CFD Numerical Simulation Study on Flow Field Characteristics of Umbrella-Frame Combined Impeller

For the mixing of hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) with silicon dioxide particles, this study adopts the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method to conduct a visual analysis on the fluid flow field characteristics generated by the umbrella-frame impeller (UF impeller) and umbrella-frame combined impeller (UFC impeller). Comparative studies are carried out from the dimensions of particle concentration distribution, fluid flow trend, vorticity, and path line. The results show that compared with the UF impeller, the UFC impeller, equipped with an upper blade structure, enables its generated flow field to cover the entire stirred tank more effectively, significantly improving the solid-liquid mixing efficiency. In addition, the fluid-structure coupled numerical method is used to analyze the structural deformation characteristics and stress distribution law of the impellers. The research findings can provide a reference for the optimization of dispersion and mixing processes of solid particles in high-viscosity fluids.