Prediction of Oxygen Transfer and Gas Hold-Up in Pneumatic Bioreactors Containing Viscous Newtonian Fluids

Pneumatic reactors have been widely employed in various sectors of the chemical industry, especially where are required high heat and mass transfer rates. This study aimed to obtain correlations that allow the prediction of gas hold-up (Ԑ) and volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient (k_La), and compare these values, for three models of pneumatic reactors on two scales utilizing Newtonian fluids. Values of k_La ​​were obtained using the dynamic pressure-step method, while e was used for a new proposed measure. Comparing the three models of reactors studied, it was observed that the mass transfer was superior to draft-tube airlift, reaching e of 0.173 and k_La of 0.00904s^-1. All correlations showed good fit to the experimental data (R²≥94%), and comparisons with correlations from the literature demonstrate the need for further similar studies due to shortage of data available, mainly for airlift reactors and high viscosity fluids.

• Caroline E. Mendes
• Alberto C. Badino

• Bubble column
• internal loop airlift
• gas hold-up
• kLa.

[1] Y. Harada, K. Sakata, and S. Sato, “Fermentation Pilot Plant,” in in
Fermentation and biochemical engineering handbook: Principles,
process design, and equipment, 2nd ed., H. C. Vogel and C. L. Todaro,
Eds. 1996, p. 828.
[2] F. Garcia-Ochoa, E. Gomez, V. E. Santos, and J. C. Merchuk, “Oxygen
uptake rate in microbial processes: An overview,” Biochemical
Engineering Journal, vol. 49, no. 3, pp. 289–307, May 2010.
[3] J. B. Snape, J. Zahradnik, M. Fialov, and N. H. Thomas, “Liquid-Phase
Properties A N D Sparger Design Effects In An External-Loop Airlift
Reactor,” Chemical Engineering Science,vol. 50, no. 20, pp. 3175–3186,
1995.
[4] H. P. Luo and M. H. Al-Dahhan, “Local gas holdup in a draft tube airlift
bioreactor,” Chemical Engineering Science, vol. 65, no. 15, pp. 4503–
4510, Aug. 2010.
[5] R. S. Abdulmohsin, B. A. Abid, and M. H. Al-Dahhan, “Heat transfer
study in a pilot-plant scale bubble column,” Chemical Engineering
Research and Design, vol. 89, no. 1, pp. 78–84, Jan. 2011.
[6] J. E. Juliá, L. Hernández, S. Chiva, and A. Vela, “Hydrodynamic
characterization of a needle sparger rectangular bubble column:
Homogeneous flow, static bubble plume and oscillating bubble plume,”
Chemical Engineering Science, vol. 62, no. 22, pp. 6361–6377, Nov.
2007.
[7] D. Ruen-ngam, P. Wongsuchoto, A. Limpanuphap, T. Charinpanitkul,
and P. Pavasant, “Influence of salinity on bubble size distribution and
gas–liquid mass transfer in airlift contactors,” Chemical Engineering
Journal, vol. 141, no. 1–3, pp. 222–232, Jul. 2008.
[8] E. Bekassy-Molnar, J. G. Majeed, and G. Vatai, “Overall volumetric
oxygen transfer coefficient and optimal geometry of airlift tube reactor,”
Chemical Engineering Journal, vol. 68, no. 1, pp. 29–33, Jul. 1997.
[9] F. Bai, L. Wang, H. Huang, J. Xu, J. Caesar, D. Ridgway, T. Gu, and M.
Moo-young, “Oxygen mass-transfer performance of low viscosity gasliquid-
solid system in a split-cylinder airlift bioreactor,” pp. 1109–1113,
2001.
[10] Z. Deng, T. Wang, N. Zhang, and Z. Wang, “Gas holdup, bubble
behavior and mass transfer in a 5m high internal-loop airlift reactor with
non-Newtonian fluid,” Chemical Engineering Journal, vol. 160, no. 2,
pp. 729–737, Jun. 2010.
[11] M. O. Cerri, L. M. Policarpo, and A. C. Badino, “Gas Hold-Up and
Mass Transfer in Three Geometrically Similar Internal Loop Airlift
Reactors Using Newtonian Fluids”, International Journal Of Chemical,
vol. 8, 2010.
[12] M. O. Cerri and A. C. Badino, “Oxygen transfer in three scales of
concentric tube airlift bioreactors,” Biochemical Engineering Journal,
vol. 51, no. 1–2, pp. 40–47, Aug. 2010.
[13] M. Gavrilescu and R. Z. Tudose, “Residence time distribution of the
liquid phase in a concentric-tube airlift reactor,” Chemical Engineering
and Processing: Process Intensification, vol. 38, no. 3, pp. 225–238,
May 1999.
