PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila

Intramuros, Manila

MULTIPHASE BIOREACTOR
Multiphase bioreactors include, for instance, gas-liquid-solid and gasliquid-liquid reactions. In many important cases, reactions between gases
and liquids occur in the presence of a porous solid catalyst. The reaction
typically occurs at a catalytic site on the solid surface. The kinetics and

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

transport steps include dissolution of gas into the liquid, transport of

dissolved gas to the catalyst particle surface, and diffusion and reaction in
the catalyst particle.

PACKED BED BIOREACTORS

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

The most common reactor configuration used for immobilized cells is

that of packed bed of particles. The advantages of packed beds include
simplicity of operation and reasonable high mass transfer rates. Problems in
the operation of packed beds include obstruction by uncontrolled cell growth
and compression of the particles leading to excessive pressure drops. For

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

these reasons simple packed bed reactors are mostly used for the case of
non viable cells.
Packed beds can either be run in the submerged mode (with or without
aeration) or in the trickle flow mode.

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

A variety of packings are available for this purpose, both polymer,

ceramic, glass and natural (wood or bark) in dumped and structured forms,
porous or non-porous in a variety of shapes and sizes. These give very high
surfaces for cell immobilization and thin films with minimal mass transfer
limitations can be formed. The flow velocities in the channels can be high to
eliminate external mass transfer limitation in the adjacent liquid film as well.

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

Simultaneously, plugging can be avoided, albeit at the cost of high pressure

drop.

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

Fixed beds in anaerobic operation (e.g. digestion with methane production)

can be run in recycle mode to avoid gas building up in the packing. With low
gas

production

rates,

recycling

is

not

needed,

and

gradient

of

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

concentration may be established. It should be remarked that as with gas

absorbers or other packed bed operations any maldistribution of the liquid
flow will result in poor performance (e.g. channeling). Plugging of the beds
may occur as rapidly as every 1 or 2 days and this makes periodic cleaning
necessary. Injecting air and using a higher liquid flow rate for a short period
will normally dislodge excess biomass. This sudden burst of biomass in the

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

effluent has to be separated (e.g. by sedimentation) and collected for further

treatment.

BUBBLE - COLUMN BIOREACTOR

In these reactors mixing circulation and aeration is performed by gas
injection and if needed by additional external liquid circulation to obtain the

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

required mixing pattern. Figure below, gives an example of a possible

configuration. This usually results in less shear for a given quality of mixing
than in stirred tanks. Air lifts give more vigorous recirculation for the same
air flow, but often lower oxygen transfer rates than bubble columns. To limit
shear, small bubbles can be used in aeration, but depending on conditions

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

this may cause excessive foaming and requires more energy for their
generation at porous distributors.
Special designs for immobilized cells have been proposed, that avoid
the problems associated with separation of particles at the reactor outlet

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

The concept of an air lift reactor

FLUIDIZED BED BIOREACTORS

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

One of the major problems with stirred tank reactors is the attrition of
the matrix resulting from the vigorous stirring required for proper suspension
of particles, and this becomes more problematic if the particles are heavier,
larger and fragile matrices such as gels are used. When high volume
fractions of biomass particles are preferred, and this obviously enhances the
reactor efficiency, fluidized bed technology offers many possibilities. Such

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

reactors are not very different from bubble columns, except maybe for the
higher biomass fraction.

