Static Mixer Applications & Selection Tips

A static mixer or motionless mixer is a device inserted into a housing or pipeline with the objective of manipulating fluid streams to divide, recombine, accelerate/decelerate, spread, swirl or form layers as they pass through the mixer.

When designed and sized properly, static mixers provide excellent continuous mixing of single or multi-phase applications with repeatable results. This mixing performance can be predicted based on flow rate, viscosity, density, percentage of mixture components and pipe dimensions.

There are several types of motionless mixers to select from depending on the particular application. Some of the more typical designs consist of plates, baffles, helical elements or geometric grids positioned at precise angles to direct flow and increase turbulence. Others are composed of discrete conduits or segments that stack together to form a complete mixer. Shapes also vary - conventional static mixers have a round cross-section but other shapes are also available (square, rectangular, etc.) for specific requirements.

Over the years, static mixer suppliers have developed their own models and formulas for sizing. Certain designs are marketed towards specific processes, i.e. wastewater treatment, plastics extrusion or petrochemical refining. Other models are more flexible in terms of application and have a rugged design that can handle solid-liquid, liquid-liquid, gas-liquid and even free-flowing solid-solid mixing requirements.

In particular, Charles Ross' LPD/LLPD (Low Pressure Drop) and ISG (Interfacial Surface Generator)Static Mixers are well known for their wide ranging uses in turbulent and laminar flow mixing applications. Each design can be supplied as complete plug-in modules or as removable elements for installation into the end user's preferred housing design.

Low Pressure Drop Static Mixers for Turbulent Flow Processes

When designed and sized properly, static mixers provide excellent continuous mixing of singleor multi-phase applications with repeatable results. This mixing performance can be predicted based on flow rate, viscosity, density, percentage of mixture components and pipe dimensions.

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