[14] M. K. Moraveji, M. M. Pasand, R. Davarnejad, and Y. Chisti, “Effects
of surfactants on hydrodynamics and mass transfer in a split-cylinder
airlift reactor,” The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering, vol. 90,
no. 1, pp. 93–99, Feb. 2012.
[15] M. K. Moraveji, E. Mohsenzadeh, M. E. Fakhari, and R. Davarnejad,
“Effects of surface active agents on hydrodynamics and mass transfer
characteristics in a split-cylinder airlift bioreactor with packed bed,”
Chemical Engineering Research and Design, vol. 90, no. 7, pp. 899–
905, Jul. 2012.
[16] H. Hikita, S. Asai, K. Tanigawa, K. Segawa and M. Kitao, "Gas hold-up
in bubble columns", The Chemical Engineering Journal, vol.20, pp.59-
67, 1980.
[17] J. M. Vasconcelos, J. M. Rodrigues, S. C. Orvalho, S. Alves, R. Mendes,
and A. Reis, “Effect of contaminants on mass transfer coefficients in
bubble column and airlift contactors,” Chemical Engineering Science,
vol. 58, no. 8, pp. 1431–1440, Apr. 2003.
[18] A. S. Mirón, M. C. C. Garcı́a, A. C. Gómez, F. G. Camacho, E. M.
Grima, and Y. Chisti, “Shear stress tolerance and biochemical
characterization of Phaeodactylum tricornutum in quasi steady-state
continuous culture in outdoor photobioreactors,” Biochemical
Engineering Journal, vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 287–297, Dec. 2003.
[19] Y. Chisti, Airlift bioreactors. 1989, p. 345.
[20] V. Linek, M. Kordač, and T. Moucha, “Mechanism of mass transfer
from bubbles in dispersions,” Chemical Engineering and Processing:
Process Intensification, vol. 44, no. 1, pp. 121–130, Jan. 2005.
[21] F. P. Shariati, B. Bonakdarpour, and M. R. Mehrnia, “Hydrodynamics
and oxygen transfer behaviour of water in diesel microemulsions in a
draft tube airlift bioreactor,” Chemical Engineering and Processing:
Process Intensification, vol. 46, no. 4, pp. 334–342, Apr. 2007.
[22] A. Schumpe, A.K.Saxena, L.K. Fang, "Gas liquid mass transfer in a
slurry bubble column", Chemical Engineering Science, vol. 42, no. 7,
pp. 1787-1796, 1987.
[23] M. Urseanu, R. P. Guit, A. Stankiewicz, G. Van Kranenburg, and J. H.
G. Lommen, “Influence of operating pressure on the gas hold-up in
bubble columns for high viscous media,” Chemical Engineering
Science, vol. 58, no. 3–6, pp. 697–704, Feb. 2003.
[24] K. Akita and F. Yoshida, “Gas Holdup and Volumetric Mass Transfer
Coefficient in Bubble Columns. Effects of Liquid Properties,” Industrial
& Engineering Chemistry Process Design and Development, vol. 12, no.
1, pp. 76–80, Jan. 1973.
[25] Y. Kawase and N. Hashiguchi, “Gas-liquid mass transfer in external
loop airlift columns with newtonian and non-newtonian fluids,” The
Chemical Engineering Journal, vol. 62, pp. 35–42, 1996.
[26] K. Koide, H. Sato, and S. Iwamoto, “Gas holdup and volumetric liquidphase
mass transfer coefficient in bubble column with draught tube with
gas dispersion into annulus”, Journal of Chemical Engineering of Japan,
no. 1, pp. 1–7, 1983.
[27] B. Gourich, N. EL Azher, M. Soulami Bellhaj, H. Delmas, a. Bouzidi,
and M. Ziyad, “Contribution to the study of hydrodynamics and gas–
liquid mass transfer in a two- and three-phase split-rectangular airlift
reactor,” Chemical Engineering and Processing: Process Intensification,
vol. 44, no. 10, pp. 1047–1053, Oct. 2005.
[28] K.H. Choi, Y. Chisti, M. Moo-Young “Influence fo the gas-liquid
separator design on hydrodynamic and mass transfer performance of
split-channel airlift reactors,” Journal of Chemical Technology and
Biotechnology, vol. 62, pp. 327-332, 1995.
[29] E. Mohsenzadeh, M. K. Moraveji, and R. Davarnejad, “Influence of
acetaminophen on gas hold-up, liquid circulation velocity and mass
transfer coefficient in a split-cylinder airlift bioreactor,” Journal of
Molecular Liquids, vol. 173, pp. 113–118, Sep. 2012.
[30] M. K. Moraveji, B. Sajjadi, and R. Davarnejad, “Gas-Liquid
Hydrodynamics and Mass Transfer in Aqueous Alcohol Solutions in a
Split-Cylinder Airlift Reactor,” Chemical Engineering & Technology,
vol. 34, no. 3, pp. 465–474, Mar. 2011.