The Jet mixer: for efficiently dissolving of solids

Operation and placement of the Jet mixer

The Jet mixer is a static device and is the very core of the solids dissolving system. The Jet mixer consists of two stages:

1. An inlet opening for the liquid coming from the buffertank in which the liquid is compressed with an increased velocity as result. The compressed liquid then enters a venturi chamber in which the solids coming from the hopper is drawn in.
2. The solids and liquid are then mixed together to form a homogeneous product. At the exit of the Jet mixer the solids and liquids propelled by the Jet mixer enter the tank as a homogeneous product.

Installation of the Jet mixer

The Jet mixer is placed under a hopper or a silo specifically made for solids. In case of increased dust and vapour, a suction hose can also be applied. A centrifugal pump pumps the liquid from the buffer tank to the inlet opening of the Jet mixer, thereby thrusting the Jet mixer. This liquid mixes with the solids in the venturi chamber. Due to vacuum suction, which is created in the venturi chamber, the solid is sucked into this chamber and will be jointly moved as a homogeneous product through the Jet mixer outlet towards the discharge outlet into the buffer tank. A propeller agitator is placed on top of the buffer tank to keep the tank content consistently homogeneous and avoids settling.

Possibilities and challenges

The Jet mixer is primarily used in the food industry and the milder chemical industry. This includes applications with for example sugars, salts and citric acid, but also milk powders and whey products as long as  the liquid remains slightly viscous when mixed with solids. For highly viscous liquids a dynamic mixer is more often applied. It is very important that the piping around the Jet mixer is well engineered. Occasionally, a second larger pump can be placed behind the venturi as a booster pump to avoid solids coming back out of the hopper.

When it’s important that solids are homogeneously dissolved in liquids before the solids enter the tank, the Jet mixer is an addition to the mixing process. The Jet mixer efficiently dissolves solids. In the tutorial below we want to show you how the Jet mixer works and why the Jet mixer is of great value in, primarily, the food and milder chemical industry.