International Journal of Current Engineering and Technology E-ISSN 2277 – 4106, P-ISSN 2347 – 5161

©2016 INPRESSCO®, All Rights Reserved Available at http://inpressco.com/category/ijcet

Research Article

Redesign and Structural analysis of agitator shaft for reactor pressure

vessel
Sumit R.Desai#*, S.Y.Gajjal# and Kulloli#
#Department of Mechanical Engineering, NBNSCOE, Savitribai Phule University of Pune, Ambegaon (Bk), Pune, India 411041

Accepted 02 March 2016, Available online 15 March 2016, Special Issue-4 (March 2016)

Abstract

Agitator shaft is important component of agitation system used in reactor pressure vessel. Failure of agitator shaft
leads to breakdown of whole plant. The existing agitator undergoes deflection; not suitable for uniform mixing of
fluid, also time required for agitation is more. One of the major parameter to increase the overall performance of
agitator shaft is to reduce deflection. The work is carried out to reduce deflection by optimizing the design or by using
different materials like SS, SS304 and SS305. This dissertation work is aimed to redesign existing single impeller
agitator shaft by using SS316 material with double impeller. This results in improved overall performance by
minimizing deflection of agitator. Redesigned impeller agitator shaft is modeled using CAD modeling software. Stress
analysis of the shaft subjected to combined loading was done using FEA software. These results were compared with
experimental values observed by company. It is observed that the deflection of redesigned agitator is 0.8375 mm
which is reduced by 14.997 % than exiting agitator.

Keywords: Agitator shaft, Bending stress, Impeller, Reactor pressure vessel, Torsional stress

Introduction Along the years, many unexpected failures of

equipments and various machines have occurred
1 Pressure vessels widely used in reactor technology, the throughout the industrial world. A number of these
chemical industry, marine and space engineering. A failures have been due to poor design. However, it has
pressure vessel is a closed container designed to hold been discovered that many failures have been caused
gases or liquids. Agitators are devices that are used to by preexisting notches or flaws in materials that
stir or mix fluids, especially liquids, which is one of the initiate cracks that grow and lead to fracture.
basic mechanical process engineering operations. In the chemical industry, many types of vessels,
Industrial agitators are machines used in industries which are also called as reactor vessel, with agitator,
that process products in the chemical, food, are being used largely for the purpose of homogeneous
pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, in a view of mixing of the product. Since a chemical plant runs
mixing liquids together, promote the reactions of continuously for 24 hours per day, to achieve optimum
chemical substance, keeping homogeneous liquid bulk plant reliability is the main goal of the chemical
during storage. So as to impart modifications if industry. Thus, in case an equipment failure that may
necessary to keep the vibrations of the vessel within occur at unexpected instant results in production
the limits from the point of view of proper functioning shutdown and its related costs. Such events occur
of the vessel and safety issues. Agitators are used for predominantly in rotating equipment, e.g. in large
the homogenization of liquids or liquid-solid mixtures agitators. Therefore, they are responsible for
by generating horizontal and vertical flows significant loss of plant availability. In fact, an agitator
Agitator shaft is a rotating member usually of shaft with a notch or scratch can be cracked and leaded
circular cross-section which is used for agitation or to failure easily under the combined stresses created
mixing purpose. Elements such as impeller, coupling, by fluctuating forces during operation.
bearing are mounted on the shaft. In design it is usually When the existing agitator is not suitable and does
possible to locate the critical areas, size these to meet not provide a comfortable working condition to the
the strength requirements, and then size the rest of the workforce thus creating problems in the output of then
shaft to meet the requirements of the shaft-supported different parameters of the organization efficiency like
elements. Agitator shaft is a critical component used in quality, quantity, delivery schedule and work force
reactor pressure vessel. It carries a load of impellers. satisfaction.
Literature review reveals that the previous work
*Corresponding author: Sumit R.Desai carried out on Agitator shaft was focused on failure
268| MIT College of Engineering, Pune, India, AMET 2016, INPRESSCO IJCET Special Issue-4 (March 2016)
Sumit et al Redesign and structural analysis of Agitator shaft

