Overviews
The synergistic effect of the microscopic mixing force and the macroscopic circulating force enables efficient mixing, agitation and reaction of the liquid in a tank. MU Eductor works to save energy in the reactor and to homogenize the products in the large tank.(Left figure: MU Eductor MD-500/300)
MU Eductor, click on the picture to enlarge
Two features
- Liquid is efficiently mixed by arranging spiral perforated wings. (Microscopic force)
- It generates a circulating flow to efficiently agitate the entire liquid in a tank. (Macroscopic force)
(Click “Product structure and principle ” for details.)
Six benefits
- Eliminating refrigerators to save approx. 95% of power consumption
- Cooling with cooling water to reduce refrigerant costs
- Easier maintenance to lower maintenance costs
- Simplified structure to decrease approx. 40% of equipment costs
- Easy scale-up of reactor
- Reducing dirt and clogging to enable long-term operation
(Click “Comparison with existing products” for details.)
Applications
Cooling and agitation of liquid in reactor
Homogenization of products and raw materials by agitation in a large liquid storage tank (Spherical tank with an internal volume of 5,000 m3)
(Eliminating changes in liquid physical properties (Concentration, temperature, density, viscosity, etc.) with time)
Figure 1 Cooling and agitation of liquid in a reaction tank
Figure 2 Spherical reservoir tank
In a spherical tank with an internal volume of 5,000 m3, aging is eliminated by homogenizing the physical properties (concentration, temperature, density, viscosity, etc.) of liquid by stirring the product and raw material.
Example of MU Eductor
Purpose
To achieve homogenization of product quality and stable operation by promoting chemical reaction and uniformizing concentration and temperature in a tank by strengthening liquid-liquid mixing.
Model
MD-500/200
Size of device
500A×200A×750H
Material
SUS304
Flow rate of driving liquid/Flow rate of discharge
250 m3/h × 2 / 300 m3/h × 2
Customers
Major petrochemical company in Taiwan (Delivered in January 2013)
How to use
In a 4,000 m3 spherical tank with a diameter of 20 m, there are two MU Eductors for mixing. A total of 500 m3/h of hydrocarbon raw material is supplied to the two Eductors, thereby strengthening the mixing and agitation process to complete the chemical reaction.
MU Eductor incorporates our company’s MU-Static Spiral Perforated wings (MU-SSPW: see picture above) as an element to achieve high-performance mixing.
This MU-SSPW is used for internal parts of a tower, eductors and mist separators, and has a proven record of highly efficient gas-liquid mixing and separation.
Structure and principle
Comprehensive flow of fluid
For example, we explain the cooling of liquid in a reactor in the above figure. First, regarding the location of installation of this product, it is below the reactor. As a series of fluid flows, the fluid in the reactor is first discharged from the bottom of the reactor by a circulating pump. The liquid that goes out of the reactor is cooled by a cooler and then returned to the reactor. The returned liquid goes through the bottom of the product, passes through the product, and then diffuses into the tank. Circulating flow is also formed by the surrounding liquid entering the product from the liquid suction part on the lower side of the product.
Internal structure of the product
This product consists of two main parts. At the bottom of the product, a tube is connected to the fluid inlet through which the fluid enters. At the top is a cylindrical passageway through which fluid flows and exits from the top. The upper and lower parts are joined by several supporting ribs, and the joint is provided with a gap between the ribs so that liquid in the vessel is drawn into the product. If you look inside the product, you will see that a number of spiral perforated wings are attached, and they are joined and fixed in the passageway. Reinforcing rings are fixed at the center of the wings. The reinforcing ring fixes the end of the inner peripheral of each wing, and prevents the wing from moving when liquid passes through the inside of the product.
Movement of fluid inside the product
The fluid flow generated by this product can be roughly divided into two types. There is a flow that spouts upward from the lower fluid inlet and a flow that sucks the surrounding fluid into the product.
The liquid coming in from the inlet and the liquid sucked in from the outside of the product flow from the bottom to the top of the mixing part at the top of the product. During this time, the liquids are mixed and stirred by splitting, rotating, merging, and shearing action to form a multi-phase flow that circulates in the reactor to homogenize the reaction products of the liquids.
Comparison of MU Eductor with existing products
Cooling with this product has the following six advantages over conventional agitation cooling with a jacket and agitator.
1. Eliminating refrigerators to save approx. 95% of power consumption
According to our estimation, the existing cooling method consumes 415 kW, and this product can reduce the power consumption to 22 kW, which means that our product can save 95% of consumption energy.
2. Cooling with cooling water to reduce refrigerant costs
Jacket cooling uses an expensive refrigerant, such as, NH3, propane, propylene, etc. and requires a pressure vessel. However, since this product does not use a jacket or refrigerant, it can be cooled with only cooling water. This eliminates the need for refrigerant and pressure vessels, thereby reducing costs.
3. Easier maintenance to save more than 80% of maintenance cost
This product has a structure resistant to clogging and dirt, and requires no maintenance for more than 1 year. As a result, the maintenance cost can be reduced by more than 80% compared with the conventional agitation cooling system.
4. Simplified structure to decrease equipment cost
By replacing jackets and chillers with recirculation pumps, coolers and our product, the facility cost can be reduced by approximately 40%.
5. Easy scale-up of reactor
In the case of conventional jacket cooling, the surface area must be larger than the volume, and it was expensive and inefficient to increase the volume of the reactor. However, this product can efficiently cool the liquid in the reactor by feeding the externally cooled liquid and generating a circulation flow, so the reactor can be enlarged without being limited by the surface area of the reactor.
6. Reducing dirt and clogging to enable long-term operation
In the case of cooling using an agitator, the agitator blades and baffles tend to be clogged with polymer, so it was necessary to stop operation more than three times a year in order to empty the container and clean it with a water jet. However, with this circulation cooling, it will be possible to operate non-stop for a year.