Comparison of empirical correlations for the estimation of the oxygen transfer coefficient in an aerobic bioprocess

This paper shows a comparison of three different empirical correlations found in the literature for the estimation of the oxygen transfer coefficient in an aeration pilot plant. To this end, a phenomenological-based semi-physical model (PBSM) of the aeration pilot plant is used. This evaluation tested the relationship between empirical correlations and the oxygen transfer phenomenon from the gas phase to the liquid phase was assessed. The results show that empirical correlations of the oxygen transfer coefficient found in the literature are not based on the knowledge of the physical phenomena, and hence are not suitable to generalize the transference mechanism in other similar processes.