| Abstract: | Axial dispersion and oxygen transfer were investigated in a bubble column (BC) with a circulation loop. A butterfly valve, situated at the bottom of the loop enabled the above-mentioned physical characteristics in the transition regime between typical airlift-loop-reactor (ALR) flow and BC flow to be studied. The Bodenstein number was found to decrease when the liquid velocity was reduced, implicating a less established plug-flow character. The number of circulations required to achieve complete mixing in the reactor was diminished if the liquid circulation was hampered and appeared to be proportional to the Bodenstein number. The volumetric oxygen-transfer coefficient was estimated by an ideally stirred-tank-reactor (STR) model and a plug-flow model. The STR model yielded reliable results for the whole range of operation while the plug-flow model only appeared to be appropriate for the ALR operation mode. The kLa values obtained were included in a generalized correlation for the transition flow regime and were found to increase gradually when the circulation velocity was reduced. |
