(393c) Calibration of Mean Age for Blend Time in Batch Processes

Applying mean age theory to calculate blend times using CFD simulations in stirred vessels promises to significantly reduce overall computation time by eliminating the need of steady state simulations. For continuous vessels, the application of this theory is straight forward. For batch vessels, an inlet and outlet with an arbitrarily low flow rate are added to the simulation in order to satisfy mean age boundary conditions. This method however needs to be verified for various operating configurations of stirred vessels. In this follow-up to our 2016 study, calibration of inlet and outlet locations is examined. Impeller diameter, impeller clearance and overall scale are varied to determine the consistency of the calibrated locations. Mean age results will be compared against traditional transient results and available experimental data. General rules for calibrating mean age simulations in batch process will be presented. All simulations were completed using STAR-CCM+.