Numerical Study of Vortex Dynamics and Power Consumption in Rushton Stirred Tanks with Vertical, Square, and Triangular Baffle
Abstract
The present study numerically investigates the influence of different baffle types in a vessel stirred by a Rushton turbine. Three configurations were examined: a Rushton turbine combined with vertical baffles (VBR), square baffles (SBR), and triangular baffles (TBR). Turbulent flow simulations were performed for Reynolds numbers ranging from 4×104 to 105 using the Multiple Reference Frame (MRF) approach implemented in the CFD CFX 18.0. The vortex structure and power consumption were analyzed for each geometrical configuration. The results show that square baffles offer the best performance, with a reduction in power consumption of 2.85% compared to the triangular baffles (TBR) and 30% relative to the vertical baffles (VBR). Furthermore, for the SBR configuration, variations in baffle width (E/D) and baffle height (F/D) (tested at F/D = 9/40, 1/4, 4/15, and 3/10) indicate that tanks equipped with baffles having a ratio of E/D = 9/40 exhibit lower power consumption compared to the other configurations.
© 2026 Mohammed Foukrach, Youcef Kamla, Mohamed Bouzit, Zied Driss, published by Bialystok University of Technology
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