• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.61 no.3
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• pp.446-455
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• 2023

A mathematical model for predicting the liquid circulation velocity in an airlift reactor was developed based on the mechanical energy balance of the fluid circulation loop. The model considered the energy loss due to a 90° turn, the energy loss due to friction, and the energy loss due to the change in cross-sectional area at each part of the reactor. The model that separately considered the loss coefficients related to friction, direction change, and cross-sectional area change was able to predict the liquid circulation velocity better than the previous model using lumped parameters. The liquid circulation velocity was measured by the tracer pulse method. Most of our experimental results obtained in external-loop airlift reactors, which had the top and bottom connecting pipes, as well as other investigators' results obtained in various types of airlift reactors, were well predicted by the developed model with an error within 20%. Useful empirical equations for the loss coefficient related to the 90° turn of the circulating fluid were obtained in external and internal-loop airlift reactors and used to predict the liquid circulation velocity.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 1996.11a
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• pp.97-101
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• 1996

산림부산물인 수피에 의한 카드뮴 이온의 선택적 흡착 현상을 이용하여 인공폐수로부터 카드뮴이온의 제거를 시도하였다. 카드뮴 이온 선택성이 우수한 소나무와 상수리 나무의 수피를 이용한 효율적인 연속식 대량 수처리 시스템의 개발을 위한 기초 실험으로 카드뮴 이온흡착 등온선을 조사하였고, batch stirred reactor, airlift reactor, packed bed column 등 여러 접촉시스템에서의 카드뮴 이온의 제거 효율을 검토하였다. 카드뮴 흡착등온선은 두 수피 모두 Langmuir 형식으로 나타났으며 소나무 수피의 최대흡착용량은 약 7 mg/g, 상수리나무 수피의 경우에는 약 8 mg/g 정도로 나타났다. Batch stirred reactor를 이용한 시스템에서 초기농도 13 ppm의 카드뮴용액 100 $m\ell$ 을 수피 10 g 과 접촉시킨 결과 30분 이내에 95% 이상 제거되는 효율성을 보여주었다. Airlift reactor를 이용한 시스템에서는 수피 30 g 을 포기농도 10 ppm 카드뮴 용액 1 liter와 접촉시킨 결과 15분 이내에 93 % 이상 제거되었으며 4 cycle 반복 운전에서도 거의 같은 성능을 유지하였고 그 이상의 cycle에서는 점점 성능이 떨어짐을 보여주었다. Packed bed column을 이용한 시스템에서는 20 g의 수피를 충전시켰을 경우 초기농도 20 ppm에서 effluent 2.5 liter 까지는 95% 정도의 제거효율을 보여주었다.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.457-460
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• 2000

A biofilm airlift reactor filled with biomass-covered carriers (sand) were used to remove ammonium by selective nitrification (ammonium to nitrite). The effects of experimental conditions (ammonium load, pH, dissolved oxygen) on nitrification and nitrite accumulation were investigated. The reactor showed more than 90% nitrification efficiencies at 2.5 kg $NH_4\;^+-N/m^3/d$ and $NO_2\;^--N$ could be accumulated between 75% and 90% in the effluent. It is likely that nitratation (nitrite oxidizer) was inhibited by low dissolved oxygen concentration while nitritation (ammonium oxidizer) was kept stable.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.292-295
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• 2002

A chromate-resistant white rot fungus, Inonotus cuticularis, abundant in oak trees, was isolated for chromate removal and detoxification of chromate. Inonotus cuticularis was also investigated for an optimal waste treatment system. The screened cells were able to reduce an initial chromate concentration of as high as 1,300 ppm. Cell growth kinetics showed that the optimum culture conditions in flasks were at $33^{\circ}C$ and pH 4.2. Furthermore, the cells were able to remove $54\%$ of the initial chromate by a two-stage operation based on the combination of a fermentor and airlift reactor.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.58 no.4
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• pp.665-674
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• 2020

Low-frequency pressure fluctuations in an external-loop airlift reactor were investigated. Low-frequency pressure fluctuations could be measured by shooting videos about liquid levels in the four piezometric tubes which were installed at the lower and upper parts of the riser and downcomer using a cellular phone. The periodic characteristics of pressure fluctuations were proved by the calculation of their auto-correlation function and cross-correlation function. Even if the riser superficial gas velocity was constant, the riser and downcomer gas holdups as well as wall pressures were periodically changed due to the inertia of circulating liquid. In general, the intensity of pressure fluctuations increased with an increase in the gas velocity. When the unaerated liquid height was 0.04 m, the maximum period of pressure fluctuations was found at the specific gas velocity (0.14 ms^-1). It was because the maximum inertia of circulating liquid resulted from a reduction in the increasing rate of the liquid circulation velocity and a decrease in the volume of the effectively circulating liquid with an increase in the gas velocity.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.901-906
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• 1998

