Bubble characteristics and mass transfer in an airlift reactor with multiple net draft tubes

A pilot scale airlift reactor with multiple net draft tubes was developed. The reactor, 29?cm in diameter and 300?cm height, had four modules of double net draft tubes. Bubble size, bubble number, gas holdup, and volumetric mass transfer coefficient were measured under different superficial air velocities. The air velocity had little effect on bubble size but had significant influence on bubble number. A bubble column was also investigated for comparison. The airlift reactor had a higher gas holdup and volumetric mass transfer coefficient than those in the bubble column. The draft tubes in the airlift reactor substantially improved the reactor performance.     

三相逆流湍动床气液传质性能的研究

由空气-水(清水/废水)-中空玻璃珠构成三相体系,在表观气速0·53~10mm·s-1、固含率为0~0·3、表观液速0~0·2mm·s-1的条件下,采用溶氧仪研究了三相逆流湍动床的气液传质性能,考察了操作参数和液体性质对液相容积传质系数kLa的影响。结果表明,在所试条件下,kLa为0·0456~1·414min-1。kLa随着表观气速和表观液速的增加而增加,随着固含率的增加先增加后减小,0·05~0·08为反应器传质的最优固含率条件。液体性质对kLa有重大影响,高浓度模拟废水和工业废水中的kLa比清水中的kLa分别减小39·0%和50·9%。研究结果可为后续逆流湍动床废水生物处理过程分析与模拟提供传质基础数据。     

Hydrodynamic characteristics and gas-liquid mass transfer in a biofilm airlift suspension reactor

The hydrodynamics and mass transfer, specifically the effects of gas velocity and the presence and type of solids on the gas hold-up and volumetric mass transfer coefficient, were studied on a lab-scale airlift reactor with internal draft tube. Basalt particles and biofilm-coated particles were used as solid phase. Three distinct flow regimes were observed with increasing gas flow rate. The influence of the solid phase on the hydrodynamics was a peculiar characteristic of the regimes. The volumetric mass transfer coefficient was found to decrease with increasing solid loading and particle size. This could be predominantly related to the influence that the solid has on gas hold-up. The ratio between gas hold-up and volumetric mass transfer coefficient was found to be independent of solid loading, size, or density, and it was proven that the presence of solids in airlift reactors lowers the number of gas bubbles without changing their size. To evaluate scale effects, experimental results were compared with theoretical and empirical models proposed for similar systems.     

Continuous production of citric acid with recirculation of the fermentation broth after product recovery

An airlift reactor with double net draft tubes was developed. A sparger was located between the two draft tubes. The draft tubes had a significant effect on breaking bubbles into smaller ones. The assessment of the reactor performance was based on gas holdup, mixing time, and volumetric mass transfer coefficient. The proposed reactor had higher gas holdup and volumetric mass transfer coefficient, and lower mixing time in comparison with those of the bubble column. Application of the proposed reactor to fermentation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae demonstrated that the cultivation time was significantly shortened.     

Carbon monoxide mass transfer for syngas fermentation in a stirred tank reactor with dual impeller configurations

This study compares the power demand and gas-liquid volumetric mass transfer coefficient, kLa, in a stirred tank reactor (STR) (T = 0.211 m) using different impeller designs and schemes in a carbon monoxide-water system, which is applicable to synthesis gas (syngas) fermentation. Eleven different impeller schemes were tested over a range of operating conditions typically associated with the "after large cavity" region (ALC) of a Rushton-type turbine (D/T = 0.35). It is found that the dual Rushton-type impeller scheme exhibits the highest volumetric mass transfer rates for all operating conditions; however, it also displays the lowest mass transfer performance (defined as the volumetric mass transfer coefficient per unit power input) for all conditions due to its high power consumption. Dual impeller schemes with an axial flow impeller as the top impeller show improved mass transfer rates without dramatic increases in power draw. At high gas flow rates, dual impeller schemes with a lower concave impeller have kLa values similar to those of the Rushton-type dual impeller schemes but show improved mass transfer performance. It is believed that the mass transfer performance can be further enhanced for the bottom concave impeller schemes by operating at conditions beyond the ALC region defined for Rushton-type impellers because the concave impeller can handle higher gas flow rates prior to flooding.     

