Industrial Agitators

Industrial agitators
Wide range of models

Industrial processes are comprised of a set of operations designed to transform raw materials into one or more products. Almost all industrial processes involve some form of mixing consisting of the generation of a certain flow inside a tank (open or closed) using the rotating movement of one or more propellers.

When mixing is required in an industrial process, the system must be developed through a normally cylindrical tank and an industrial stirrer (a set consisting of drive, a shaft, and one or more impellers along the shaft).

For the optimal design of the mixing system, it should be taken into account in addition to the basic mixing functions of the selected agitator (type, number and diameter of impellers, turning speed and engine power), the operating conditions of the process (product properties to be mixed, continuous or discontinuous operation, recirculation, batch or semi-batch, liquid level variations, ..) as well as tank geometry (dimensions, Baffle, heat exchangers, inlet and outlet connections…)

Industrial agitators for tanks

Vertical Agitators

Horizontal Agitators

Submersible Agitators

Tailor Made Agitators

Stirred vessels

The mixing is present in the vast majority of industrial processes being the objectives that are intended to be achieved in each of them very different. The basic operations of agitation are as follows:

Mixture of miscible liquids
Dispersing of gas in a liquid in the form of small bubbles
Mix or dispersing of non-miscible liquids
Dispensing of a second liquid, immiscible with the first, to form an emulsion or suspension of tiny droplets.
Facilitate the heat transfer between liquid and coil.
Suspension, reduction of size, and dispersion of solid particles in a liquid.
Dissolution of solid products in a liquid Reduce the size of agglomerated particles.
Decrease the droplet size of coalescing liquids.

Even in the same process, the combination of two or more operations may be required resulting in a much more complex mixing system.

Fluidmix has qualified technical personnel, with extensive experience in the industrial field, who will offer you the tank agitator that best suits the objectives and conditions of the process. We design the equipment to work in the most severe conditions required by the process providing the team with the systems required for each case:

Sealing system by braided packing.
Sealing system by a labyrinth seal.
Sealing system by single or double mechanical seal. (with or without cooling and pressure system).

Types of agitators

Tank agitators, depending on the main direction generated by their impeller inside the tank, can be axial, radial, or tangential flow. The type of flow will depend in addition to the type of impeller, the characteristics of the fluid and, the geometry of the tank (with or without anti-vortex baffles):

Axial flow agitators

Axial flow agitators are those that generate currents parallel to the stirrer shaft. In this type of agitator, the most common impellers are marine propellers (VHS and VHD), profile-winged propellers (VPP, VPT, VPS), and inclined flat blade turbines (VTS, VTG).

Marine propellers (VHS, VHD)

This type of propeller works at very high turning speeds (1000 or 1500 rpm for small propellers or 750rpm for larger diameter propellers) generating medium turbulence. To avoid vortices, they should be placed in the off-center position. Used for mixing low viscosity liquids and in small volumes (2 or 3 m3) in homogenization, dissolution, reagent preparation, and neutralization applications.

Impellers with high-performance profile. (VPP, VFR, VPT, VPS)

The high-performance profile provides a high pumping volume at relatively low speeds and with very little power consumption.

We have three types of profiles (type T, type T2, and type S) with different geometries and tilt angles. Depending on the type of regime and viscosity of the media to be mixed, our technical-commercial department will help you select the stirrer model with the most suitable profile. For volumes less than 5 m3 and homogenization of medium viscosity products, we have our standard VPP3 range with immediate delivery times.

For higher volumes, we perform the calculation and design of your agitator (model VFR, VPT, VPS) with power motors up to 45 Kw, reducers with high service factors, and specific systems depending on the working conditions.

Pitched blade turbines (VTS, VTG)

Turbine composed of 4 blades usually inclined 45º. Compared to the previous profile, its efficiency is low due to the simple shape of the blades, however, it is a versatile profile and very commonly used in various processes of the industry: homogenization, dissolution, neutralization, and reagent preparation. The main direction of the created flow is axial, but radial flow is also created.

Double flow Turbine (VTDF)

The design of this turbine is based on the arrangement of an internal shovel and another external shovel (usually u-shaped) on the same radial plane but at opposite angles. This arrangement originates axial current flows in the central and outer areas of the turbine in opposite directions. Normally two or several turbines are arranged along the shaft (depending on the height of the tank) out-phase each other 90º. The VTDF turbine is used in high viscosity product mixing processes.

Helical Ribbon impeller (VHH)

Helical ribbon impellers are best suited for highly viscous product mixtures (greater than 30,000 cps). They also stand out for their good efficiency in those processes where heat transfer is required.

With the helical ribbon impeller, an axial flow is obtained by the displacement effect on the laminar flow rate. They have a belt-shaped propeller and their joint to the shaft is done by crossbars which prevents the use of other elements inside the tank such as level controllers, samplers, etc. The distance between the tank wall and the tape should be very small so you should do without baffles in the tank.

Radial flow agitators

Radial flow impellers mainly generate a flow perpendicular to the stirrer shaft and when encountered with the vessel wall, it deviates up and down.

Flat Blade impeller with center disk (Rushton)

They consist of a disc in the horizontal plane to which several blades distributed symmetrically throughout its circumference are joined perpendicularly. Flat shovel disc turbines are mainly used for gasification applications.

Flat Blade impeller with center disk Agitator

Cowles Disc (VHDC)

Consisting of a circular disc with a large number of perpendicular teeth and evenly distributed throughout its circumference. They are suitable for mixing tasks where a very high shear effect (emulsification, solid deagglomeration, and wet grinding) is required. It is sometimes used in conjunction with an axial flow impeller to promote the circulation of more viscous fluids inside the tank.

Anchor (VTRR)

The anchor usually consists of two parallel blades joined by another transverse at the bottom with the shape of the bottom of the tank.

The ratio between the diameter of the turbine and the diameter of the tank is 0.9-0.98, this means that the separation of the blades from the tank wall is very small. In this way, the material is prevented from adhesion to the walls, resulting in a good heat transfer with the walls.

They rotate at very low speed and despite the radial arrangement of the blades, they cause a tangential flow inside the tank. A variant of this type of turbine is the paddle type, which is used in large basins in flocculation processes or in those processes in which very low shear is required.