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CFD Simulation of hold-up and liquid circulation velocity in a membrane airlift reactor

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Abstract

A two-dimensional model was used to consider circulation velocity and hold-up in a membrane bioreactor. Membranes were located and simulated (using computational fluid dynamics (CFD)) with three different distances of 5, 7 and 9 mm in an airlift reactor and compared with the results obtained from an airlift reactor without membrane. Gas hold-up in the riser decreased with increasing membrane layers distance. The liquid circulation velocity increased with increasing membrane layers distance. Further, liquid velocity increased bubble rising and decreased gas hold-up in the draft tube when membrane was not used in the draft tube. The simulated data were compared with the experimental data and good agreement was observed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Arak University, Arak, Iran

    M. K. Moraveji, B. Sajjadi & R. Davarnejad

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  1. M. K. Moraveji
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  2. B. Sajjadi
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  3. R. Davarnejad
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Correspondence to M. K. Moraveji.

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Moraveji, M.K., Sajjadi, B. & Davarnejad, R. CFD Simulation of hold-up and liquid circulation velocity in a membrane airlift reactor. Theor Found Chem Eng 46, 266–273 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0040579512020078

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0040579512020078

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