Influence of operating variables on liquid circulation in a 10.5-m(3) jet loop bioreactor

A 10.5-m(3) concentric tube jet loop reactor was used to study the influence of the working liquid volume, mean superficial air velocity, operating pressure, downcomer aeration, liquid jet velocity, and two ratios of draft tube/reactor diameter (D(t)/D) on liquid circulation time (T(c)). The experiments were carried out in a water-air system with the use of the acid pulse method. Results showed that circulation time was independent of the working liquid volume over a certain minimum liquid level, whereas downcomer aeration and D(t)/D ratio appeared as amenable parameters to achieve a high degree of control over liquid circulation and mixing efficiency, and to optimize the overall reactor performance. Increasing the operating pressure caused a reduction of the liquid circulation rate. However, ionger residence times of the air bubbles and the higher mass transfer driving force that result at higher pressures improve oxygen utilization. The relationship between T(c) and air load was independent of the operating pressure, provided the correlation is given as a function of the mean superficial air velocity. Neither liquid circulation nor gas holdup were significantly affected by liquid jet velocity. (c) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Mass transfer and liquid mixing in an airlift reactor with a net draft tube

Mass transfer and liquid mixing in an airlift reactor with a net draft tube were experimentally investigated. Four different column diameters were considered. The mass transfer was measured using the volumetric gas-liquid mass transfer coefficient which was determined by the dynamic method. The mass transfer coefficients in the airlift reactors with different column diameters were not always higher than those in the bubble columns. The liquid mixing was measured using mixing time which was determined by a pulse technique. Under the same superficial gas velocity, the mixing times of the airlift reactors with a net draft tube were always less than those of the bubble columns.List of Symbols C mol·dm^–3 bulk concentration of dissolved oxygen - C ₀ mol·dm^–3 initial concentration of dissolved oxygen - C _e mol·dm^–3 saturated concentration of dissolved oxygen - ¯C dimensionless dissolved oxygen concentration - D _c cm diameter of column - D _N cm diameter of the nozzle hole - D _T cm diameter of the net draft tube - H _L cm static liquid height - H _T cm height of the net draft tube - k _L a hr^–1 volumetric mass transfer coefficient - L _T cm length of the net draft tube - t _M sec mixing time of the liquid phase - t ₀ sec mixing time of the liquid phase in a bubble column - V _L dm³ volume of the liquid phase - U _g cm/s superficial air velocity     

A simple and low-cost airlift photobioreactor for microalgal mass culture

A simple, low-cost, and efficient airlift photobioreactor for microalgal mass culture was designed and developed. The reactor was made of Plexiglas, and composed of three major parts: outer tube, draft tube and air duct. The fluid-dynamic characteristics of the airlift reactor were studied. The system proved to be well suited to the mass cultivation of a marine microalga, Chlorella sp. In batch culture, the biomass volumetric output rate of 0.21 g l^–1 d^–1 was obtained at the superficial gas velocity of 4 mm s^–1 in the draft tube.     

Overall volumetric mass transfer coefficient in a modified reversed flow jet loop bioreactor with low density particles

Experiments were conducted using glass beads and low-density particles such as polyurethane and polystyrene which are comparable to bioparticles found in biological applications to evaluate the overall volumetric mass transfer coefficient (K _L a) in a modified reversed flow jet loop bioreactor having the liquid outlet at the top section of the reactor. The influence of the gas and liquid flow rates, draft tube to reactor diameter ratio, solids loading and physical properties of solids onK _L a were studied. TheK _L a was found to increase with the increased gas and liquid flow rates. TheK _L a values were found to be higher in the bubbly flow region i.e., at the lower range of energy dissipation rates. The optimum draft tube to reactor diameter ratio and solids loading with respect to maximumK _L a were found to be 0.4 and 0.9×10^?3 m³ (? _s =0.025) respectively. Dimensionless correlations were presented to predict the experimental values in terms of operational and geometrical variables.     

Liquid-phase dispersion in an airlift reactor with a net draft tube

Liquid-phase dispersion in an airlift reactor with a net draft tube was considered. Four net tubes with different ratios of draft tube to reactor diameters and superficial air velocities ranged from zero to 6.05 cm/s were investigated. The sparger was a porous plate. The parameter of the dispersion effect, axial dispersion coefficient, was characterized by measuring the residence time distribution in the liquid phase with single-pulse tracer input. The values of the dispersion coefficient of the proposed airlift reactor were much higher than those of the bubble column under the same operating conditions.     

