Prototyping a calorimeter mixing cell with direct metal laser sintering

Herein we demonstrate the inherent strengths of an additive manufacturing method in the fabrication of a continuous-flow static mixing cell. The mixing cell was designed for the measurement of the enthalpy change related to mixing of fluids. The manufactured mixing cell consists of a single continuous structure and contains a highly tortuous internal channel, the construction of which would have been impossible using more conventional techniques. The design of the mixing cell is analyzed through both theoretical calculations as well as experimental testing. The manufactured calorimeter cells were tested with two well-known reference systems and were found to be fully functional and comparable to commercial ones. Inclusion of laminating mixer units inside the mixing cell was found to facilitate the mixing of the incoming streams. (C) 2015 The Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.