Effect of polymer additives on hydrodynamics and oxygen transfer in a bubble column bioreactor.
The influence of polymer additives (polyethylene oxide and polyacrylamide) on the hydrodynamics and oxygen transfer in a bubble column bioreactor was examined. The addition of small amounts of these polymers has been known to cause significant drag reduction in turbulent flow circumstances. The gas hold-up was slightly decreased and the liquid-phase mixing was somewhat enhanced due to the addition of the polymers. The addition of polymer additives brought about a reduction of the volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient by about 40%. In dilute polymer solutions, large bubbles formed by bubble coalescence moved with high rise velocities in the presence of many small bubbles and the bubble size distributions were less uniform compared with those in water. The complicated changes in bubble hydrodynamic characteristics were examined to give possible explanations for oxygen transfer reduction.
Kawase
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Department of Applied Chemistry, Toyo University, Saitama, Japan.
D000180:Acrylic Resins; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D007700:Kinetics; D010100:Oxygen / Q000032:analysis; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D014783:Viscosity; D000099166:Polyacrylamides
D000180:Acrylic Resins; D010100:Oxygen; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D000099166:Polyacrylamides