Numerical Simulation of Optimization of Mixing Tank for Residue Upgrading Reactor

For studying the mixing tank for RMAC(residue upgrading to maximize asphaltene conversion)reactor,the CFD simulation was employed to simulate the flow field in the mixing tank.The dispersion of liquid-liquid phase in the mixing tank and the power of turbines were investigated.The simulation results showed that compared with the original doublelayer propeller,the A310-swept double-layer impellers could reduce the liquid heterogeneous degree by 27.5% and the stirring power by 3.25%.The influence of rotation speed on the heterogeneous degree and stirring power was investigated,and the critical rotation speed was obtained.The optimal rotation speed was determined to be 240 r/min.The heterogeneous degree was 0.19 and the minimum stirring power was 10.89 W.By optimizing the impeller selection and process conditions,the overall performance of the mixing tank could be significantly improved.