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

Fluidized bed reactors (a) fluidized bed (b) tapered fluidized bed

In its simplest two-phase operation, a flow of liquid is directed through the

particles at velocities above the 'minimum fluidization velocity'. This is the
velocity at which the pressure drop over the bed equals the weight of the
particles per unit surface and they are lifted off their fixed bed state. At

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

higher velocities, the bed will expand and only at much higher velocities will
particles be entrained by the liquid and the fluidized bed organization
destroyed. The settling rate drops as the solids fraction in the bed increases,
and consequently the minimum fluidization velocity is much lower than the
settling velocity of a single particle. Design of such systems in terms of
adequate fluid velocities is not very difficult, but in bioreactors of this type

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

the size and density of the aggregates or particles will depend on the growth
and hydrodynamic conditions and these are very difficult to predict
accurately. The expansion or minimum fluidization velocities are very
sensitive to these two parameters. This results in a complex coupled system
which is not easily accurately described. If, however, the supporting particles
are rather heavy and measures are taken for a stable film thickness, stable

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

operation and easy design will be possible. Excess biomass detached from
the particles is entrained by the fluid and can be separated from the effluent.

TRICKLED BED BIOREACTOR

Trickle bed reactors are three phase systems containing a packed bed of
heterogenous catalyst and flowing gas and liquid phases. One (or more)

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

reactant is provided in each feed liquid and gas phase, so that biochemical
reactions depends on contacting of liquid, containing the sparingly soluble
reactant from the gas phase, with the catalyst surface. Accordingly, the
performance of such reactors is substantially influenced by the physical state
of gas-liquid flow through the fixed bed and by the associated mass transfer
processes.

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

BIOREACTOR DESIGN

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

THE BIOREACTOR STEP

This is the step where bioconversion takes place. It is necessary to
understand general features of a typical bioreactor and how it might be
operated. Bioreactors generally have two important functions:
1. TO HOLD the substrate bed and TO PROTECT it against release of
microorganism to the surroundings and contamination from the
surroundings.

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

2. TO CONTROL, to the degree that is possible, the key environmental

conditions, such as the bed temperature and water activity, at values
which are optimal for growth and product formation by the
microorganism.

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

It is not possible simply to set the environmental conditions within the

substrate bed at the desired value. The growth of the organism will tend to

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

change the environmental conditions away from the optimal values and one
must then intervene in order to try bringing them back to the optimum.

However, once can only manipulate a limited number of variables that are
external to the bioreactor, called operating variables such as changing the
agitation regime (if the bioreactor is agitated), the temperature, flow rate,
and humidity of the inlet air (if the bioreactor is aerated), the addition of

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

solutions or substances or the temperature and flow rate of the cooling water
(if the bioreactor has cooled heat-transfer surfaces). The success of these
external interventions in bringing the bed conditions back to the optimum
values depends on the efficiency of the heat and mass transport processes
within the substrate bed.

The Physical Structure of Bioreactor System

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

The bioreactor contains three phases

The bioreactor wall;

A headspace full of gas, the extent of which depends on the
bioreactor type;
A substrate bed composed of particles and air within the interparticle spaces.

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

The bioreactor wall acts as a barrier to the outside environment. It allows

material transfer through holes in this wall. Also, partial energy transfer such
as conduction is greatly dependent on the materials from which the
bioreactor was constructed.
The headspace has functions such as allowing the air leaves the bed to
reach the air outlet of the bioreactor and also enables room for bed
expansion and for disengagement of particles and air. Furthermore, it allows
space for particle movement and air introduction through bed.

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

The substrate bed is the site of the bioreaction where the microorganism
grows.

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

Overview of Multiphase Bioreactor Types and Features

Group I: Bioreactors in which the bed is static, or mixed only very
infrequently (i.e., once or twice per day) and air is circulated around the bed,
but not blown forcefully through it. These are often referred to as tray
bioreactors. These typically consist of a chamber containing a large
number of individual trays which are typically open at the top and have

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

perforated bottoms to increase accessibility to O 2 and which are stacked one

above the other with a gap in between.
Group II: Bioreactors in which the bed is static or mixed only very
infrequently (i.e., once per day) and air is blown forcefully through the bed.
These are typically referred to as packed-bed bioreactors. They are
consist of a column of cylindrical or rectangular cross section, oriented
vertically, with a perforated base plate on the bottom which supports a bed
of substrate. Air is blown up through the base plate.

