Hydrodynamics and mixing in three-phase fluidized bed bioreactors

The effects of solid particles on hydrodynamics and mixing in a three-phase fluidized bed bioreactor were discussed. The gas holdup, bubble size, and liquid-phase axial dispersion coefficient were measured in a 0.25-m id bubble column bioreactors containing low-density particles. The presence of low-density solid particles slightly increased gas holdup. The decrease in average bubble diameter with solid presence was found. For the three-phase system, the liquid-phase axial dispersion coefficients were higher than for the two-phase system. We extended a model for a gas holdup developed for a gas-liquid two-phase bubble column bioreactor to a gas-liquid-solid three-phase fluidized bed bioreactor. Using the present data and available data in the literature, the predictions of the proposed model were examined. The proposed model agreed with a wide range of the experimental data. A theoretical correlation for liquid-phase axial dispersion coefficient was developed using Kolmogoroff's theory of isotropic turbulence. Reasonable agreement was obtained between the predicted and experimental values of axial dispersion coefficient.     

Dispersion and holdup in a three-phase fluidized-bed bioreactor

Axial dispersion and phase holdup measurements were made using electroconductivity in a fermenting fluidized-bed bioreactor (FBR) and in a model nonfermenting three-phase FBR. Multiple axial conductivity probes were used to nonintrusively monitor the bed conductivity. The gas phase holdup was estimated from a ratio of the average bed conductivity and bulk conductivity. The solid fraction in the three-phase FBR can be estimated from the two-phase liquid-solid FBR. The response to a salt pulse was used to estimate the liquid axial dispersion coefficient. Particle Peclet numbers on the order of 10^-2 were estimated as a function of flowrates and compared to literature correlations.     

Computational fluid dynamics simulation of the adsorption separation of three components in high performance liquid chromatography

Summary The four stereoisomers of nadolol were successfully separated into three groups (SRS)-nadolol and (SSR)-nadolol, (RRS)-nadolol and (RSR)-nadolol using HPLC. The adsorption equilibrium coefficients, mass transfer coefficients of the three groups and the bed voidage were experimentally determined. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of the separation was carried out using FEMLAB, which is application software from MATLAB. The simulation visualized the processes of dispersion and separation occurring inside the column. The curvature of the concentration profiles within the column were observed using the simulation. The simulated chromatogram correctly predicted the peak behavior of the eluted compounds except dispersion was overestimated, which is due to the limitation of the software used.     

Three-phase interlines electrochemically driven into insulator compounds: a penetration model and its verification by electroreduction of solid AgCl

A dynamic three-phase interline model has been developed for the reduction of a solid insulating metal compound to the metal in a suitable electrolyte, focusing on the electrochemically driven penetration of the process (or the three-phase interlines) into the insulator. Consideration is given to the effects of electrochemical, concentration and ohmic polarizations in the reduction-generated porous metal layer on top of the solid compound. Under potentiostatic conditions, reduction in the depth direction (penetration) becomes progressively slower as a result of the rising ohmic and concentration polarizations, whilst the electrochemical polarization exerts a declining effect. The quantitative equations established here also provide simple methods for the determination of some kinetic parameters of the reduction process, including rho (total resistivity) and D(R) (diffusion coefficient). The model has been experimentally verified by electrochemical reduction of solid AgCl with two novel metal|AgCl cylinder electrodes in aqueous solutions.     

Impurity distribution in a solid-liquid interface during static layer crystallization

The impurity distribution inside crystalline layers in static layer crystallizations was explored theoretically and experimentally for a binary eutectic mixture of caprolactam and water. The impurity distribution in the layer is modeled by a mass balance equation coupled with an energy balance equation. The mass balance equation is established with a combination of the growth of the layer and the diffusional movement of impurity. The mathematical model was solved by a numerical method. The predictions are discussed with respect to the interfacial distribution coefficient, concentration, and temperature at the solid-liquid interface, crystalline layer thickness, and concentration of the layer. The impurity distribution obtained by the model was appropriately verified with the results obtained by the experiments.     

Axial dispersion of polymer molecules in gel permeation chromatography

Gel permeation chromatography is an elution chromatographic process depending on the permeation of the solute through a bed of gel particles. This process is used in the estimation of molecular weight distributions of polymers, since elution occurs in decreasing order of molecular size. The eluting species, however, are not perfectly fractionated, and apparent broadening of the distribution occurs. This broadening results from an axial (longitudinal) mixing of the eluting species. Consideration of the accessible bed volume for each species permits a correction to be made for this axial dispersion. The concept was applied to heterodisperse distributions by solving the resulting simultaneous equations. A least-squares regression may be employed to utilize the experimental data most effectively. The experimental chromatogram can be described in terms of accessible bed volume and dispersion coefficient of each species together with flow rate, sample concentration, and chromatograph column geometry. The chromatogram corrected for the axial dispersion describes the molecular weight distribution more accurately than does the experimentally determined curve. The correction procedure was applied to a well-characterized polystyrene; the results of the gel permeation chromatography show excellent confirmation of the results of fractionation and of other instrumental analyses.     

