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Mixing and mass transfer in concentric‐tube airlift fermenters: Newtonian and non‐newtonian media
Author(s) -
Kawase Yoshinori,
MooYoung Murray
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
journal of chemical technology and biotechnology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.64
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1097-4660
pISSN - 0268-2575
DOI - 10.1002/jctb.280361105
Subject(s) - draft tube , mass transfer , mixing (physics) , mechanics , non newtonian fluid , airlift , newtonian fluid , tube (container) , concentric , annulus (botany) , viscosity , chemistry , circulation (fluid dynamics) , conical surface , materials science , chromatography , thermodynamics , physics , composite material , bioreactor , geometry , mathematics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics
The mixing and mass transfer characteristics in concentric‐tube airlift gas‐liquid contactors intended for possible use as fermenters are discussed. Liquid velocities, circulation times, gas hold‐ups, and volumetric mass transfer coefficients were measured in water and aqueous carboxy methyl cellulose solutions. Measurements were made in an inverted conical‐bottom device with draft tubes of three different diameters. An increase of liquid velocities at the column axis and a corresponding decrease of volumetric mass transfer coefficients due to the introduction of draft tubes were found for water as the liquid medium. For the non‐Newtonian fluids, a complicating influence of the draft tubes on liquid velocity and mass transfer, which is attributed to a combination of factors related to improvement of liquid circulation and reduction of apparent viscosity, was observed.