Mixing times in single and multi-orifice-impinging transverse (MOIT) jet mixers with crossflow

We study the macromixing behavior of single and multi-orifice-impinging transverse (MOIT) jet mixers with crossflow, in particular, the overall mixing time and the back-splash mixing time of the injected flow with the crossflow, using the PLIF technique. It is found that for a given mixer configuration, there is a critical jet-to-crossflow velocity ratio rc at which the back-splash begins to occur. Further increase in the velocity ratio r leads to sharp increase in the back-splash mixing time, which can offset the intensification of the downstream mixing. The dimensionless overall mixing time decreases as r increases to reach either a plateau or a local minimum, and the corresponding r value represents the optimal velocity ratio ropt for the macromixing. The momentum ratio of the two liquid streams is a key factor determining rc and ropt. For a larger scale mixer, a higher momentum ratio is required to achieve the optimal macromixing with the minimum dimensionless overall mixing time.