Gas–liquid mass transfer in oil–water emulsions with an airlift bio-reactor

Biodesulfurization reaction must be performed in oil–water emulsions with an aerobic biocatalyst which demands oxygen. Different reactor configurations can be used for this purpose, but the bubble column bio-reactors with internal recirculation loop are usually not used. In the present work, the absorption of oxygen in water–dodecane emulsions was studied in a bubble column bio-reactor with internal recirculation loop, in operative conditions normally used for biodesulfurization. The KLa for oxygen was determined for several organic fractions from 0 to 100%, as well as at different gas flow rates. Estimation of KLa was done according to a fluid dynamic model based on an energy balance which takes into account the energy dissipated at the interfaces and on a mass transfer model based on the fluid dynamic model, the Higbie's penetration theory and Kolmogoroff's theory of isotropic turbulence. Experimental data of mass transfer coefficient were simulated with satisfactory accuracy, and differences were less than 20% for most cases. Mayor deviations were obtained for emulsions with 30 and 70% dodecane fraction. To obtain good agreement, assumptions of higher bubble diameter and slip velocity were done, evincing the effect of surface tension and liquid viscosity on the mass transfer coefficient.