Mechanism (biology)

Quantum mechanics

Mixing (physics)

Biology

Identification (biology)

Materials science

Shear (geology)

Botany

Geology

Oceanography

Physics

Particle (ecology)

Composite material

Discrete element method

Biological system

Mechanics

Convection

Advanced Powder Technology

A pot blender with both blending and storage capabilities offers an advantage over a conventional rotating drum. However, the mixing mechanism of the pot blender is extremely complicated because the pot blender rotates and swings simultaneously. Owing to the lack of systematic investigations, the mixing mechanism of the pot blender has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we clarify the mixing mechanism of the pot blender by using the discrete element method. Simulation results reveal that the main mixing mechanism is convective mixing in the rotational direction and shear mixing in the axial direction. Moreover, the mixing performance is unaffected by particle density, whereas the velocity gradient in the axial direction, which mainly determines the axial mixing performance, is affected by the particle filling ratio. Considering the relationship between the variance of axial particle velocity and granular temperature, the filling ratio is shown to significantly influence the mixing efficiency in the pot blender. In addition, the dependency of shear and diffusive mixing on Lacey’s mixing index in the pot blender is newly clarified. Consequently, this study demonstrates essential insights into the mixing mechanism of the pot blender and the pot blender as an effective industrial mixer.

DEM study on identification of mixing mechanisms in a pot blender