Computational fluid dynamics study of full-scale aerobic bioreactors: Evaluation of gas-liquid mass transfer, oxygen uptake, and dynamic oxygen distribution

Hydrodynamics, oxygen transfer, and oxygen uptake in bubble-column and airlift bioreactors were studied using multiphase Euler-Euler computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. Interphase mass transfer of oxygen was modeled with a liquid mass-transfer coefficient and sustained driving force provided by a phenomenological model for microbial oxygen uptake rate (OUR). Laboratory-scale reactor simulations of a bubble-column (0.15 m diameter and 0.75 m initial liquid height) showed reasonable agreement with gas holdup and mass transfer experiments reported in the literature. Commercial-scale bubble-column and airlift reactor simulations (5 m diameter and 25 m initial liquid height) were simulated using this validated model. Similar trends for the variation of overall gas holdup and oxygen concentrations with superficial velocity were observed for both of the commercial-scale reactors. However, the simulation results indicate differences in hydrodynamics, such as better recirculation in the airlift reactors that enables favorable distribution of oxygen in the reactor.