aspect. In this paper, Agitator shaft design modification μ: viscosity

carried out for selection of another material, motor g: acceleration of gravity
selection, mounting of agitator, no. of impeller used ρ: density
and analyzed for structural analysis
A. Power Number (Np)
2. Material Selection
The Power Number (Np) from which the power will be
The agitator shaft was made from a standard AISI type calculated can be written like this:
316 stainless steel that is Austenitic grade. Austenitic
stainless steels are the most widely used and while Np = P*g /n3Da5 ρ
most are designated in the 300 series. Especially types
304 and 316 are highly ductile and though grades and nDa2 ρ/ μ= NRe Reynolds Number
they are utilized for a broad range of equipment and
structures. Austenitic grade steels are non-magnetic n2Da/g = Nfr Froude Number
and non heat-treatable steels that are usually Annealed
and cold worked. NRe = 3.89 5

They provide excellent corrosion and heat NRe > 10000 (flow is fully turbulent)
resistance with good mechanical properties over a Because the flow is fully turbulent, power number is
wide range of temperatures, respond very well to only function of shape factors.
forming operations, and are readily welded. When fully From the graphs given in (Chem. Eng. Handbook, 1973)
annealed, they are not magnetic. Austenitic grade
steels have γ- austenite structure which can dissolve From power curve
up to 2 % C in solid solution and has FCC (face-
centered cubic) crystal lattice. The Chemical
= 1/5
Composition and some Mechanical Properties (acc. to
Np = 4 found for impeller with two flat blades
ASTM) of Type 316 SS are given in Table 1 and Table 2.
B. Power Required
Table 1 Chemical Composition of AISI 316 SS
P = Np× ρ×N3× Da5 g×75
P = P1+P2
Element Weight, % = 10.582
C 0.08 Where
Cr 18-20 P = Total Power Required
Ni 8-10 P1 = Power required to1st impeller
Mn 2.0 P2 = Power required to 2nd impeller
Si 0.75 Also consider 10% gland losses and 20% transmission
losses
P 0.045
P = 10.927hp
S 0.03 So selected Next std.
Iron Bal. P =15hp …….. Motor selected

Table 2 Mechanical Properties of SS316 Annealed 2. Design of Agitated shaft

Property Unit Value A. Rated torque

Density kg /m3 7800
Poison’s Ratio - 0.30 P = 2πNTr 4500
Elastic Modulus GPa 193 Where
Shear Modulus GPa 86 P = Total Power Required
Tensile Strength MPa 515 N= Agitated speed in rpm
Yield Strength MPa 205 Tr= Rated torque
Tr = 93417.03Nm
3. Design of agitator
B. Design of shaft on Pure Bending
Power Requirement for Agitator
By bending theory
The power consumption in an agitated vessel is a Mb= π/32× 6b×d3
function of the variables that is: Where Mb=Bending moment
P = ϕ (n, D, g, μ, g, ρ) 6b=bending stress
Where: Fm= Tm (0.75×Rb)
n: speed Where Fm= impeller force
Da: impeller dia. Tm= Max torque
269| MIT College of Engineering, Pune, India, AMET 2016, INPRESSCO IJCET Special Issue-4 (March 2016)
Sumit et al Redesign and structural analysis of Agitator shaft

Rb= Radius of impeller blade convection and turbulence. Baffles are needed to
Fm1 = 2753.15N prevent vortexing and rotation of the liquid mass as a
Bending Moment whole.
Mb1 = Fm1×l1 = 3303600Nmm
Mb2 = Fm1×l2 = 6882500Nmm
Total Mb
Mb = Mb1+Mb2= 10186100Nmm
Mb= π/32× 6b×d3
d = 83.22mm

C. Design of shaft subjected to combine twisting moment

and bending moments

By Maximum shear stress theory (ASME Code)

