Paper Title

Optimizing the impeller combination for maximum hold-up with minimum power consumption

Keywords

  • Impeller Optimization
  • Multiple Impeller Bio-Reactor
  • Pitched Blade Turbine Downflow
  • Pitched Blade Turbine Upflow
  • Disc Turbine
  • Radial Flow Impeller
  • Mixed Flow Impeller
  • Power Consumption
  • Gas Hold-Up
  • Fractional Gas Hold-Up
  • Power Dissipation
  • Sparger
  • Bioreactor Design
  • Aeration Efficiency
  • Gas-Liquid Mixing
  • Reactor Performance
  • Energy Efficiency
  • Bioprocess Engineering
  • Turbulent Flow
  • Flow Dynamics
  • Bubble Dispersion
  • Process Optimization
  • Industrial Biotechnology
  • Mixing Characteristics
  • Hydrodynamics
  • Reactor Scale-Up
  • Gas Flow Rates

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Publication Info

Volume: 1 | Issue: 1 | Pages: 25-30

Published On

January, 1998

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Abstract

To select the optimum operating conditions for a multiple impeller laboratory bio-reactor, nine impeller combinations consisting of three basic impeller types, namely pitched blade turbine downflow (PTD), pitched blade turbine upflow (PTU) and disc turbine (DT), were tested. Power consumption and fractional gas hold-up measurements were taken over a range of 1–4 kw m−3 of power and 0.5–2 VVM of gas flow rates, for all the nine combinations consisting of any two impellers. A radial flow impeller (DT) near the sparger, i.e. lower impeller, was found to be a necessity for enhanced gas hold-up. With the DT as a lower impeller, use of PTD as an upper impeller was found to give higher gas hold-up compared with any other combination consisting of both radial flow (DT-DT) or both mixed flow (PTD-PTU, PTD-PTD, PTU-PTD and PTU-PTU) impellers, for equivalent power dissipation.

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