A COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF BAFFLED AND UNBAFF LED AGITATED SYSTEMS IN CHEMICAL-ENGINEERING

In spite of the fact that vortex formation, in unbaffled agitated vess els, is in most cases an undesirable phenomenon, many Eases exist in c hemical engineering where unbaffled systems can be used with greater e ffectivness than systems with baffles, at the same or even smaller ene rgy consumption levels. Satisfactory results can also be obtained in u nbaffled agitated vessels without an air-liquid interface. These facts , viewed in the light of energy problems in the chemical industry, sho w the current importance of comparative studies of baffled and unbaffl ed systems. In the present review article some characteristic cases fr om the fields of fluid dynamics, homogeneous distribution processes, s uspension, as well as mass-transfer and heat-transfer operations in ba ffled and unbaffled agitated vessels are presented and comparatively d iscussed in relation to their effectivness.