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

Group III: Bioreactors in which the bed is continuously mixed or mixed

intermittently with a frequency of minutes to hours, and air is circulated
around the bed, but not blown forcefully through it. Two bioreactors that
have this mode of operation, using different mechanisms to achieve the
agitation, are stirred-drum bioreactors and rotating drum
bioreactors. These typically consist of a drum of cylindrical cross section
lying horizontally. The drum is partially filled with a bed of substrate, and air
is blown through the headspace. In rotating drums, the whole drum rotates

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

around its central axis to mix the bed. In stirred drums, the bioreactor body
remains stationary and paddles or scrapers mounted on a shaft running
along the central axis of the bioreactor rotate within the drum.
Group IV: Bioreactors in which the bed is agitated and air is blown forcefully
through the bed. This type of bioreactor can typically be operated in either
two modes, so it is useful to identify two subgroups. Group Iva bioreactors
are mixed continuously while Group IVb bioreactors are mixed
intermittently with intervals of minutes to hours between mixing events.

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

Various designs fulfill these criteria, such as gas-solid fluidized beds,

the rocking drum, and various stirred-aerated bioreactors.

Overview of Operating Variables

Operating variables are variables that the operator can manipulate in an
attempt to control the conditions within the bioreactor. The question of
optimal operating strategies for the various bioreactor types is covered in the

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

individual bioreactor. However, describing the parameters in general will

include:

Aeration. Regardless of whether the air is blown forcefully through the

bed or circulated around the bed, it is possible to control the flow rate,
temperature, and humidity of the air supplied at the inlet to the
bioreactor or chamber. The costs of supplying air will depend on the
volumetric flow rate and the pressure drop in the bed, and the need to

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

heat or refrigerate the air. Pressure drop, which deals with packed-bed
bioreactors, since its importance is greatest for this type of bioreactor.

Environment. The conditions in the surroundings of the bioreactor

can be controlled. The bioreactor may be placed in a room or other
location where the air temperature, humidity, and circulation are
controlled. Alternatively, the bioreactor may be fitted with a water
jacket. The flow rate and temperature of the cooling water at the inlet

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

of the jacket can be controlled. Note that if the desired air or water
temperatures are different from the temperatures at which they are
available, either cooling or heating will be necessary, which entails
extra costs.

Introduction. Additions can be made to beds that are mixed, even if

only intermittently; for example, water can be sprayed onto the bed
during mixing.

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

Agitation. In beds that are mixed, it is possible to control the

frequency, duration, and intensity (i.e., revolutions per minute of the
agitator) of the mixing.

The aim therefore is to select combinations of operating conditions that

make the best balance in: minimizing deviations from the optimum
temperature;

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

Minimizing damage to the organism;

Minimizing deviations of the bed water activity from the optimum
value;
Maximizing the supply O2 to the particle surface.
GROUP I BIOREACTORS

Basic Features, Design, and Operating Variables for Tray-type

Bioreactors

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

Group I bioreactors, or tray bioreactors, represent the simplest technology

for biochemical engineering applications. They have been used for many
centuries in the production of traditional fermented foods such as tempe and
in the production of soy sauce koji.
Trays may be appropriate for a new process if the product is not produced in
very large quantities, if a produced-packet of fermented product can be
sold directly, or if labor is relatively cheap.

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

The tray chamber may be relatively small, such as an incubator, or it

may be a room large enough for people to enter;
The tray may be constructed of various different materials, such as
wood, bamboo, wire or plastic. In fact, a plastic bag might be used
instead of a rigid tray;
the bottom and sides of the tray may be perforated or not;
Water-cooled heat exchange surfaces might be incorporated.

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

The available design features for tray type bioreactors are:

The dimensions of the tray, namely length, width, and height;

The positioning of the trays within the bioreactor;
The presence of cooling surfaces within the tray chamber.