Gas and liquid flow characteristics were investigated in an internal circulation airlift reactor using a single nozzle for a gas distributor. In three reactors with different diameters of the downcomer and heights of the riser, the gas holdup in the individual flow zone and the impulseresponse curve of tracer for an air-water system were measured for various gas velocities and reactor heights. Experimental results showed that the flow behavior of bubbles in the riser was the slug flow due to strong coalescences of bubbles and that the bubble flow pattern in the downcomer was the transition bubble flow for the smaller diameter of the downcomer, however, it was the homogeneous bubble flow for the larger one. And mean gas holdups in the individual flow zone and the reactor were greatly increased with decreasing the diameter of the downcomer for the equal ratio of height of the top section to that of the riser. Also, the mixing time was much effected by the height of the top section of reactor and for the equal ratio of height of top section to that of the riser, it was increased with increasing the diameter of the downcomer and the height of the riser. Flow characteristics of liquid were mainly varied with the bubble flow pattern in the downcomer and the size of the top section of reactor. And circulation velocities of liquid in the riser were increased with increasing gas velocities and the size of the top section of reactor, and for the equal ratio of height of top section to that of the riser, they were increased with increasing the diameter of the downcomer and the height of the riser.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.04a
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• pp.282-286
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• 2005

Biofilm airlift reactor was continuously operated to investigate the competitions between the autotrophs and heterotrophs, ammonia oxidizers and nitrite oxidizers, and Nitrobacter and Nitrospira with real wastewater at a C/N ratio of 0.86. As the reactor achieved complete nitrification microbial distribution was analyzed by FISH/CLSM technique. The results showed that heterotroph was more abundant than nitrifying bacteria. Ammonia oxidizers (17%) and Nitrobacter (7%) prevailed nitrite oxidizers (9%) and Nitrospira (2%), respectively.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.245-250
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• 2006

The effects of aliphatic hydrocarbons (n-hexadecane and n-dodecane) on the volumetric oxygen mass transfer coefficient $(k_L\;a)$ were studied in flat alveolar airlift reactor and continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTRs). In the flat alveolar airlift reactor, high aeration rates (>2vvm) were required in order to obtain efficient organic-aqueous phase dispersion and reliable $k_La$ measurements. Addition of 1% (v/v) n-hexadecane or n-dodecane increased the $k_La$ 1.55- and 1.33-fold, respectively, compared to the control (superficial velocity: $25.8{\times}10^{-3}m/s$, sparger orifice diameter: 0.5 mm). Analysis of the gas-liquid interfacial area a and the liquid film mass transfer coefficient $k_L$ suggests that the observed $k_La$ increase was a function of the media's liquid film mass transfer. Addition of 1% (v/v) n-hexadecane or n-dodecane to analogous setups using CSTRs led to a $k_La$ increase by a factor of 1.68 and 1.36, respectively (superficial velocity: $2.1{\times}10^{-3}m/s$, stirring rate: 250 rpm). These results propose that low-concentration addition of oxygen-vectors to aerobic microbial cultures has additional benefit relative to incubation in purely aqueous media.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.335-342
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• 1995

Solid and liquid phase peroxidases were extracted from Chinese cabbage roots by using commercial juicer in order to use peroxidases from agricultural waste for industrial applications. Since peroxidases are distributed into 66% in liquid (juice) and 34% in solid phase (pulp), enzymes from both phases were applied to investigate the enzymatic removal of phenol from waste water. After contacting 150 ppm Phenol solution with liquid phase enzyme (1,800 unit/$\ell$) for 3 hours in a batch stirred reactor, 96% of phenol could be removed through polymerization and precipitation. Also, phenol could be removed from initial 120ppm to 5ppm by applying solid phase enzyme in an air lift reactor ($600 unit/\ell$). Almost equivalent efficiencies of phenol removal were observed between two systems, even though only one third of the enzymes in batch stirred reactor was applied in airlift reactor. The possible reason for this phenomenon is because peroxidases exist as immobilized forms in solid phase.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.304-308
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• 1994

A suitable culture method and bioreactor type for itaconic acid production were chosen by comparing the maximal concentration of itaconic acid produced in various systems. In batch culture, the maximal concentration of itaconic acid produced in a bubble column reactor was about 5% greater than that produced in stirred-tank or external-loop airlift reactor. These results were thought to be due to lower shear force and higher mass transfer efficiency in a bubble column reactor in comparison with other reactors. Moreover, the fed-batch mode in a bubble column was found to be a suitable one, producing about 25% higher concentration of itaconic acid compared to batch mode.