Oscillatory Flow Mixing

The oscillatory flow story started at Sussex University in the late 1970s. I worked with a control engineer, Graeme Knott on wave energy experiments and we discovered that reversing flows around sharp edges generated eddies which was bad for wave energy devices. However, flow separation and therefore eddies could be eliminated by the rounding of edges.

• G.F.Knott and M.R. Mackley, On eddy motions near plates and ducts, induced by water waves and periodic flows. Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. (Lond.) V294, 1412, 599-628 (1980).

On moving to Chemical Engineering at Cambridge in 1979, I followed the oscillatory flow work up exploring the use of reversing flows to encourage eddy formation and fluid mixing. This was done through a series of student projects which resulted in developing an oscillatory flow mixing (OFM) process using periodically baffled tubes.

• C.R.Brunold, J.C.B. Hunns, M.R. Mackley and J.W. Thompson. Experimental observations on flow patterns and energy losses for oscillatory flow in ducts containing sharp edges. Chem. Eng. Sci.,44, 5, 1227-1244 (1989).
• H.W.Dickens, M.R. Mackley and H.R. Williams. Residence time distributions of oscillatory flows in baffled tubes. Chem. Eng. Sci. 44, 7, 1471-1479, (1989).

The background to (OFM) is told in a departmental review seminar that I gave at Cambridge in 2010

Oscillatory Flow Mixing (OFM)

OFM-Chem Eng Cambridge 2010 (v2) (.pdf)

A further presentation involving Oscillatory Flow Mixing (OFM) is given below.

Strathclyde-2014 (v2) (.pdf)

Papers relevant to Oscillatory Flow are given below.

