How to Choose a Mixing Simulation Program

Here we are at the very beginning of the year and it’s typical that we are organizing ourselves to be effective in our job. One of the best tools to avoid problems and gain a better understanding of industrial processes is to use simulation software. In our field, the only parameter that we’re changing from the lab to production, scale up, or to the site is the mixing environment because the other parameters like the raw materials or processes are fixed; this is due to the change in geometry of the operation.

The best way to be effective is to use a mixing tool simulation that will be representative of the environment and conditions. The best way to select the appropriate software is to consider many important points. The first one is to define the question. What are we really trying to calculate? If our purpose is to scale up, then the way will be to reproduce one of the best results we get in the lab and maintain the same process conditions. If our purpose is for design, then our main objective is to take into account what is available in the market and then try to implement our process with one of the tools that we have in the market. We need to be very specific about what we want to improve, e.g., improve the yield, generate the same results, design, improve the purity, or solve some operational problem. Therefore, this should be the first step to understanding exactly what it is we are calculating.
The second point is to choose simulation software that will be representative. If the simulation software is some derivation or a solution to a pure mathematical equation, then it will generate a very good a mathematical and theoretical result. But if it has no connection between the mathematical process and the real phenomena that occur in the tank, then this tool will not be adequate for our purpose. It will be very important for the academic a purpose, but in the industry it will be not so regular. Hence, we need to be sure that our selected tool has been proven in the industry (although every tool will be proved in some way in the industry). The selected tool should be based on the interaction between a good solution of mathematical equations by numerical procedures and mathematical methods, and the model should integrate coefficients that are not coming from experimental data that were developed or measured in the specific system that we’re working on.
If we’re talking about mixing in a vessel, then the coefficient that we need to use in our general simulator should come from experimental data available from the tool retailer or developed or measured by the company providing the simulation.
The last point in the successful choice of mixing simulation software is the level of support. Mixing is very sophisticated, unit operation that involves multiple aspects: we’re talking about small fluid remains that are interacting in different zones in the tank and needing power and direction to generate the relevant flow. Hence, we are talking about multi-dimensional phenomena and this should be interacted with the process and this understanding of what is the fundamentals flow and mixing and what is the process phenomena should be integrated together. It is advisable that the company providing the tool will be well experimented and well, professional in these connections synergy between the numerical and theory and the actual results, and try to connect to generate this bridge between the equipment and the process, between the knowledge that’s coming from the theory and the solution of the mathematical equations, and then knowledge or understanding every process as you’re doing in the in the news. These are the main important points. In summary, the first is to define the question and the purpose. The second is to have a good representation, that were implemented into the model that we that is solved in the simulations software package, and this is one, to have a very good professional team that is able to guide and open eyes and a turn on lights in your activities, by so many brainstorming, by various good structured support in every step in the company.

VisiMix Video

The Influence of Mixing in the Process
New methodology using VisiMix software for the purpose of checking the influence of mixing in the processes.

VisiMix Demo Operation
Learning how to input data into the VisiMix software and get results the will help us understand the influence of mixing in our processes.

Lab Experiments
Learning how to set up the relevant experiments at the lab scale, to develop the processes from an engineering point of view.