What is an Agitator?

An agitator is a machine / mechanical device having a shaft and an impeller/propeller, that helps to mix and stir different materials; to create movement in fluids or semi-solids. A rotor is used in a tank to increase the pressure by the rotational motion of the rotor in the tank to make happen with the mixing process. This can be done to homogenize the material, prevent the separation of different phases, or introduce new properties into the material.

A number of factors affect the efficiency of impellers. Increasing the pressure drop across the impeller and increasing the flow rate will increase the power required to drive the impeller. Increasing the viscosity of the fluid increases the amount of power required to drive an impeller at a constant flow rate (or decreases the power if the flow rate is increased). Similarly, if the impeller is pumping a viscous fluid, using a larger diameter impeller will reduce power consumption.

Applications of Agitators

A popular machine used in industries to mix solids, pastes, slurry, liquids, and gases. Applications of agitators also include processes of chemical reactions and heat transfer.  It can be used to either heat or cool a substance, depending on the application.

They are commonly used in industrial and commercial applications, such as in tanks or reactors, to keep substances in suspension and prevent them from settling. Agitators can also be used to heat or cool a fluid by circulating it through a jacketed vessel. Also used for circulation in a chemical reaction.

Agitator types designed according to their uses and applications are prominent instrument machinery for a variety of manufacturing companies in sectors, such as the food processing and beverage industry, pharmaceutical companies, paint manufacturing units, grease, metal extraction, adhesive, cosmetic, and chemical industries.

Agitators are also used for silica sand, in cement industries, power plants, the dyeing process, the dyes industry, the textile industry, the oil refining process, the petroleum industry, the paper production industry, and the sugar industry.

When the right equipment is used, agitators can be used to perform multiple tasks, such as dispersing and emulsifying. This versatility makes them a popular tool for mixing. Agitators have been used for over 100 years, and the technology has developed over time. Newer agitators designed by manufacturers by 2022 are more durable and efficient in mixing than older designs. These changes have paved the way for sustainable, cost-effective mixing methods to be implemented all over the world.

Types of Agitators used in Reactors

The anchor agitator is used in reactors because the anchor impeller of the anchor agitator is capable of handling the entire liquid content within the vessel. This will avoid the formation of stagnant zones at the bottom of the agitator’s vessel. Both anchor and turbine agitators are available in propeller and paddle configurations. The energy needed to operate an agitator is generally proportional to its volume. The paddle is operated by a motor through a gearbox, which can speed up or slow down the rotation or stop it. It is capable of self-starting and can be used to start and stop quickly. In a reactor having a single anchor impeller, the anchor impeller is suspended from a journal bearing and is supported below it by a heavy disk-shaped flexible ring known as the spindle. There are different types of anchor impellers. The three main types are ‘N’ type, ‘I’ type, and ‘V’ type anchor impellers.

A belt agitator is used in reactors because the belt impeller is generally light in weight. It provides a considerable mechanical advantage because the mixer is easy to repair and replace. It can be used with impellers that allow a relatively large number of gaps between the blades, which makes them more efficient.

The first of the 3 types of reactor is the reactor with a jacket and mechanical agitation with one or two agitators in the jacket to carry out the reaction. The agitation is carried out by the circulation of cooling water through the jacket slots and in cells between the agitator shafts. The clearances between the agitator shafts and the agitators and between the agitators and their seats have to be well defined. The application area of the reactors is mainly in petrochemical plants and oil refineries, but also in the sewage and drinking water treatment, the wood and wood pulp industries, the sugar industry, the textile industry, and various further processing areas. The reactors are manufactured according to the requirements and desires of customers. In this case, special designs of cleaning systems, reactor agitators, decanters, and other equipment and components can be integrated into the reactor.

I-gear turbines are vertical turbines for mechanically agitating reactors available in all standard sizes up to an extra large diameter of 1700 mm. I-gear turbines are mixed flow turbines with conventional geometry and a cascade construction coupled with axial flow. I-gear turbines are very compact, yet deliver especially high volumetric power density. The construction of the turbine is subdivided into three parts.