Effects of thermal heterogeneity in hydrophobic interaction chromatography

Manipulating temperature and salt concentration can have a powerful effect on the separation effectiveness in hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC). However, use of temperature as an operating variable in large-scale applications may involve undesirable consequences such as radial heterogeneity of the column temperature. In this study non-ideal effects of heat transfer in HIC columns were analyzed. The radial temperature gradients were measured by thermocouples immersed in a bed packed into a preparative column. The column wall was either thermostatted by a water jacket or left under ambient conditions. The influence of ineffective column thermostatting and of heat losses on the radial temperature profiles was demonstrated and predicted by a model of heat dispersion in a packed bed. To analyze possible positive or negative effects of thermal heterogeneity on band propagation, non-isothermal chromatographic elution of a model protein (α-chymotrypsinogen A) was recorded under salt gradient conditions as well as at constant salt concentration. To predict temperature and concentration profiles a model of the column dynamics was used. The model accounted for kinetics of mass and heat transfer. A good agreement between experimental and simulated profiles was achieved. It was shown that by proper selection of the process conditions undesirable temperature effects can be avoided or controlled.     

PREDICTION OF OIL SATURATION IN A FIBROUS BED COALESCER FROM PRESSURE DROP DATA

A model has been formulated for the prediction of average saturation and the saturation profile through a fibrous bed during coalescence of secondary dispersion. The approach utilizes the Blake-Kozeny equation to relate experimental pressure drop data to saturation in the bed. Reasonable agreement was obtained between predicted saturations and those measured experimentally. The predicted saturation profiles could be used to determine other coalescer design parameters.     

Thermal Dispersion Model Compared with Euler-Lagrange Approach in Simulation of Convective Heat Transfer for Nanoparticle Suspensions

Convective heat transfer characteristics of water/Al₂O₃ nanofluid flow inside a tube were evaluated in this study. A non-uniform concentration distribution was used in thermal dispersion model. Meanwhile, an experimental study was done to find the dispersion coefficient in addition to assess the accuracy of simulation results. The accuracy of the results of thermal dispersion model was compared with the numerical solution using discrete phase modeling and homogenous method, while the effective parameters on particle migration were considered to find the particle distribution for being used in the dispersion model. Non-uniformity of the particle distribution is increased by raising volume fraction and Reynolds number. Concentration distribution was obtained using discrete phase method and was compared with the distribution employed for the dispersion model. When a uniform concentration is used in the dispersion model, error of prediction is expected to be increased. The thermal dispersion model, in which the particles have followed a non-uniform distribution, provides acceptable results in spite of its lower calculational time as compared to the two-phase approach.     

A study on performance characteristics of granular-media trickling filters

Mass transfer within microbial films is described using Monod type biological kinetics in terms of the properties of packing material and the feed solution. For this purpose computer techniques have been first developed for the numerical evaluation of the normalized biofilm mathematical model. A second-order partial differential equation describing the mechanism of dispersion phenomena inside the liquid layer is then solved to determine the mass transfer coefficient. The application of the theory to experimental data reported in literature has also been demonstrated using the values of mass transfer coefficients and the computer programs developed.     

Modeling of the whole expanded-bed protein adsorption process with yeast cell suspensions as feedstock

Expanded bed adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) directly from a feedstock containing whole yeast cells has been investigated with an anion-exchanger DEAE Spherodex M. In the presence of 6% (w/w) yeast cells, the axial liquid-phase dispersion coefficient was found in the order of 10(-6) m2/s, which felled into the common range of 1.0 x 10(-6)-1.0 x 10(-5) m2/s observed previously without the use of cell suspensions as mobile phase. We found that the static and dynamic binding capacity of BSA decreased with increasing the yeast cell concentration due to the competitive adsorption of cells onto the outer surface of the anion-exchanger. However, because of the small size of the adsorbent, the large pore diffusivity of protein and the favorable column efficiency (low axial dispersion coefficient), the dynamic binding capacity of BSA in the presence of 6% (w/w) cells in the expanded bed reached 86% that of the equilibrium adsorption density. Then, the whole expanded bed adsorption process of BSA in the presence of cells, including feedstock loading, washing and elution steps, was predicted using a mathematical model with parameters all determined independently. In the elution stage, the steric mass-action adsorption isotherm with salt concentration as one of the model parameters was used to predict the step-gradient elution process with salt concentration increases. Computer simulations showed that the model was in good agreement with the experimental results for the whole operation process.     

