Types of Agitators – Agitator’s Design and Significance
Agitator Mixer
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Agitator Types
Agitators come in many sizes and shapes. There are two types of agitators – mechanical and electronically controlled. In the first article, we will cover mechanical process agitators.
The basic types of mechanical agitators are:
Paddle Agitators
This is one of the most primary types of agitators with blades that reach up to the tank walls. Paddle agitators are used where an uniform laminar flow of liquids is desired.
Anchor type Agitators
This simple agitator consists of a shaft and an anchor type propeller and can be mounted centrally or at an angle. It is mainly used in reactors.
Radial Propeller Agitators
Radial agitators consist of propellers that are similar to marine propellers. They consist of two to four blades that move in a screw like motion, propelling the material to be agitated parallel to the shaft.
Propeller Agitators
A propeller agitator is shaped with blades tapering towards the shaft to minimize centrifugal force and produce maximum axial flow. Propeller agitators are popular for simple mixing jobs.
Agitator types and Uses
| Agitator Type | Applications | Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Paddle | * Mixing of Solids, * Slurry Mixing, * Used during Crystals forming phase during Super saturated Cooling |
* Heavy duty, * Apt for Slow operation, * Can have 2 or 4 blades |
* Power Consumption is very high, * Inefficient Mixing |
| Turbine *Straight Blade *Pitched Blade *Curved Blade *Disk Blade |
* Liquids and Gas reactions, * Highly used during Reaction and Extraction Operations. |
* Generates high Radial Flow, * Highly used for dispersion operations |
* Not preferred for solvents with high viscosity[NMT 20 cP] |
| Screw type | * Have to use in addition to other agitators. * Mostly used in Food processing. |
* Uniform mixing of High viscous masses. | * Not preferred for im-miscible solvents. |
| Helical Blade *Ribbon Type *Helical Screw |
* Most Probably used in Paint industry. | * Can handle Visco-elastic liquids efficiently | * Low possibility for Radial mixing |
| Anchor | * Highly used in Pharma Industry for Several Operations | * Increase possible heat transfer rate in reactors, from reactor heat transfer surface to Mass. | * Required high Efficiency Gearbox, * Required high Power. |
| Gate | * Highly used for blending Operations | * Provides efficient Mixing and agitation control, * Can handle Psuedo-plastic liquids. |
* Not preferred when both liquids and gases combine involves |
| Propeller | * Suitable for GLR’s, ANFD’s, can handle Corrosive materials with Glass lining. | * Will increase the homogeneity, * Can be used in two different patterns for drying and pressing. |
* Need to be operated at high speed to avoid solid settlings in reactors. * Need to be operated at low speeds in drying operations. |
| Agitator | Agitator Speed | Power Number | Pumping Factor | Impeller Diameter |
| Marine Propeller | 100 – 300 RPM | * 0.3 for 3 bladed impeller, * 0.33 for 4 bladed impeller |
* 0.33 for 3 bladed, * 0.34 for 4 bladed. |
1/3rd of tank dia |
| Axial Flow Turbine | 100 – 300 RPM | * 1.35 for 3 bladed, * 1.4 for 4 bladed, * 1.45 for 5 bladed, * 1.6 for 6 bladed. |
* 0.6 for 3 bladed, * 0.69 for 4 bladed, * 0.78 for 5 bladed, * 0.87 for 6 bladed. |
1/3rd of tank dia |
| Turbo Propeller | 100 – 300 RPM | * 1.35 for 3 bladed, * 1.4 for 4 bladed, * 1.45 for 5 bladed, * 1.6 for 6 bladed. |
* 0.6 for 3 bladed, * 0.69 for 4 bladed, * 0.78 for 5 bladed, * 0.87 for 6 bladed. |
1/3rd of tank dia |
| Disc Blade Turbine | 100 – 300 RPM | 5.0 | 0.7 – 0.8 | 1/3rd of tank dia |
| Flat Blade Turbine | 100 – 300 RPM | 5 | 0.7 – 0.85 | 1/3rd of tank dia |
| Backward Blade Turbine | 100 – 300 RPM | 5 | 0.65 – 0.85 | 1/3rd of tank dia |
| Paddle | 50 RPM | 5 | 0.03 | 80% of tank dia |
| Anchor | 50 RPM | 5 | 0.07 | 80% of tank dia |
| Gate | 50 RPM | 5 | 1 | 80% of tank dia |