The FBRs are encapsulated in a pressure vessel with a graphite core. The graphite serves as a moderator, slowing down the neutrons in the nuclear reaction. The reactor core is surrounded by a cooling system, usually water. The steam is then used to drive electricity-generating turbines. To control the reaction rate in the reactor core, control rods are used.

Agitator Types and Uses

Agitators can be divided into a number of categories based on their driving method: Paddles are the most common agitator used in industry today. They are generally the cheapest and simplest type, requiring only a power take-off from the main shaft. They have the drawback of producing low shear, which means they lack the ability to break up larger agglomerations. This is the oldest type of agitation. The jet of high-pressure water is directed at a point in a vessel, which causes turbulence in the fluid and hence agitates it.

Three major types of Agitators are found in the chemical industry: -the rotating type, which uses centrifugal forces to cause particles to move, and has different types of impellers. -the gear type, using gear wheels and a gearbox to transmit power to a shaft. -the stationary type, using internal paddles (or vortex stirrers).

There are different types of agitator machinery, each with its own unique set of benefits. In this article, we will explore the different agitator types of machinery and their applications. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, each with its own unique set of features and benefits. The is a large number of agitator types which are the ones that are used by specific industries. Here is a rundown of the different types of agitators manufactured by agitator manufacturers, that should give you a good idea to help you make an informed decision.

1. Air-powered agitators

Air-powered agitators are the most common type of agitator. They use compressed air to generate a powerful vortex that quickly mixes liquids. Air-powered agitators are very versatile and can be used for a wide range of applications.

2. Paddle Agitators

Paddle agitators are one of the most common agitator types that consist of blades with paddle shapes. They consist of a series of paddles that rotate to create turbulence in the liquid. These machines are ideal for use in tanks with large capacities and can be used to stir both liquids and solids. Paddle shape agitators used for viscous materials are called paddle agitators. Applications include chemical industries, food processing, and pharmaceutical industries.

3. Hydraulic agitators

Hydraulic agitators use hydraulic fluid to generate the mixing action. They are the most powerful and can be used for the toughest mixing jobs. Hydraulic agitators are also the most expensive of the agitator types.

4. Magnetic agitators

These machines use magnets to generate the mixing action to create agitation in the liquid. They are often used in corrosive environments where other types of agitation would be unsuitable. They are typically used for delicate materials.

5. Turbine Agitators

In general, the most common type of agitator is the Turbine Agitator, due to its low cost and the fact that it is the most robust agitator. However, the other agitator types have their own applicability where their special features give more advantages over the turbine type. For example, top-slurry pumps are often used in paper machines to pump a fluid slurry in a vertical pipe.

The process is continuous and the product can be delivered continuously. Turbine agitators are rated by horsepower, product output per revolution, and maximum head. The horsepower of the agitator is not to be confused with hand crank horsepower. Turbine agitators work by rotating a turbine blade. The output of a rotational turbine agitator is usually a tangential stream. The material being agitated exits the turbine tangentially into the surrounding fluid. It is also possible for the output to be a radial stream or a combination of radial and tangential flow, based on the design of the agitator.

Uses: Applications include various mixing functions such as chemical reactions, agitation in bioreactors, and mixing of slurries. Turbine agitators are commonly used in fermenters. They can handle high viscosities and a wide range of concentrations. They are also able to handle solids without problems.

6. Coriolis Mixers

Coriolis mixers work by using a spiraling jet of fluid that is spun rapidly. The spinning jet allows the liquid to shear and mixes the components inside. This mixer is ideal for viscous materials, mixtures of lumps and liquids, and or gases. They can be used in batch mode as well as in continuous mixing. In these applications, the turbine agitator will take longer to reach its maximum speed due to a large amount of liquid being pumped.

7. Motorized Agitator

It uses a rotating impeller with a motor at the end of the shaft to mix a liquid. Motorized Agitators consist of a cylindrical tube with helical blades.