Optimization of Fiber-Water Dispersion Process Using Box-Behnken Design of Experiments Coupled with Response Surface Methodology of Analysis

In this work, the fiber-water dispersion process with reference to the wet-lay technology was optimized in order to improve the uniformity of the wet-laid webs by using Box-Behnken design of experiments coupled with response surface methodology of analysis. A series of wet-laid webs were prepared by using cotton fibers of 7 mm cut length and 5.6 micronaire linear density and employing different combinations of three process variables of interest namely stirring rate, dispersion time, and surfactant concentration. The resulting webs were tested for their area-based uniformity by means of quadrat analysis. The response surface model was found to be statistically significant at a P value as low as 0.0213. The experimental results were found to be in good agreement with the model results. The single effect of surfactant concentration, interaction effect of surfactant concentration and stirring rate, and quadratic effect of dispersion time were found to be statistically significant at 0.05 level of significance. The optimum level of coefficient of variation of the area occupied by the fibers in the web was predicted as 10.50% at stirring rate of 250 rpm, dispersion time of 5 minutes, and surfactant concentration of 0.10 and this was experimentally observed as 11.02%.     

Continuous production of antibiotics in an airlift fermentor utilizing a transverse magnetic field

In this study, a series of experiments was conducted to demonstrate the feasibility of continuous production of penicillin antibiotic using a three-phase magneto airlift fermentor with immobilized Penicillium chrysogenum. The fermentation processes were carried out in a 2.4-L external loop airlift utilizing a transverse magnetic field. It was found that the application of the magnetic field to a bed of ferromagnetic beads affects both the hydrodynamics of the reactor and the rate of the bioconversion process occurring inside it. One hundred hours after startup, the maximum penicillin concentration increased 48% as the magnetic field intensity increased from 0 to 35 mT, owing to the increased residence time of the substrate in the riser and the positive effect of the magnetic field on the effective fluid-solid interfacial area. In addition, the detached biomass concentration in the liquid phase was found to be only 5% of the immobilized biomass, owing to low shear levels and the absence of friction among the solid-phase particles.     

A Review of:“Crystals in Gels and Liesegang Rings:” H.K. Henlsch,Cambridge University Press,Cambridge, New York, 1988, 197 pages, $54.50.

A physical model for solute dispersion and nonlinear adsorption in media with random variable porosity is considered in the present study. A spectrum of longitudinal random porosities is generated by the random number generator to illustrate the applications and to assess its effect on the characteristics of solute dispersion and nonlinear adsorption. The complex dispersion/adsorption model can be effectively tackled with accuracy by an implicit finite difference method. It is shown that if the random porosity fluctuations do not deviate more than 92, 60 and 30% from its average, a simple dispersion/adsorption model with constant average porosity can predict, respectively, an average solute concentration within IS, 10 and 5% of those predicted by a more complex model with random variable porosity.     

Characterization and evaluation of a macroporous adsorbent for possible use in the expanded bed adsorption of flavonoids from Ginkgo biloba L.

The suitability of the use of macroporous adsorbent Amberlite XAD7HP in expanded bed adsorption processes for the isolation of flavonoids from crude extracts of Ginkgo biloba L. has been assessed. The expansion and hydrodynamic properties of expanded beds were investigated and analyzed. The bed expansion as a function of operational fluid velocity was measured and correlated with the Richardson–Zaki equation. Theoretical predictions of the correlation parameters (the terminal settling velocity u_t and exponent n) were improved by modifying equations in the literature. Residence time distributions (RTDs) were studied using acetone as a tracer. Three measures of liquid phase dispersion (the height equivalent of theoretical plate, Bodenstein number and axial distribution coefficient) were investigated and compared to values previously obtained with commercial EBA adsorbents developed for protein purification. A suitable bed expansion ratio was found to be 1.25 times the settled bed height, which occurred at a corresponding flow velocity of 183 cm/h. For an initial settled bed height of 42 cm, the mean residence time of liquid in the expanded bed was around 28 min. Under these flow conditions, the axial mixing coefficient D_ax was 7.54 × 10⁻⁶ m²/s and the Bodenstein number was 28; the number of theoretical plates (N) was 19 and the height equivalent of a theoretical plate (HETP) was 2.77 cm. Rutin trihydrate was used as a model flavonoid for the characterization of the adsorption properties of Amberlite XAD7HP. Adsorption was observed to reach equilibrium within 3 h with 70% of the adsorption capacity being achieved within 30 min. The estimated maximum equilibrium adsorption capacity for rutin was estimated to be 43.0 mg/(g resin) when the results were fitted to Langmuir isotherms. The adsorption performance was not seriously impaired by the physical presence of G. biloba leaf powders. Assessment of the kinetics of the adsorption of rutin revealed that the rate constant for adsorption was only reduced by 15% in the presence of leaf powders at a concentration of 50 mg/mL. The results demonstrated that Amberlite XAD7HP should be suitable for expanded bed adsorption of flavonoids from crude extracts of G. biloba L.     

