Premium
Oxygen‐transfer rates and efficiencies in one‐ and two‐stage airlift towers
Author(s) -
Orazem M. E.,
Erickson L. E.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
biotechnology and bioengineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.136
H-Index - 189
eISSN - 1097-0290
pISSN - 0006-3592
DOI - 10.1002/bit.260210107
Subject(s) - airlift , tower , chemistry , volume (thermodynamics) , stage (stratigraphy) , oxygen , flue gas desulfurization , analytical chemistry (journal) , zoology , chromatography , thermodynamics , bioreactor , physics , geology , paleontology , civil engineering , organic chemistry , biology , engineering
The primary consideration in fermentor design is the supply of oxygen to the growing microorganisms. The oxygen‐transfer characteristics of a two‐stage splitcylinder airlift tower were compared to those of a similar single‐stage airlift tower of equal liquid volume using a sodium sulfite–air system. At superficial gas velocities, from 720 to 1200 cm/min, no difference in K L a was apparent. The K L a was significantly larger in the two‐stage tower for a gas velocity between 1200 and 2728 cm/min. At 2728 cm/min a K L a of 25.2 min −1 was achieved in the two‐stage system, and at 2262 cm/min the two‐stage tower had a 54% larger K L a than the single stage. A comparison of dispersion‐volume based K L a showed a 27% larger value at a gas velocity of 2262 cm/min. The performance ratios for the two‐stage tower were larger than those for the single‐stage tower at oxygen‐transfer rates greater than 180 mmol/liter hr. A comparison of the data with literature values is presented.