Comparison of aerodynamics and mixing mechanisms of three mixers: Oxynator™ gas–gas mixer, KMA and SMI static mixers

Abstract In this paper, a new gas–gas mixer, Oxynator, is characterized. The performance of this mixer is compared with two static mixers: Sulzer SMI and Chemineer KMA. In order to study these three gas–gas mixers, first the pressure drop is measured. Secondly, the mixing efficiency is characterized by laser sheet visualizations at the outlet of the mixer. The hydrodynamics and turbulence induced by the mixers are then measured by laser Doppler anemometry (LDA). The purpose of this work is to understand the aerodynamics and the mixing mechanisms of the Oxynator mixer and to compare it with two static mixers. The mixing mechanisms of the Oxynator are very particular. The Oxynator creates eight swirls and a center zone, each zone increasing in space when they go away the injector. The homogeneity is reached when the zones meet and form a single zone. The intensity of turbulence created by this mixer is greater than the turbulence created by the other mixers and the pressure drop is minimum (lower than KMA and equal to SMI). The particularity of this mixer is that there is no impact between the secondary flow and the tube. The influence of flow rate on flow pattern is determined.