二氧化碳-环氧丙烷共聚物电纺纤维形貌研究

利用电纺丝技术制备了二氧化碳环氧丙烷共聚物超细纤维,研究了喷丝口电势、纺丝距离、浓度、溶剂等因素对纤维形貌、直径及均一性的影响.实验结果表明,利用电纺丝法可以制备直径在小于200nm到7μm二氧化碳环氧丙烷共聚物纤维;喷丝口电势和浓度对于共聚物电纺丝纤维是否形成串珠结构有重要影响;电势、距离和纺丝液浓度都对纤维直径及分散系数有较大影响,在一定范围内,随着喷丝口电势增加,纤维平均直径变大而分散系数变小;纺丝距离增大使得纤维平均直径变小,分散系数变大;浓度的增大使得纤维平均直径变大,分散系数变小;不同溶剂配制的溶液体系制备的电纺丝纤维形貌有很大差异,在二氯甲烷和丁酮的体系中,分别观察到了两组较为集中的直径分布.     

Characterization of a novel continuous supermacroporous monolithic cryogel embedded with nanoparticles for protein chromatography

A novel continuous supermacroporous monolithic cryogel embedded with nanometer-size particles was prepared by the radical cryogenic co-polymerization of acrylamide (AAm), N,N'-methylene-bis-acrylamide (MBAAm), allyl glycidyl ether (AGE) and the dispersed surfactant-stabilized Fe3O4 nanoparticles under the freezing-temperature variation condition in a glass column. This special separation matrix has interconnected supermacropores with pore size of 10-50 microm, which permit the free-passage of microbial cells or cell debris in the culture fluids and then is interest in downstream processes. The axial liquid dispersion coefficients of the new continuous supermacroporous monolithic bed at different liquid flow rates were obtained by measuring residence time distributions (RTDs) using tracer pulse-response method. The experimental results showed that the axial liquid dispersion within the bed was weak in a wide water flow rate of 0.5-15 cm/min. The axial dispersion coefficient was found to be increased exponentially with the increase of liquid flow rate. Chromatographic process of bovine serum albumin (BSA) in the cryogel monolithic bed was carried out to reveal the protein breakthrough and elution characteristics. Compared with other reported cryogel beds in literature, the protein adsorption capacity of the present cryogel bed was improved due to the embedded nano-sized solid adsorbents in the gel matrix. Microstructure morphology of the embedded nanoparticles in the cryogel and the gel matrix structure were also analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in this paper.     

Using flow injection analysis to time-resolve rhythmic and pulsatile signals

Continuous monitoring can be used to detect rhythms, an important aspect of biology. But peaks of concentration are broadened by dispersion so that they overlap their neighbours and obscure high frequency chemoperiodicities. In this study, flow injection was found experimentally to be useful in resolving these. A rhythmically varying pattern of permanganate concentration was measured spectrophotometrically. The rhythm (frequency 0.08 Hz) was observable at a dispersion coefficient of 3.0 but not at 3.9 (when only a single peak was recorded). It was again observable using the same high dispersion manifold but positioned after an injection valve that subsampled the stream at intervals. A design based on this work is proposed for an automated instrument that outputs a time series of concentration measures.     

连续环状色谱分离木糖—山梨糖混合溶液的研究──轴向扩散系数和总传质系数的辨识

本文提出了连续环状色谱分离过程的参数辨识方法，包括其轴向扩散系数的辨识模型，以惰性物ＣａＣｌ２作示踪剂，００１×７树脂为填料，采用扰动－应答法技术在环状色谱床中测定轴向扩散系数。考虑轴向扩散的作用，建立了线性吸附平衡体系的相平衡常数及总传质系数的辨识模型，并对木糖──山梨糖体系，采用扰动－应答技术测定相平衡常数及总传质系数。考察了操作因素对轴向扩散系数与总传质系数的影响规律。结果表明，流速增加，轴向扩散系数加大，环状色谱床中的流动明显地偏离理想活塞流；流速增加，总传质系数也相应增大。     

Axial dispersion in a liquid fluidized bed of particles akin to immobilized enzymes

The axial dispersion of a liquid fluidized bed of controlled pore silica (CPS) particles has been determined by the pulse tracer method. The CPS used was the same as for enzyme immobilization, having an average diameter of 0.436 mm and mean pore size of 37.5 nm. The fluidization liquid is α-amylase liquefied manioc starch, 30% w/v, 45°C pH=4.5. Nominal bed porosities tested were 0.7 and 0.8. The results show that the axial dispersion coefficient increases with greater superficial liquid velocities. Various available correlations tested disagree with each other to a large extent and are unable to represent collected experimental data.