance, if the mixture has many lighter or heavier solids than the liquid, agitation prevents them from floating or settling. The same is true for liquids of two different densities or mixtures of oil and water-based compounds. Additionally, uniform liquids can stagnate, fostering bacteria growth and stratifying by temperature. Agitating keeps the solids suspended evenly while also preventing bacterial growth via mixing.

Installation

The most common setup consists of a pump-around system. The suction side of the pump is connected to the tank and draws off the liquid through this pipe. The discharge side of the pump is piped to the nozzle inlet. The liquid is drawn from the tank, through the pump, and into the nozzle. More liquid is entrained and emitted from the nozzle. The emitting stream propagates through the tank and keeps the liquid in the tank in motion. With the nozzles correctly located, agitating and mixing occur without moving components in the tank.

Setups other than pump-around systems are also in widespread use. Fresh feed is supplied to the nozzle inlet rather than recycling it from the tank. Mixing of the fresh feed immediately occurs with the tank’s contents and then continues mixing as the exit jet propagates downstream.

Factors to consider for optimised tank mixing applications

  • Applicable design specifications and mixing requirements - circulation, agitation/solids suspension, mixing/blending, solids sweeping, etc
  • Required material of construction for abrasive or corrosive environments
  • Size and shape of tank/vessel
  • Available nozzle mounting locations
  • Available/required flow rates
  • Pressure drop across the tank mixing nozzle ∆P = supply pressure at the nozzle inlet - process pressure outside nozzle

Project review and proposed solution

To deliver the optimal solution, it is important to go through in detail various factors that affect product choice, type of solution, investment objective, and other requirements at an early stage of the project.

 

HL Hansa Engineering AB
Hans Linder Spray nozzles & systems, Tank cleaning, Safety showers, Tank storage equipment I look forward to providing product advice and solutions! Let's meet via a video call or a site visit. You can also phone or email us, of course.
SM Hansa Engineering AB
Sol Millerv Dust control, Spray nozzles & systems, Tank cleaning I look forward to providing product advice and solutions! Let's meet via a video call or a site visit. You can also phone or email us, of course.
AB Hansa Engineering AB
Alexander Bergman Droplet separation, Column internals, Spray nozzles & systems, Tank cleaning I look forward to providing product advice and solutions! Let's meet via a video call or a site visit. You can also phone or email us, of course.
RR Hansa Engineering AB
Robin Ryberg Spray nozzles & systems, Tank cleaning I look forward to providing product advice and solutions! Let's meet via a video call or a site visit. You can also phone or email us, of course.
LC Hansa Engineering AB
Linda Caporicci Column internals, Droplet separation, Spray nozzles & systems, Other products I look forward to providing product advice and solutions! Let's meet via a video call or a site visit. You can also phone or email us, of course.

A start-up meeting is important to find out about various factors that will affect choice of equipment and solution in order to achieve the most efficient and sustainable solution. We are happy to set up the start-up meeting as a web meeting or a site visit, depending on your preference. All details and information from the start-up meeting we will summarise and go through with you to make sure we agree on project scope and objective.

Next step, we present a proposed solution, focusing on function, lifespan, quality, choice of material, operating and maintenance costs, and environmental impact. Our goal is to deliver a sustainable solution that creates added value to your company,