Global performance parameters for different pneumatic bioreactors operating with water and glycerol solution: experimental data and CFD simulation.
Bioprocess Biosyst Eng
; 38(11): 2063-75, 2015 Nov.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-26227509
Global variables play a key role in evaluation of the performance of pneumatic bioreactors and provide criteria to assist in system selection and design. The purpose of this work was to use experimental data and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations to determine the global performance parameters gas holdup ([Formula: see text]) and volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient (k L a), and conduct an analysis of liquid circulation velocity, for three different geometries of pneumatic bioreactors: bubble column, concentric-tube airlift, and split tube airlift. All the systems had 5 L working volumes and two Newtonian fluids of different viscosities were used in the experiments: distilled water and 10 cP glycerol solution. Considering the high oxygen demand in certain types of aerobic fermentations, the assays were carried out at high flow rates. In the present study, the performances of three pneumatic bioreactors with different geometries and operating with two different Newtonian fluids were compared. A new CFD modeling procedure was implemented, and the simulation results were compared with the experimental data. The findings indicated that the concentric-tube airlift design was the best choice in terms of both gas holdup and volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient. The CFD results for gas holdup were consistent with the experimental data, and indicated that k L a was strongly influenced by bubble diameter and shape.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Simulação por Computador
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Água
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Reatores Biológicos
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Glicerol
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Modelos Químicos
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Bioprocess Biosyst Eng
Assunto da revista:
BIOTECNOLOGIA
/
ENGENHARIA BIOMEDICA
Ano de publicação:
2015
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Brasil
País de publicação:
Alemanha