Development of a membrane-based vapor-phase bioreactor.
June 27th, 2008 | by admin |Development of a membrane-based vapor-phase bioreactor.
A vapor-phase bioreactor has been developed utilizing porous metal membranes in a cylindrical design employing radial flow as opposed to traditional axial flow for the vapor stream. The system was evaluated for the biodegradation ofp-xylene (p-xylene) from a water-saturated air stream byPseudomonas putida ATCC 23973 immobilized onto sand. The biocatalyst was placed in the annular space between two cylindrical, porous stainless-steel membranes. Details of the reactor system are presented along with biological data verifying system performance. The feed flow rate andp-xylene concentration were varied between 60 and 130 cm(3)/min and 15-150 ppm, respectively. Continuous reactor operation was maintained for 80-200 h with removal efficiencies (based onp-xylene disappearance) between 80 and 95%. The effluent concentration histories were compared to determine the operating range of the bioreactor.
Rouhana N, Handagama N, Bienkowski PR.
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Tennessee, 37996-2200, Knoxville, TN.