title: Acceleration of mass transfer in methane-producing loop reactors.
abstract: Gas bubbles entrapped in methanogenic granules subjected to hydrostatic pressure oscillations during recirculation in loop reactors will induce intraparticle liquid flows, and thereby enhance mass transfer in excess of diffusion. This 'breathing particle' concept was clearly demonstrated in a well defined inorganic model system. The experimental results could be described satisfactory with a structured mathematical model, while a 30% improvement is predicted for methanogenic loop reactors as compared to constant pressure systems. It is concluded that acceleration of mass transfer in gas-producing systems offers challenging perspectives for both heterogeneous catalysis and biological fermentations.
authors.affiliation: University of Amsterdam, Department of Chemical Engineering, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Van den Heuvel
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Vredenbregt
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Portegies-Zwart
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Ottengraf
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D019605:Euryarchaeota / Q000378:metabolism*; D006874:Hydrostatic Pressure; D007218:Industrial Microbiology; D007220:Industrial Waste; D008962:Models, Theoretical
chemical_list: D007220:Industrial Waste