Oxygen transfer in a stirred loop fermentor with dilute polymer solutions

✍ Scribed by S. Kura; H. Nishiumi; Y. Kawase

• Book ID: 104744501
• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1993
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 498 KB
• Volume: 8
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1615-7605
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00369833

✦ Synopsis

Oxygen transfer in a 0.35 m diameter stirred loop fermentor (a stirred tank with a concentric draft tube) has been studied with water containing a small amount of polymer(polyethylene oxide) as a drag-reducing additive.

Power consumption was measured. It was found that the addition of polyethylene oxide causes an increase of power consumption. This is contrary to the results reported in the literature.

Volumetric mass transfer coefficients (K L a) were measured. In water the introduction of the draft tube increased the K L a coefficient. The increase in K z a became larger with impeller speed. On the other hand, mass transfer in dilute polymer solutions decreased due to the presence of the draft tube. An empirical correlation has been proposed for the volumetric mass transfer coefficient in stirred loop fermentors. It has a general applicability.