Oxygen transfer in an airlift reactor with multiple net draft tubes

A pilot scale airlift reactor with multiple net draft tubes was developed to improve oxygen transfer in the reactor. The reactor was 0.29 m in diameter and 2 m height. A steadystate sulfite oxidation method was applied to determine an overall volumetric mass transfer coefficient. Oxygen transfer of the proposed airlift reactor can be 60–100% higher than that of bubble columns under the same operating conditions.List of Symbols C ^* mol·dm^–3 saturated concentration of dissolved oxygen - C _L mol·dm^–3 bulk concentration of dissolved oxygen - G mol/min nitrogen flow rate - k _L a hr^–1 the volumetric gas-liquid mass transfer coefficient - Mo ₂ g/mol molecular weight of oxygen - OTR g/min the oxygen transfer rate - U _g cm/s superficial air velocity - V _L dm³ volume of the liquid phase - _in oxygen mole ratio in the inlet gas - _out oxygen mole ratio in the outlet gas     

Cultivation of Hansenula polymorpha in tower loop reactors

Summary Hansenula polymorpha was cultured for extended periods in an air lift tower loop reactor (15 cm in diameter with a 275 cm bubbling layer height) with ethanol and/or glucose as the substrates. At constant operation conditions variations of the following parameters were measured: the consumption of the substrate and oxygen, the production of CO₂ and biomass, the longitudinal concentration profile of dissolved oxygen, the oxygen and substrate yield coefficients, the respiratory quotient and the specific interfacial area and volumetric mass transfer coefficient. The influence of the microorganisms on the oxygen transfer rate is discussed especially in the case of glucose repression.     

Suspension nodule culture of the Chinese herb, Rhodiola sachalinensis, in an air-lift reactor: kinetics and technical characteristics

Suspension nodule culture of Rhodiola sachalinensis was carried out in a 10 l air-lift reactor for 30 days. The biomass of 13 gdry wt/l and salidroside content of 0.45% dry wt were obtained. No foaming was observed in the reactor since the broth remained almost clear throughout the culture. The O2 transfer coefficient kLa of the culture system increased firstly then dropped during the culture cycle. The significant increase in solid holdup of the culture system is suggested to be responsible for the variation of kLa.     

A novel rectangular airlift reactor with mesh baffle-plates

An experimental rectangular airlift reactor having mesh baffle-plates has been fabricated out of Perspex and compared with conventional airlift and bubble column in terms of gas holdup, volumetric mass transfer coefficient and mixing time. Mesh baffle-plates improved mass transfer and mixing with the mass transfer coefficient of the proposed reactor being up to 12% higher than that in a conventional airlift reactor under the same operating condition. The mixing time of the proposed reactor can be 95% lower than that of the airlift reactor.     

Mixing time and oxygen transfer characteristics of double draft tube airlift fermentor

Despite the increasing importance of airlift fermentors, very little published information is available on how the geometric configurations of the draft tubes and the air-sparging system affect the mixing and oxygen transfer characteristics of the fermentor. A 14-L air-lift fermentor was designed and build with a fixed liquid height to diameter ratio of 1.5 utilizing four equally spaced air jets at the bottom. Two jet orifice sizes were used, 1.27 and 3.81 mm i.d., and for each jet size the following four geometric configurations were used: Single inner concentric draft tube, single outer concentric draft tube, two concentric draft tubes, and no draft tubes where the fermentor was operated as a shallow bubble column. It was found that the presence of draft tubes stabilized liquid circulation patterns and gave systemically higher mixing times than those obtained in the absence of draft tubes. In addition, the double draft tube geometry resulted in higher mixing times than the single draft tubes. For the power unit volume range 20 to about 250 W/m³ the larger 3.81-mm orifices gave systemically higher k_L a values than the smaller 1.27-mm i.d. orifices. At 200 W/m³ the use of a single outer draft tube with the 3.81-mm orifices resulted in 94% increase in k_L a values over that obtained with no draft tubes. However, the effect of draft tube geometry on k_L a values when the 1.27-mm orifices were used was not significant. The air bubble formation characteristics at the jet orifices were found to be different, which reflected the differences observed in mass transfer and mixing characteristics. The power economy for oxygen transfer was found to be depend strongly on the orifice size and less on the geometric configuration of draft tubes.     

Enhancement of glucose oxidase production in batch cultivation of recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae: optimization of oxygen transfer condition

AIMS: To obtain an optimal combination of agitation speed and aeration rate for maximization of specific glucose oxidase (GOD) production in recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and to establish a correlation between kLa vis-à-vis oxygen transfer condition and specific glucose oxidase production. METHODS AND RESULTS: The oxygen transfer condition was manifested indirectly by manipulating the impeller speed and aeration rate in accordance with a Central Composite Rotatory Design (CCRD). The dissolved oxygen concentration and the volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient (kLa) were determined at corresponding combinations of impeller speed and aeration rate. The maximal specific extracellular glucose oxidase production (3.17 U mg-1 dry cell mass) was achieved when the initial dissolved oxygen concentration was 6.83 mg l-1 at the impeller speed of 420 rev min-1 and at the rate of aeration of 0.25 vvm. It was found out that while impeller speed had a direct effect on the production of enzyme, a correlation between kLa and specific GOD production could not be established. CONCLUSION: At the agitation speed of 420 rev min-1 and at 0.25 vvm aeration rate, the degree of turbulence and the dissolved oxygen concentration were thought to be optimal both for cellular growth and production of enzyme. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The combined effect of agitation and aeration on recombinant glucose oxidase production in batch cultivation has not yet been reported in the literature. Therefore, this study gives an insight into the effect of these two important physical parameters on recombinant protein production. It also suggests that since there is no correlation between kLa and specific production of GOD, kLa should not be used as one of the scale-up parameters.     