8. Bow Tie Agitator

The impeller of this agitator is shaped like a bow, so it is called a Bow tie agitator, used for mixing highly viscous fluids. The action of the blades resembles that of the bow and hence the name. These agitator types are used when there is limited space in the vessel and hence it is not possible to install conventional agitators in the vessel.

9. Helical Agitators

This is the surface agitator which you can find in a vessel; the design of the impeller is like that of a screw with threads. A roller bearing is used for connecting the helical agitators and the shaft of the motor in a driven manner to make the pitch of their helixes run parallel. The bearing is further divided into a radial bearing and a thrust bearing according to the bearings’ functions. The radial bearings are not subjected to axial load but radial load only.

An opening of an upper space is formed in an upper end of the upper case, and the opening and a lower space are communicated with each other through a bottom wall of the upper case. The top and bottom walls of the lower case include a portion thereof which is formed with a plurality of through holes. The top and bottom walls of the upper case include a portion thereof which is formed with a plurality of through holes. The through holes of the top and bottom walls are communicated with each other.

The support structure of the radial agitator is formed by a plate-shaped body that is fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the tubular casing by means of its lower end and extends along the length of the casing. Further, the plate-shaped body has a stepped portion in its upper-end region. A space between the inner circumferential surface of the tubular casing and the plate-shaped body adjacent to each other forms chambers.

As a result, the blade pitch of the helical agitator can be reduced, compared with that of a conventional agitator. In addition, the helical agitator has a large number of blades arranged in a small diameter and thus can reduce the amount of energy required for rotating the rotor of the helical agitator.

10. Cone-wheel Agitators

The blades have sharpened edges and they reach the walls of the vessel. The impeller blades have a conical shape and are attached to the shaft. The Cone-wheel agitators are usually used in the polymer process.

11. Agitator Paddles

It has blades resembling a half-circle or a quarter-circle. The blades are designed in such a way that the paddle reaches the center of the vessel and stretches out to the walls. The agitator paddles are used in cases where there is less point contact with the vessel wall.

12. Anchor Agitators

Similar to that of an anchor; the blades of anchor agitators cover the entire mixing vessel. Anchor agitators use a rotating shaft with an anchor-shaped impeller to keep substances in suspension. Very less clearance remains between the blades of the mixer and the container vessel.  The anchor agitator is used for viscous liquids. Anchor agitators are also used in large tanks or reactors where there is a need for gentle mixing.

Free Piston or Fluid Pumps

The liquid is pumped by a reciprocating piston, or pistons, which are located in the pump cylinder and are driven by an electric motor.

The Two-Stage pump

A combination of positive displacement pumps of different designs and/or capacities, arranged in tandem. The inlet to the first pump is the outlet from the second pump.

13. Oscillatory Agitators

The flat surface of the paddle is smaller and the contact area is larger; Cavitation uses high pressure and low speed to mix the liquid.

14. Electric agitators

Electric agitators use an electric motor to generate the mixing action. They are typically more powerful than air-powered agitators and can be used for tougher mixing jobs. Electric agitators are also more expensive than air-powered models.

15. Propeller Agitator

The common type of agitator is the propeller agitator, which uses one or more blades to create a stirring action. Propeller agitators are typically the most efficient type of agitator, but they can create a lot of shear force, which can damage delicate substances. These are used for mixing low viscous fluids.

16. Impeller Agitators

Impeller agitators work by circulating the liquid in the tank using an impeller, or a series of blades. Impeller agitators are often used in small-scale applications and can be used with both liquids and solids. Impeller agitators are similar to propeller agitators but use vanes instead of blades to create a pumping action. Impeller agitators are often used for viscous fluids or fluids with large particulates.

Conclusion

The agitator is a very important part of the chemical industry as it helps in mixing various chemicals together. Different agitator-type machinery is used for different purposes and it is very important to choose the right machine for the required application. Understanding the basic concepts of agitator types and uses, and their working is important to choose the right agitator type, that can be useful for your company. Search for agitator manufacturers, suppliers, dealers, distributors, consultants, traders, exporters, and vendor services on this page on Seopearls.