The available operating variables are:

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

The temperature, humidity, and flow rate of the air entering the tray
chamber and the velocity of circulation past the tray surface;
If cooling surfaces are present, then the temperature of the cooling
water.

Note that, although this type of bioreactor is nominally static, the bed may
be mixed infrequently. For example, it is typical for the tray contents to be
turned by hand once or twice a day.

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

Heat and Mass Transfer in Tray Bioreactors

Depending on the situation, it may be appropriate to consider either an
individual tray or the whole-tray chamber as the bioreactor. For example, it
would be appropriate to treat the whole tray chamber as the bioreactor when
the trays are open to free gas and water exchange with their surroundings
and the temperature and humidity of the air in the tray chamber are
carefully controlled.

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

The question about optimum design of tray chambers has received

little attention. For example, quantitative information is not available about
the best way to position trays in the chamber. As a result, it is not possible to
state what is the best spacing to leave between trays in order to maximize
volumetric productivity (that is, the amount of product produced per unit
volume of tray chamber). Most attention has been given to the individual
trays. As a generalization, within an individual tray, large O2 and

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

temperature gradients
fermentation.

will

arise

in

the

substrate

layer

during

the

Oxygen Profiles within Trays

Since in a tray bioreactor air is not blown forcefully through the trays, O2 and
CO2 can only move within the bed by diffusion. Potentially, due to the

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

temperature gradients that arise, there could be natural convection within

the void spaces within the bed.
The limitation of O2 movement in the bed to diffusion through the void
spaces, coupled with its simultaneous uptake by the microorganisms at the
particle surfaces, leads to the establishment of O2 concentration gradients
within the void spaces.

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

Ragheva Rao et al. (1993) proposed an equation to estimate the maximum

depth that a tray could be in order for the O2 concentration not to fall to zero
at any part in the tray during fermentation. They referred to this depth as the
critical depth (Dc, cm):
Dc=

2 DCY XO
R XM

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

Where:

YXO is the yield coefficient of biomass from O2 (g dry biomass/ g O2)

C is the concentration of O2 in the surrounding atmosphere (g/cm3)
D is the effective diffusivity of O2 in the bed (cm2/hr)
RXM is the maximum growth rate (g dry biomass / cm3 bed-hr)

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

Temperature Profiles within Trays

Szewczyk (1993) derived a simplified equation that can be used to describe
the temperature profile within a tray bioreactor, from the central plane (z=0)
to the surface (z=1), when the top and bottom half of the tray are identical.

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

T=

( T s +273 ) ++ N Bi (T a +273)
N Bi +1

N Bi
T s T a + ) z z2
(
N Bi +1

Where:

TS and Ta are the temperatures of the bed surface and surrounding air
(oC), respectively.

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

Z is the spatial coordinate expressed as a dimensionless fraction of the

total bed height.
NB is the Biot number, given by az/K were a is the heat transfer
coefficient for bed to air heat transfer at the top of the bed (W/m 2 oC),
and k is the thermal conductivity of the bed.
represents the temperature difference that would occur between
the bottom of the solid bed and the tray surface if there were no heat
transfer through the bottom of the tray. It is given by the equation.

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

R q Z2
=
2k
Where: RQ is the volumetric heat production rate (W/m3).

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

Conclusions
The layer of substrate in trays is limited to a bed height of around 5 cm by
considerations of heat and O2 transfer within the bed. Therefore scale-up of
the process cannot be achieved by increasing the bed height. The only
manner to scale up a tray process to large scale is to increase the surface
area of the trays, which is equivalent to saying that the large-scale process

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

must use a large number of trays of the same size as those in which the
laboratory studies were done. The use of large numbers of trays implies the
necessity either for manual handling or highly sophisticated robotic systems,
both of which can be inordinately expensive. However, in regions in which
manual labor costs are low, such tray-type processes may find applications.

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila

PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

University of the City of Manila
Intramuros, Manila