Experimental Investigation of the Use of Synthetic Jets for Mixing in Vessels

Mixing is an important process in various industries. Different designs have been suggested in order to reduce the local shear rates in mechanically stirred mixing vessels, also known as continuously stirred tank reactors, in order to account for the mixing requirements for sensitive materials such as biological materials and biofluids where the high shear rate may damage the sensitive materials. This paper reports on the development of a continuously stirred tank reactor that can be used to achieve a variety of mixing assignments. This mixing is achieved using synthetic jets. The mixing performance was assessed using flow visualization techniques. The effects of fluid viscosity on mixing time were investigated. The results are very encouraging and are suggestive that the use of synthetic jets in mixing is a viable alternative to the conventional methods of mixing in vessels.