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Oxygen Transfer in Membrane‐Ceramic Composite Materials For Immobilized‐Cell Monolithic Reactors
Author(s) -
Kornfield Julia,
Stephanopoulos Gregory,
Voecks G. E.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
biotechnology progress
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.572
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1520-6033
pISSN - 8756-7938
DOI - 10.1002/btpr.5420020209
Subject(s) - volumetric flow rate , mass transfer , oxygen , ceramic , bioreactor , materials science , composite number , volume (thermodynamics) , membrane , porosity , chemical engineering , composite material , chemistry , chromatography , analytical chemistry (journal) , thermodynamics , biochemistry , physics , organic chemistry , engineering
A novel bioreactor concept is described for facilitated gas‐liquid mass transfer, specifically oxygen supply, at low shear rates and low power input. The cross flow monolithic reactor is a single piece of ceramic consisting of continuous flow passages manifolded in a cross flow arrangement. Liquid medium circulates through the passages in one direction and gas circulates through the passages in an orthogonal direction; thus, the two streams are contacted across a large area of a porous ceramic, gas permeable membrane composite. A test cell was designed and used to measure the rate of oxygen transfer across such a composite. High oxygen transfer rates (6.62g O 2 × l −1 × hr −1 ), with minimal power requirements (estimated below 5 × 10 −3 watts/l reactor volume), were found. This corresponds to a transfer efficiency of greater than 1000 kg O 2 /kW · hr, orders of magnitude greater than the values reported by Serieys, et al. 14 due to the low flow rates and low pressure drops required in a cross flow monolith. This contacting configuration could be employed with highly aerobic, immobilized‐cell fermentations to enhance oxygen transfer rates with a parallel decrease of process power requirements.