Premium
Characterization of an airlift reactor with helical flow promoters
Author(s) -
Schlötelburg Cord,
Popovic Milan,
Gluz Michail,
Merchuk Jose C.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
the canadian journal of chemical engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.404
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1939-019X
pISSN - 0008-4034
DOI - 10.1002/cjce.5450770504
Subject(s) - fluidization , mass transfer , airlift , flow (mathematics) , materials science , volumetric flow rate , chromatography , bioreactor , mechanics , chemical engineering , chemistry , thermodynamics , fluidized bed , physics , engineering , organic chemistry
The helical flow promoter (HFP), inserted in the downcomer of an airlift reactor (ALR), generates a helical flow pattern in the circulating gas–liquid (solid) mixture. Data on the fluidization capacity, gas holdup, liquid velocity and mass transfer rate for two‐ and three‐phase systems with two different carboxymethylcellulose solutions collected in a 58 L ALR‐HFP are presented and compared with those of common pneumatic reactors. Generally, an increasing solid concentration led to a slight decrease in gas holdup and liquid velocity but to a considerable decrease in mass transfer rates. Insertion of HFPs produced a significantly enhanced fluidization capacity of solid particles compared to the common systems.