mixing performance of a suspended stirrer for homogenizing biodegradable food waste from eatery centers

Abstract

Numerical simulation of a suspended stirrer within a homogenizing system is performed towards determining the mixing performance of a homogenizer. A two-dimensional finite volume formulation is developed for the cylindrical system that is used for the storage and stirring of biodegradable food waste from eatery centers. The numerical solver incorporates an analysis of the property distribution for viscous food waste in a storage tank, while coupling the impact of mixing on the slurry fluid. Partial differential equations, which describe the conservation of mass, momentum and energy, are applied. The simulation covers the mixing and heating cycles of the slurry. Using carrot-orange soup as the operating fluid (and its thermofluid properties) and assuming constant density and temperature-dependent viscosity, the velocity and temperature field distribution under the influence of the mixing source term are analyzed. A parametric assessment of the velocity and temperature fields is performed, and the results are expected to play a significant role in designing a homogenizer for biodegradable food waste.