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Viscous media in tower bioreactors: Hydrodynamic characteristics and mass transfer properties

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Abstract

Studies in tower reactors with viscous liquids on flow regime, effective shear rate, liquid mixing, gas holdup and gas/ liquid mass transfer (k La) are reviewed. Additional new data are reported for solutions of glycerol, CMC, PAA, and xanthan in bubble columns with diameters of 0.06, 0.14 and 0.30 m diameter. The wide variation of the flow behaviour index (1 to 0.18) allows to evaluate the effective shear rate due to the gas flow. New dimensionless correlations are developed based on the own and literature data, applied to predict k La in fermentation broths, and compared to other reactor types.

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Abbreviations

a(a′) m−1 :

specific interfacial area referred to reactor (liquid) volume

Bo:

Bond number (g D 2c ϱ L/σ)

c L(c *L ) kmol m−3 :

(equilibrium) liquid phase oxygen concentration

C :

coefficient characterising the velocity profile in liquid slugs

C s m−1 :

coefficient in Eq. (2)

d B(dvs) m:

bubble diameter (Sauter mean of d B)

d 0 m:

diameter of the openings in the gas distributor plate

D c m:

column diameter

D L m2s−1 :

diffusivity

E L(EW) m2 s−1 :

dispersion coefficient (in water)

E 2 :

square relative error

Fr:

Froude number (u G/(g Dc)0.5)

g m s−2 :

gravity acceleration

Ga:

Gallilei number (g D 3c ϱ 2L /μ 2eff )

h m:

height above the gas distributor the gas holdup is characteristic for

k Pasn :

fluid consistency index (Eq. 1)

k L m s−1 :

liquid side mass transfer coefficient

k La(kLa′) s−1 :

volumetric mass transfer coefficient referred to reactor (liquid) volume

L m:

dispersion height

n :

flow behaviour index (Eq. 1)

P W:

power input

Re:

liquid slug Reynolds number (ϱ L(u G +u L) D c/μeff)

Sc:

Schmidt number (μ eff/(ϱ L D L ))

Sh:

Sherwood number (k La D 2c /DL)

t s:

time

u B(usw) m s−1 :

bubble (swarm) rise velocity

u G(uL) m s−1 :

superficial gas (liquid) velocity

V(VL) m3 :

reactor (liquid) volume

α W m−2 K−1 :

heat transfer coefficient

y(y eff) s−1 :

(effective) shear rate

ɛ G :

relative gas holdup

λ s:

relaxation time of viscoelastic liquid

μ L(μeff) Pa s:

(effective) liquid viscosity (Eq. 1)

ϱ L kg m−3 :

liquid density

σ N/m:

surface tension

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  1. Oldenburg

    A. Schumpe & W. -D. Deckwer

  2. Gesellschaft für Biotechnologische Forschung mbH, Mascheroder Weg 1, D-3300, Braunschweig, FRG

    A. Schumpe & W. -D. Deckwer

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Schumpe, A., Deckwer, W.D. Viscous media in tower bioreactors: Hydrodynamic characteristics and mass transfer properties. Bioprocess Engineering 2, 79–94 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00369528

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