𝜻max=16/ (π×d3) (Mb2+Mt2)
Where 𝜻max = max shear stress
Mb = bending moment
Mt = twisting moment
Figure 2 Agitator shaft with Baffles
d3 = 16/ (π× 𝜻max) (Mb2+Mt2)
d = 85mm
Antiswirl baffles are required in larger industrial fluid-
D. Design of shaft based on Critical Speed
mixing operations. Baffles are used for center-shaft,
Agitator speed not within ±30% of critical speed
top-mounted mixers to prevent vortexing. Baffles also
Deflection due to 1st impeller
promote top-to-bottom turnover and represent good
ð1= Fm1×l13/3EI
mixing practice. The most usual arrangement is to have
ð1 = 3.026mm
four baffles paced at 900.
Critical Speed (Nc1)
Nc1 = 946/
= 528.334rpm
Critical Speed (Nc2)
Nc2 = 946/
= 175.68rpm
Critical Speed of whole system
1/ Nc2 = 1/ Nc12 + 1/ Nc22
Nc = 166.70 rpm
Actual speed of agitator =115rpm which is 68.98% of
critical speed, hence necessary to increase value of
critical speed.
So,

Choose next standard d = 90mm ….…. shaft Figure 3 CAD Model of Double impeller Agitator
diameter
4. Structural Analysis
Actual speed is 61.98 % of critical speed, therefore
selected 90 mm dia. of agitator shaft is satisfactory, Static analysis calculate the effects of steady loading
which is not between 70 to 130 %. condition on a structure, while ignoring inertia and
damping effects, such as those caused by time varying
loads. A static analysis can include steady inertia loads
such as gravity and rotational velocity and varying
loads that can be approximated as static loads. Static
analysis determines the displacements, stresses,
strains, and forces in structure or components caused
by loads that do not induce significant inertia and
damping effects. Steady loading and response
conditions are assumed; that is the loads and
structures responses are assumed to vary slowly with
respect to time. A static analysis result of structural
Figure 1 Agitator mounted at the center displacements, stresses and strains and forces in
structures for components caused by loads will give a
Agitator mounted at the center of tank and baffles clear idea about whether the structure or components
plates are attach on inner walls of tank to crate vertical will withstand for the applied maximum forces. If the
270| MIT College of Engineering, Pune, India, AMET 2016, INPRESSCO IJCET Special Issue-4 (March 2016)
Sumit et al Redesign and structural analysis of Agitator shaft

stress values obtained in this analysis crosses the

allowable values it will result in the failure of the
structure in the static condition itself. To avoid such a
failure, this analysis is necessary.
Assigning material properties: Material properties
Young’s modulus & Poisson’s ratio are defined. Also
other properties like coefficient of expansion,
coefficient of friction, thermal conductivity, damping
effect, specific heat etc. are defined if required

Figure 8 CAD Geometry of Double impeller Agitator

Shaft

Mesh generation is a process of dividing the structure

Figure 4 Static structural Analysis
continuum into a number of discrete parts or finite
elements. If the mesh is finer, the results are also better
but the analysis time is longer. Therefore, a
compromise between accuracy & solution speed is
usually made.
Fine mesh was used to increase the number of
elements at the vicinity of the critical points. The auto
mesh generator uses an algorithm that minimizes
element distortion. 3-D linear tetrahedral solid 186
and solid 187 elements with global element size of
30mm and local element size of 10mm were
considered at the critical locations. After discretization
578501 nodes and 129033 elements were created
Figure 5 Engineering Data

Figure 6 Properties of Material

Figure 9 Meshing of Double impeller Agitator shaft

Apply loads: - Some types of load are usually applied to

the analysis model. The loading may be in the form of a
point load, pressure or displacement in a stress
analysis.
Applying boundary conditions: - If you apply a load
to the model, then in order to stop it accelerating
through the computer’s virtual ether (mathematically
known as a zero pivot), at least one constraint or
boundary condition must be applied. Structural
boundary conditions are usually in the form of zero
Figure 7 Flow diagram of Double impeller shaft displacements.
271| MIT College of Engineering, Pune, India, AMET 2016, INPRESSCO IJCET Special Issue-4 (March 2016)
Sumit et al Redesign and structural analysis of Agitator shaft

