CFD Simulation Methodology Validated for Mixed Rectangular Tank Equipped with Single and Multiple Impellers

An experimentally validated methodology for practical fluid dynamics modeling of vessels with atypical geometry, which differs from the standard cylindrical baffled vessel with a centrally mounted impeller, is absent. One reason for this is the lack of experimental data measured on such vessels. We measured experimental data for a rectangular tank equipped with a single impeller and a pair of impellers; either Rushton turbines or pitched-blade turbines (mimicking the geometry of the flocculation tanks at water treatment facilities)-using the particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) technique, as presented in the si- multaneously published contribution. Accordingly, this study exploits the measured data to extend the range of operational conditions under which the previously proposed methodology has been validated by systematically comparing experimental measurements with simulation results and providing a critical evaluation of their agreement and limitations. The study identified specific limitations of the proposed simulation methodology when applied to flows characterized by strong impeller–impeller interactions and introduced an extension to the methodology that addresses these deficiencies. The resulting approach is suitable for the analysis and numerical simulation of realistic fluid dynamics in stirred apparatuses exhibiting complex flow structures.