2019 journal article
Experiments and finite element modeling of hydrodynamics and mass transfer for continuous gas-to-liquid biocatalysis using a biocomposite falling film reactor
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE, 209.
author keywords: Falling film; Computational fluid dynamics; Gas-to-liquid mass transfer; Biocomposite biocatalyst; Process intensification; Immobilized cells in biocomposites
UN Sustainable Development Goal Categories
6. Clean Water and Sanitation
(Web of Science)
Source: Web Of Science
Added: December 30, 2019
We investigated the hydrodynamics and mass transfer performance of falling liquid films over a rough, hydrophilic paper surface with experiments and finite element modeling. These results are critical for designing a novel gas-to-liquid continuous bioreactor with cells immobilized on the vertical surface of a paper biocomposite. The paper substrate allows investigations at very low Reynolds numbers while maintaining an unbroken liquid film. A finite element model was developed to give 10 fold faster simulation result for designing a prototype laboratory scale bioreactor. Excellent agreement was found in both the film properties and mass transfer performance between experiments and simulations. At Re < 100, mass transfer coefficients kL and kLa were ∼1E-4 m/s and ∼1000 h−1, respectively, at ∼10 W/m3. That power input is 10–1000 fold less than most gas stripping bioreactors. This work highlights the potential of this finite element method for falling film, gas absorbing, bioreactor design and analysis.