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The liquid–liquid homogeneity of a four‐phase simulated hydrocarbon‐based bioprocess in a bubble column reactor
Author(s) -
Abufalgha Ayman A,
Clarke Kim G,
Pott Robert WM
Publication year - 2019
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.5989
Subject(s) - homogeneity (statistics) , hydrocarbon , bubble column reactor , bubble , flocculation , sparging , dispersion (optics) , chemistry , materials science , mechanics , analytical chemistry (journal) , chromatography , environmental science , environmental engineering , gas bubble , computer science , optics , physics , organic chemistry , machine learning
BACKGROUND Bubble column reactors (BCRs) can be used for upgrading hydrocarbons to high‐value products via biological oxidation mediated by hydrocarbon‐metabolizing organisms. However, spatial phase dispersion homogeneity becomes a critical parameter which is needed for scale‐up calculations, especially in BCRs, where fluid mixing is only enacted through sparging. RESULTS In this study, the homogeneity of a multiphase hydrocarbon‐based bioprocess system was measured in a large bench‐scale BCR, with inner diameter of 15 cm and height of 90 cm. Multiphase dispersion measurement was done under a range of operational conditions such as hydrocarbon concentrations ( H C ), solids (deactivated yeast) loading ( S L ) and superficial gas velocities ( U G ). It was found that in a three‐phase system (air–water–hydrocarbon), high U G (2 cm s −1 ) was required to achieve homogeneity. However, in a four‐phase system (air–water–hydrocarbon–yeast), the addition of yeast changed the fluid properties (mainly the surface tension) and therefore enhanced the homogeneity at the minimum U G (1 cm s −1 ). CONCLUSIONS This article firstly illustrates multiphase homogeneity in multiphase systems, which needs to be examined when dispersion systems are being used, and secondly proposes a method for evaluating this parameter. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry