CFD Analysis of Inline Mixing of Non-ideal Liquid Mixtures

Numerical simulations based on Computational Fluid Dynamics have been performed for the assisted design of the flexible and transportable flow reactor developed within the Turboflux project. The core of the system consists of a tubular pipe, carrying the main fluids, and multiple injection ducts for the additive components. Mixing is ensured by a series of static mixing elements fitted within the main pipe. More specifically, we focus herein on the production of the sanitizing gel, obtained from three main components, i.e., ethanol, water, and glycerol. Hence, the numerical code is customized by implementing the non-ideal behaviour of the mixture. The degree of mixing and pressure drops are estimated in a wide range of scenarios, covering different flow regimes. The analysis allows one to identify the optimal operating conditions and, also, to put the basis for the setup of a digital twin of the system.