• G.F.Knott and M.R. Mackley, On eddy motions near plates and ducts, induced by water waves and periodic flows. Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. (Lond.) V294, 1412, 599-628 (1980).
• M.R.Mackley.
  The application of pulsatile flow to chemical and process engineering.
  The Chemical Engineer. 433, 18-20. February (1987).
• C.R.Brunold, J.C.B. Hunns, M.R. Mackley and J.W. Thompson. Experimental observations on flow patterns and energy losses for oscillatory flow in ducts containing sharp edges. Chem. Eng. Sci.,44, 5, 1227-1244 (1989).
• H.W.Dickens, M.R. Mackley and H.R. Williams. Residence time distributions of oscillatory flows in baffled tubes. Chem. Eng. Sci. 44, 7, 1471-1479, (1989).
• T.Howes and M.R. Mackley. Experimental axial dispersion for oscillatory flow through a baffled tube. Chem. Eng. Sci.. 45, 5, 1349-1358 (1990).
• M.R.Mackley, G.M. Tweddle and I.D. Wyatt. Experimental heat transfer measurements for pulsatile flow in baffled tubes.Chem. Eng. Sci. 45, 5, 1237-1242 (1990).
• T.Howes, M.R. Mackley and E.P.L. Roberts. The simulation of chaotic mixing and dispersion for periodic flows in baffled channels. Chem. Eng. Sci. 46, 7, 1669-1677 (1991).
• M.R.Mackley and X. Ni. Mixing and dispersion in a baffled tube for steady laminar and pulsatile flow.Chem. Eng. Sci., 46, 12, 3139-3151 (1991).
• M.R.Mackley.
  Process innovation using oscillatory flow within baffled tubes.
  Trans I.Chem.E. 69A, 198-199 (1991).
• M.Mackay, M.R. Mackley and Y. Wang.
  Oscillatory flow within tubes containing wall or central baffles.
  Trans I.Chem.E., 69A, 506-513 (1991).
• M.R.Mackley and E.P.L. Roberts.
  Mixing and flow patterns for unsteady flow in baffled channels.
  Generals Papers in Fluid Engineering AIChE. Vol. 127, 57-64 (1991).
• S.Harrison and M.R. Mackley.A pulsatile flow bioreactor Chem. Eng. Sci. 47, 2, 490-493 (1992).
• M.J.Hewgill, M.R. Mackley, A.B. Pandit and S.S. Pannu. Enhancement of gas liquid mass transfer using oscillatory flow in a baffled tube. Chem. Eng. Sci. 48, 4, 799 -809 (1993).
• M.R.Mackley and N.E.Sherman. Cake filtration mechanisms in steady and unsteady flows Journal of Membrane Sci . 77, 113 -121 (1993).
• M.R.Mackley, K.B.Smith and N.P.Wise. The mixing and separation of particle suspensions using oscillatory flow in baffled tubes.
  Trans IChem E, 71A, 649-656 (1993).
• M.R.Mackley and X Ni. Experimental fluid dispersion measurements in periodic baffled tube arrays. Chem Eng Sci. 48,18. 171-178 (1994)
• Y. Wang, J.A.Howell, R.W.Field, M.R.Mackley.
  Oscillatory flow within porous tubes containing wall or central baffles.
  Trans IChemE. 72A, 686-693 (1994).
• M.R.Mackley and P Stonestreet Heat transfer and associated energy dissipation for oscillatory flow in baffled tubes. Chem Eng Sci. 50,14,2211-224 (1995).
• E.P.L. Roberts and M.R.Mackley. The simulation of stretch rates for the quantitative prediction and mapping of mixing within a channel flow. Chem Eng Sci. 50 23, 3727-3746 (1995)
• M.R.Mackley, P Stonestreet, E.P.L Roberts and X Ni.
  Residence time distribution enhancement in reactors using oscillatory flow. Trans IChemE. 74, 541-545 (1996).
• E.P.L.Roberts and M.R.Mackley. The development of asymmetry and period doubling for oscillatory flow in baffled channels. Journal of Fluid Mechanics. 328, 19-48 (1996).
• P Stonestreet and M.R.Mackley. Evaluation of oscillatory flow mixing in tubular reactors for continuous processing. Processs Intensification in Practice. Ed BHR Group 247-263 (1997).
• S.J. Wright and M.R. Mackley. Oscillatory flow mixers: a novel design for reactors with plug flow behaviour and the ability to suspend particles,
  Proceedings of Chemeca ’98, Port Douglas, Australia (1998).
• M R Mackley & R M C Neves Sariava. The quantitative description of fluid mixing using Lagrangian and concentration based numerical methods. Chem Eng Sci. 54 , 159-170 (1999).
• P. Gao, M.R.Mackley & D.F.Zhao. The deformation and breakup of thermotropic droplets in a molten polypropylene matrix subject to oscillatory simple shear and entry flow. Journal of Non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics. vol. 80, 199-216, (1999).
• M R Mackley & R M C Neves Sariava. The quantitative description of fluid mixing using Lagrangian and concentration based numerical methods. Chem Eng Sci. 54 , 159-170 (1999).
• A.P.Harvey, M.R.Mackley and P.Stonestreet. Operation and optimisation of an oscillatory flow continuous reactor. Ind.Eng.Chem..Res. 40 5371-5377 (2001)
• C.T.Lee, M.R.Mackley, P.Stonestreet, and A.P.J.Middelburg Protein refolding in an oscillatory flow reactor Biotechnology letters 23 1899, 1901 (2001)
• D.J.Watson and M.R.Mackley The rheology of aqueous emulsions prepared by direct emulsification and phase inversion from a high viscosity alkyd resin. Colloids and Surfaces A. 196, 121-134 (2002)
• G. Stephens, and M.R.Mackley,Heat Transfer Performance for Batch Oscillatory Flow Mixing, Journal of Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science, 25 (8), 583-594, (2002)
• M.R.Mackley Process and product innovation J Chemical Technology and Biotechnology 78 , 94-97 (2003)
  Harvey AP, Mackley MR and Seliger T,
  Process intensification of biodiesel production using a continuous oscillatory flow reactor. J Chem Technol & Biotechnol 78, 338-341, 2003.
• N. Reis. A.A. Vicente, J.A. Teixeira, M.R. Mackley Residence times and mixing of a novel continuous oscillatory flow screening reactor Chemical Engineering Science 59. 4967 – 4974 (2004)
• N.Reis, A.P.Harvey, M.R.Mackley, A.A.Vicente and J.A.Teixeira Fluid Mechanics and design aspects of a novel oscillatory flow screening mesoreactor. Trans IChemE A 83(A4) 357-371 (2005)
• K.B.Smith and M.R.Mackley An experimental investigation into the scale up of oscillatory flow mixing in baffled tubes.Trans IChemE, Part A, Nov 84(A11): 1001–1011(2006)
• M.Zheng, J.Li, M.R.Mackley and J.Ta The development of asymmetry for oscillatory flow within a tube containing sharp edge periodic baffles Physics of fluids 19, 114101 (2007)
• Zheng, M and Mackley, M.R The Axial dispersion performance of an oscillatory flow meso reactor with relevance to continuous flow operation. Chemical Engineering Science 63/7, 1788-1799 (2008)
• S. Melendi, S.Bonyadi , P.Castell, M.T.Martinez and M.R.Mackley The functionalisation of carbon nanotubes using a batch oscillatory flow reactor Chemical Engineering Science. 84, 544-551 (2012)