New Problems

Gas Hold-up
Calculate the gas hold-up for an agitated and aerated system with power input of 18 hp in an 80
m3 vessel with gas superficial velocity of 2.6 m.min-1
Given:
P = 18 hp
V = 80 m3
Vs = 2.6 m/min
Required:
Gas Hold-up, Ho
Solution:
From equation;

()0.4 ()0.5 = 7036 + 2.37

Where; P = power in hp
V = ungassed liquid volume in m3
Vs = gas superficial velocity in m/h

Solving for H:
18
(80)0.4 (2.6 60 /)0.5 = 7.36 + 2.37

H = 0.6 m
The gas hold up can be defined by the above definition using the gas height per volume,
where H = 0.6 m for aeration
Vg 0.6
Ho = Vg+VL = 0.6+6.5 = 0.085

Ho = 8.5%
Scale-up

Calculate the speed of an impeller and the power requirements of a production-scale bioreactor
with 60m3 using two different methods. Also, match the volumetric mass transfer coefficient.
The following optimum conditions were obtained with a small scale fermenter of volume 0.3m3
and 60% of the vessel working. The density of the broth, broth, 1200 kg.m-3, working volume
0.18m3, aeration rate of one volume of gas per volume of liquid (vvm), oxygen transfer rate 0.25
kmol.m-3.h-1, liquid height inside the vessel, HL, 1.2Dt. two sets of standard, flat-blade turbine
impellers were installed.

Given:

@ production-scale, V2 = 60m3

@ small-scale, V = 0.3m3

60% of vessel working

broth, 1200 kg.m-3

working volume, V1 = 0.18m3

Q = 1vvm

OTR = 0.25 kmol.m-3.h-1

HL = 1.2Dt

Two sets of standard flat-blade turbine impellers

Required: impeller speed, power requirement, kla

Solution:

V1 = (/4)(Dt)2(1.2Dt) = 0.3Dt3

Diameter of the vessel:

Dt = (V1/0.3)1/3 = (0.18/3)1/3 = 0.576m

Diameter of the impeller:

 Di,1 = (1/3)(Dt) = 0.576/3 = 0.192m

Height of liquid media was assumed to be 1.2 times the diameter of the fermenter vessel.

HL,1 = 1.2 x 0.576 = 0.691m

Diameter of the larger vessel:

Dt2 = (V1/0.3)1/3 = (60/0.3)1/3 = 3.36m

The impeller size for the larger vessel is:

Di2 = 3.36/3 = 1.12m

And the liquid media height in the second fermenter is:

HL2 = 1.2 x 3.36 = 4.03m

Assume the fermentation broth has the same viscosity as water:

1 = 1cp

Aeration rate for 1vvm is:

Us = (0.18 x 60)/( 4 x 0.5762) = 41.45 m/h

Let us take average values for the partial pressure of oxygen

PO2 = ({1 atm + [1 + (HL m/10.3m) x atm]}/2) x 0.21 = 0.213 atm

The oxygen transfer rate is

OTR = 0.25 kmol/m3.h

The mass transfer coefficient is

kL = 0.25/0.213 = 1.174 kmol/m3.h.atm

Use imperial correlation based on the following equation for mass transfer in the bioreactors.
The general equation for the evaluation of Kla is

Kla = x(Pg/V)Y (Us)Z

where x,y, and z are empirical constants. For Newtonian fluids, mnon-coalescing broth and gas
bubbles, the following correlation is valid for a working volumeof less than 4 m3 and a power per
unit volume of 500 10,000 W/m3

kL = 0.002(Pg/V)0.7(Us)0.5

1.174 = 0.002 (Pg/V)0.7(41.45)0.5

For the gassed power per unit volume (Pg/V) is 630.7 W; thegpassed power, Pg, was 0.15hp.

Since the flow regime is turbulent, the power number obtained from figure 6.6, Power number
versus Reynolds number, Re, reads Pno = 6. For two sets of impellers, Np = 2(6) = 12

` Np = (P1 gc)/(N13Di5)

P1 = (12 x 1200 x N13 x 0.1925)/9.81 = 0.383 N13 W = 5x10-4 N13 hp

Using Michel and Millers correction factor for power calculation:

Pg1 = 0.5(P121Di13/10.56)0.45

Knowing the power input, we can calculate the rotational speed:

0.15 = 0.5(5x10-4 x N13 x 0.1923 / (3x10-3)0.56)0.45

N1 = 10 rps

N1 = 600 rpm

The power input for ungassed system is

P1 = 5x10-4 N13 = 5x10-4 (10)3 = 0.5hp

Pg/P = 0.15/0.5 = 0.3

For constant power input based on geometric similarity of the vessels, agitation rate is calculated.

(N13Di15)/(V1) = (N23Di25)/(V2)

(N2/N1)3 = (V2/V1)(Di1/Di2)5

N2 = N1 (V2/V1)1/3(Di1/Di2)5/3 = 600(60/0.3)1/3(0.192/1.12)5/3 = 185 rpm

For constant input velocity for a large system:

N2 = N1(Di1/Di2) = 600(0.192/1.12) = 103 rpm

Reference : Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology by Ghasem D. Najafpour