Mining for success with glass-lined Pfaudler vessels and Chemineer’s mixing expertise

Instead of just quoting like-for-like with replacement parts, Pfaudler offered to work alongside its sister company Chemineer to appraise the existing mixing system and its associated processes at the mine to ascertain if potential increases in efficiency could be made.

Motors, Mechanical Seals, Agitator Shafts and Agitator Blades were all due for replacement at the mining company, who for their solid-liquid application had traditionally used Radial Impellers (Retreat Curve Impeller / Flat Blade Turbine), which pump fluid out towards the vessel’s walls. Whilst Radial Impellers are suitable for gas-liquid (dispersion) and liquid-liquid processes, Pfaudler utilised Chemineer’s Maestro mixing software to demonstrate a far more effective and energy-efficient alternative.

With Maestro, Pfaudler assessed each process step individually to discover the worst case power draw. This enabled them to very accurately size the motor for the agitator drive, whilst also analysing a variety of impeller choices. For this solid-liquid (suspension), liquid-liquid, heat transfer process, Pfaudler recommended an Axial Impeller (Pitched Blade Turbine / Maxflo Turbine), which pumps down to the bottom dish of the tank and then up round the vessel’s walls.

The specially designed Maestro software also calculates key mixing parameters such as: Solid Suspension, Blend Time, Gas Dispersion and
Chemscale (Chemineer’s Scale indicating the degree of mixing). Within 10 minutes of entering the data, the results can then be used to produce 2-Dimensional CFD pictures, which show the direction and magnitude of flow within the reactor.

With far smaller motors now in operation, the mining company is making significant energy savings on its mixing production, as well as benefiting from far more effective and efficient production.

In addition to the mining industry, Pfaudler and Chemineer design and manufacture corrosion resistant equipment and modular process systems to the pharmaceutical and chemical industries, as well as for a comprehensive range of process applications.