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Gas transfer in an external loop bioreactor with built‐in ultrafiltration
Author(s) -
White C.,
Morgan N. L.,
Killick E. G.
Publication year - 1991
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.280520104
Subject(s) - mixing (physics) , bioreactor , ultrafiltration (renal) , loop (graph theory) , chemistry , flow (mathematics) , mechanics , airflow , turbine , materials science , chromatography , analytical chemistry (journal) , thermodynamics , physics , mathematics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , combinatorics
The SGI Ultrafermenter is an external loop bioreactor with circulation through an ultrafiltration module allowing removal of medium and soluble products during fermentation. The contents are continually circulated during operation and the vessel is also equipped with a stirring turbine. The interaction of these two mixing agents on gas transfer was investigated. Both mechanisms produced similar increments in K L a over their working ranges, with values from approximately 0–700 h −1 at 200 dm 3 h −1 airflow. The effects of these two mechanisms on K L a were approximately additive at low values but the combined mixing produced a maximum K L a value also in the region of 700 h −1 . The power‐draw of mixing using the two agents was calculated and stirring was found to be 10–20 times more efficient than circulation.