Vibromixers as an Alternative to Stirred Tanks: Design, Performance Characteristics, and Applications

ABSTRACT This review presents the state‐of‐the‐art knowledge on vibromixers, an alternative to conventional rotating agitators. It critically surveys the principles of vibromixer types and their operating conditions, the designs and key geometrical parameters, hydrodynamics, and performance characterization, as well as applications in industry. It highlights the difficulties encountered to define appropriate characteristic velocity, length, and time scales for dimensionless numbers (Reynolds and power number, dimensionless mixing time). Through analysis of the existing literature, the gaps in the current knowledge are identified, suggesting where future research efforts need to be focused. It highlights a clear lack of fundamental knowledge in terms of hydrodynamics and mixing performance for electromagnetic vibromixers (high‐frequency/low‐amplitude oscillations) for both single‐ and multiphase flows despite that this type of vibromixer is the most readily employed in industrial applications.