Image‐based measurement of engulfment vortex to quantitatively assess micromixing efficiency in a gas–liquid stirred tank

Abstract Micromixing in reactors is typically characterized by chemical test reactions. A novel image‐based measurement system of engulfment vortex (IMEV system) is developed to assess the micromixing efficiency. Over 2000 vortices were recognized from images captured under various experimental cases, and key frames for their formation, engulfment and dissipation were identified. Inspired by the engulfment model (i.e., E model), this work quantified the micromixing time and local turbulent energy dissipation rate with the vortex lifetimes. The micromixing time obtained through the IMEV method is comparable to its value estimated by the micromixing model and segregation index of the test reaction, with a deviation of less than 20%. In turbulent gas–liquid systems, bubbles play a dual role on the local micromixing due to frequent disturbance and phase interface limitation. To summarize, this work offers an alternative approach for micromixing studies and provides valuable insights into dispersed phase effects on the micromixing efficiency.