Numerical contribution in studies of turbulent flow and heat transfer in avessel agitated by radial turbine.

Numerical contribution in studies of turbulent flow and heat transfer in a vessel agitated by radial turbine. The hydrodynamic and thermal behaviours induced by a six flat-bladed turbine, in a closed, unbaffled, batch stirred vessel are numerically predicted by means of Computational Fluid Dynamic ( CFD) model. Heat transfer is applied on the jacketed wall of the stirred ve ssel. Solutions of the time-averaged Navier-Stokes and energy equations in conjunction with the standard k-epsilon turbulence model are developed usin g a control volume discretization method. A three-dimensional analysis of the hydrodynamic and thermal characteristic s of the turbulent flow generated within the vessel are performed. Analyses concern the mean velocities and temperature fields, the turbulence kinetic energy and its production and dissipation rates. Turbulent flow characteri stics are particularly examined between blades and in the impeller discharg e stream. Also, the evolution in transient regime of the thermal state of t he agitated vessel has been studied. Finally, Nusselt numbers numerically p redicted are correlated by a dimensionless equation in order to be compared with ones found by other researchers. (C) 2001 Editions scientifiques et m edicales Elsevier SAS.