Oxygen transfer in a stirred loop fermentor with dilute polymer solutions

Oxygen transfer in a 0.35 m diameter stirred loop fermentor (a stirred tank with a concentric draft tube) has been studied with water containing a small amount of polymer(polyethylene oxide) as a drag-reducing additive.Power consumption was measured. It was found that the addition of polyethylene oxide causes an increase of power consumption. This is contrary to the results reported in the literature.Volumetric mass transfer coefficients (K _La) were measured. In water the introduction of the draft tube increased the K _La coefficient. The increase in K _La became larger with impeller speed. On the other hand, mass transfer in dilute polymer solutions decreased due to the presence of the draft tube. An empirical correlation has been proposed for the volumetric mass transfer coefficient in stirred loop fermentors. It has a general applicability.List of Symbols a 1/m specific surface area - C constant in Eq. (6) - g m/s² gravitational acceleration - K _L m/s overall liquid-phase mass transfer coefficient - n 1/s impeller speed - P W aerated power input by mechanical agitation - P _g W power input by sparged air - Q m³/min volumetric gas flow rate - U _sg m/s superficial gas velocity - V m³ liquid volume Greek Symbols exponents in Eq. (3) - exponent in Eq. (6) - kg/m³ density     

Mass transfer phenomena in an airlift reactor: effects of solids loading and temperature

Gas holdups and volumetric mass transfer coefficients were measured in a concentric tube airlift reactor designed for the microbial desulfurization of coal. The solutions studied were comprised of an acidified basal salts solution containing thirteen different weight percentages (0 to 40) of coal (74 mum Ohio #1) at three different temperatures (30, 50, and 72 degrees C). Gas holdup epsilon(G) decreased with solids loading for the entire range studied. An enhancement in the volumetric mass transfer coefficient K(L)a with respect to that in pure solution was observed from zero to approximately 5 wt % (solids volume fraction epsilon(s) = 0.035), the maximum enhancement occurring at approximately 2 wt % (epsilon(s) = 0.014). At higher solids fractions, the mass transfer coefficient decreased with further solids additions. Gas holdups and the mass transfer coefficients increased with temperature over the studied range. The K(L)a and epsilon(G) were correlated to three process variables separately and the separate correlations combined to yield generalized correlations for the mass transfer coefficient and gas holdup for this system. The correlations may be used for design, operation, and ost estimation of such systems.     

Characteristics of draft tube gas-liquid-solid fluidized-bed bioreactor with immobilized living cells for phenol degradation

Biological phenol degradation in a draft tube gas-liquid-solid fluidized bed (DTFB) bioreactor containing a mixed culture immobilized on spherical activated carbon particles was investigated. The characteristics of biofilms including the biofilm dry density and thickness, the volumetric oxygen mass transfer coefficient, and the phenol removal rates under different operating conditions in the DTFB were evaluated. A phenol degradation rate as high as 18 kg/m(3)-day with an effluent phenol concentration less than 1 g/m(3) was achieved, signifying the high treatment efficiency of using a DTFB.     

Liquid circulation velocity and overall gas holdup in a modified jet loop bioreactor with low density particles

Effect of low density particles on the apparent liquid circulation velocity and overall gas holdup was studied in a modified reversed flow jet loop bioreactor. Experiments were conducted using polyurethane beads, polystyrene particles which are comparable to bioparticles found in biological applications and glass beads. Influence of gas and liquid flow rates, draft tube to reactor diameter ratio and solids loading on these hydrodynamic properties were studied. The liquid circulation velocity was found to increase with an increase in liquid flow rate but decrease with an increase in gas flow rate or solids loading. The overall gas holdup increased with an increase in gas or liquid flow rate but decreased with an increase in solids loading. The range of optimum draft tube to reactor diameter ratio was found to be 04–0.5. The results obtained with low density particles were comparatively better than those with glass beads. Correlations were proposed to evaluate liquid circulation velocity and overall gas holdup in terms of operational and geometrical variables.