Figure 10 Equivalent / von-mises stresses of Double

impeller Agitator shaft Figure 14 Total Deformation of Agitator shaft

Figure 15 Enlarge View of Max Equivalent / von-mises

Figure 11 Deformation of Double impeller Agitator
stresses of Single impeller Agitator shaft
shaft
5. Results & discussions

Table 3 Design Modification

Sr. Design
Modified Previous
No. Parameter
1. Motor 15hp 10hp
2. Material SS316 Structural steel
Diameter of
3. 90mm 60mm
shaft
4. No. of impeller Two One
Mounting of
5. Top & Center Eccentrically
agitator
6. Baffle plates Provided No

Figure 12 Enlarge view of Max Equivalent / von-mises Table 4 Equivalent stress by FEA & Analytical
stresses of Agitator shaft Approach
Analytica
FEA
Parameter Unit l
Result
Result
Double impeller
1 MPa 80.916 90.45
shaft
Single impeller
2 MPa 79.916 85.68
shaft

Table 5 Deflection by FEA & Expt. Approach

Deflection by
Deflection by
Parameter FEA Method
Expt.(mm)
(mm)
Double impeller
0.8375 0.8746
shaft
Figure 13 Equivalent / von-mises stresses of Single Single impeller
1.237 1.469
impeller Agitator shaft shaft
272| MIT College of Engineering, Pune, India, AMET 2016, INPRESSCO IJCET Special Issue-4 (March 2016)
Sumit et al Redesign and structural analysis of Agitator shaft

Conclusions Saeed Asiri, et al., 2012, Design and Implementation of

Differential Agitators to Maximize Agitating Performance.
In this dissertation work a methodology to analysis and Saudi Abrbia, 2(6): 98-112.
design of Agitator shaft is presented. During this work Domanskii,.et al.,Large size Agitator with Precession Impeller
following conclusions are found, for ore Slurries—Study, Design, Tests
D. S. Dickey and J. B. Fasano, (2004), Mechanical Design of
1) Selecting another material for agitator increase Mixing equipment
strength, ductility& corrosion resistance. Karray, S., Driss, Z., Kchaou, H., Abid, M.S., 2011, Design of
2) By increasing no. of impellers improves mixing Agitator in a stirred vessel equipped with an anchor
time, provide balancing & reduce deformation. impeller, Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology, 25
3) By mounting agitator shaft at centre done (7), 1-12.
provision for baffle plates in vessel. B.Somi Naidu, M.K.Naidu & S.Srinivasa Rao-Design of Shaft-
4) Provision of baffle plates gives uniform mixing. Blade Assembly for Effective Utilization of Mud Used In Oil
5) Equivalent Stress generated in double impeller and Gas Drilling
shaft is approximately same as that of single Driss, Z., Karray, S., Kchaou, H., and Abid, M.S., 2007,
impeller shaft.
Computer Simulations of Fluid-Structure Interaction
6) Deflection in Double impeller shaft is less as
Generated by a Flat-Blade Paddle in a Vessel Tank,
compare that of single impeller shaft.
International Review of Mechanical Engineering (I.RE.M.E.),
7) The deformation and Equivalent stress are within
the permissible limit. 1, 608-617.
V.B.Bhandari, Design of Machine Element, (Tata McGraw-Hill
References Publication. New Delhi.2004)
R. S. Khurmi Machine Design S. Chand & Company Pvt. Ltd.
A.Goksenli, I.B. Eryurek (2009), Failure analysis of a mixing Delhi.
shaft. ‘Engineering failure analysis 16 ‘ ANSYS, ANSYS User’s Manual, Version 14.5, ANSYS Inc, 2011.

273| MIT College of Engineering, Pune, India, AMET 2016, INPRESSCO IJCET Special Issue-4 (March 2016)