Trickle bed reactors are governed by equations of flow in porous media such as Darcy’s law and the conservation of mass. Our numerical method for solving these equations is based on a total-velocity splitting, sequential formulation which leads to an implicit pressure equation and a semi-implicit mass conservation equation. We use high-resolution finite-difference methods to discretize these eq...

A concise review of relevant experimental observations and modeling of high-pressure tricklebed reactors, based on recent studies, is presented. The following topics are considered: flow regime transitions, pressure drop, liquid holdup, gas-liquid interfacial area and mass-transfer coefficient, catalyst wetting efficiency, catalyst dilution with inert fines, and evaluation of tricklebed models ...

Since enactment of the 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act, the control and removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from contaminated air streams have become a major public concern (1). Consequently, considerable interest has evolved in developing more economical technologies for cleaning contaminated air streams, especially dilute air streams. Biofiltration has emerged as a practical air...

In this study, a mathematical model is proposed which incorporates mass transfer process and biofilm reactions in trickle bed air biofilter (TBAB). The model consists of a set of mass balance equations for isopropyl alcohol (IPA), acetone (ACE) and oxygen within the bulk gas phase and within the biofilm. These set of ordinary differential equations are converted into non-dimensionalised form an...

A stirred tank bioreactor (STB) integrated with an expanded bed adsorption (EBA) system containing anion-exchange resin (Diaion WA30) was developed for in situ removal of acetate to increase the production of α-interferon-2b (α-PrIFN-2b) by Escherichia coli (E. coli). Although the total acetate (9.79 g/L) secreted by E. coli in the integrated STB/EBA system was higher than that in a bioreactor ...

Large numbers of Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) are required for clinical relevant doses to treat a number of diseases. To economically manufacture these MSCs, an automated bioreactor system will be required. Herein we describe the development of a scalable closed-system, packed bed bioreactor suitable for large-scale MSCs expansion. The packed bed was formed from fused polystyrene pelle...

A fluidized bed bioreactor containing encapsulated hepatocytes may be a valuable alternative to a hollow fiber bioreactor for achieving the improved mass transfer and scale-up potential necessary for clinical use. However, a conventional fluidized bed bioreactor (FBB) operating under high perfusion velocity is incapable of providing the desired performance due to the resulting damage to cell-co...