1

Technical University "Gheorghe Asachi" of Iasi, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and

Environmental Protection, Dept. of Organic, Biochemical and Food Engineering,
D. Mangeron 71, 700050 Iasi, Romania

University of Medicine and Pharmacy Gr.T. Popa of Iasi, Faculty of Medical Bioengineering,
Dept. of Biotechnologies, M. Kogalniceanu 9-13, 700454 Iasi, Romania, *anca.galaction@
bioinginerie.ro

Analysis of mixing intensity and distribution in a split-cylinder

gas-lift bioreactor for Yarrowia lipolytica cells suspensions
Alexandra Cristina Blaga1, Ramona Mihaela Matran1, Anca-Irina Galaction 2*,
Marius Turnea 2, Lenua Kloetzer1, Dan Cacaval1

Position 1: 0,06 m
Position 2: 0,16 m
Position 3: 0,26 m
Position 4: 0,36 m

Air

pH

,
pH electrode

Introduction. Purpose of the paper

Tracer
pH

The air-lift bioreactors, which are the most attractive type of pneumatic bioreactors,
have been widely used in the last decades, due to their numerous advantages:
low energy consumption, simple design and exploitation, superior values of heat and
mass transfer rates, and, especially, the possibility of growing microorganisms
sensitive to high shear stress.
Yarrowia lipolytica, also named Candida lipolytica, is an ascomycetous yeast with the
ability of converting various substrates for accumulating inside the cells specific lipids,
oils used in biodiesel synthesis, lipolytic enzymes and other bioproducts.
This paper presents the distribution of mixing efficiency and its intensity inside a splitcylinder gas-lift bioreactor with Y. lipolytica suspensions whose cells concentration vary
between 10 and 50 g/L d.w.
.

pH

time

tm

pH 0,5 pH
I
100 99%
pH

pH - pH-value corresponding to the perfect mixing

pH - pH-limits accepted for mixing time determination
tm - mixing time, s

50

tm, s

80

Poziia 1
Poziia 2
Poziia 3
Poziia 4

40

30

80

Poziia 1
Poziia 2
Poziia 3
Poziia 4

60

100

Biomass concentration
10 g/L s.u.
20 g/L s.u.
30 g/L s.u.
40 g/L s.u.
50 g/L s.u.

80

60

40

1,5

2,0

2,5

80

80

0,5

1,0

1,5

vS 10 , m/s

2,0

60

40

vS = 0,45 10 m/s

2,5

vS 10 , m/s

Poziia 1
Poziia 2
Poziia 3
Poziia 4

40

20

20

0
1,0

Position 1
Position 2
Position 3
Position 4

-3

vS = 2.25 10 m/s

60

-3

0,5

100

-3

vS =0.45 10 m/s

40

20

10

100

60

40

20

Biomass concentration
10 g/L s.u.
20 g/L s.u.
30 g/L s.u.
40 g/L s.u.
50 g/L s.u.

tm, s

100

CX= 50 g/L s.u.

Influence of Y. lipolytica cells concentration on mixing time for

different air superficial
velocities and pH sensor positions
tm, s

100

tm, s

tm, s

CX= 10 g/L s.u.

60

Variation of mixing time on liquid height at

different air superficial velocities

tm, s

Influence of air superficial velocity at

different pH sensor positions on mixing time

Riser
region

Pozition

20

-3

vS =2.25 10 m/s

0
1

20

0
10

20

30

40

50

10

20

Concentraia biomasei, g/L s.u.

Poziie

30

40

50

Concentraia biomasei, g/L s.u.

Downcomer
region
100

CX= 50 g/L s.u.

95

50

100

-3

vS = 0,45 10 m/s

tm, s

100

tm, s

CX= 20 g/L s.u.

tm, s

tm, s

60

80

80

60

60

-3

vS = 2,25 10 m/s

90

40

85
30

Poziia 1
Poziia 2
Poziia 3
Poziia 4

20

Poziia 1
Poziia 2
Poziia 3
Poziia 4

80

40

75
0,5

1,0

1,5

2,0

2,5
3

vS 10 , m/s

20
0,5

1,0

1,5

2,0

2,5

vS 10 , m/s

C0,496
x
t m 11,301
vs0,021exp(h)

,s

0,089
C0,298

h
t m 0, 226 x
vs0,609

20

30

40

50

Concentraia biomasei, g/L s.u.

Riser region, positions 2 - 4

,s

Downcomer region,
positions 2 - 4
0,089
C0,665

h
t m 7, 494 x
,s
vs0,011ln h

Poziia 1
Poziia 2
Poziia 3
Poziia 4

40

20
10

Mathematical correlations describing the influence of the studied

parameters on mixing time
Riser and downcomer,
position 1

Poziia 1
Poziia 2
Poziia 3
Poziia 4

10

20

30

40

50

Concentraia biomasei, g/L s.u.

Conclusions
The turbulence and the behavior of suspensions flows vary along
the two regions height.
The most intense mixing in the riser has been reached for the
intermediary and top positions.
The highest turbulence in the downcomer was induced at the
extreme positions, especially for concentrated suspensions and intense
aeration.
The influences of the considered parameters on mixing intensity have
been included in mathematical equations that offer a good concordance
with the experiment, the average deviation being of 5.1% for the riser and
5.6% for the downcomer zone.

10th European Symposium on Biochemical Engineering Sciences and

th
6 International Forum on Industrial Bioprocesses in collaboration with ACS
Lille, September 7-10, 2014, France