Patent ID: 7278781

Claim:
An apparatus for mixing fluids within a vessel having a contiguous sidewall centered about and defining a longitudinal axis, the mixing apparatus comprising: a mixing head having a tubular blade portion for immersion in the fluids, the blade portion being centered about and defining a head axis and having a first tube end and a second tube end spaced-apart from one another therealong, the blade portion further having an inner surface and an outer surface, the blade portion tapering from the first tube end to the second tube end with the outer surface of the blade portion at the second end defining an inside blade diameter ID and the outer surface of the blade portion at the first end defining an outside blade diameter OD; means for mounting the mixing head within the vessel; and means for imparting reciprocating longitudinal movement to the mixing head, the reciprocating longitudinal movement being defined by a stroke length S, with a duration T for each cycle, the mixing apparatus being operable within a set of operational parameters defined by the equation: 175≲0.36×OD 2 /ID 2 ×S/T≲250, where OD, ID and S are each expressed in inches, and T is expressed in minutes; and wherein by virtue of the reciprocating longitudinal movement imparted to the mixing head, a portion of the fluids is urged to flow through the blade portion to thereby encourage efficient mixing of the fluids in the vessel.