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A comparative study of a fluidised bed reactor and a gas lift loop reactor for the ibe process: Part III. Reactor performances and scale Up
Author(s) -
Schoutens Gerda H.,
Guit Ruud P.,
Zieleman Gerard J.,
Luyben Karel Ch. A. M.,
Kossen Nico W. F.
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.280361205
Subject(s) - gas lift , continuous stirred tank reactor , plug flow reactor model , volume (thermodynamics) , fermentation , steady state (chemistry) , trickle bed reactor , continuous reactor , scale up , plug flow , chemistry , chromatography , materials science , chemical engineering , engineering , mechanics , petroleum engineering , thermodynamics , catalysis , physics , biochemistry , classical mechanics
Continuous fermentations using Clostridium spp. DSM 2152 immobilised in calcium alginate beads to produce butanol and isopropanol from glucose were carried out in a fluidised bed reactor with liquid recycle (FBR, 10.9 dm 3 working volume, 41 % solids) and in a gas lift loop reactor (GLR, 11.4 dm 3 working volume, 32% solids). In the FBR in‐situ produced non‐coalescing gas bubbles had a negligible influence on the fluidisation pattern and the steady state results of the fermentation were in accordance with those predicted by a reactor model. The FBR was operated reliably for 5 weeks without decrease of activity. The GLR behaved as a three phase reactor because of the recycled fermentation gas. The steady state fermentation results were as predicted by the GLR model. Scale up to a 50 m 3 FBR and a 65 m 3 GLR led to development of a plug flow with recycle model for the FBR and a stirred tank model for the GLR. On the basis of overall reactor performance and ease of integration with a simultaneous product recovery the FBR is preferred to the GLR for application in a large scale butanol/isopropanol process using immobilised Clostridia spp.