A comparative study of a fluidised bed reactor and a gas lift loop reactor for the IBE process: Part I. Reactor design and scale down approach

Abstract

Abstract For the continuous production of isopropanol‐butanol mixtures by immobilised Clostridium spp. (the IBE process) two reactor types were studied: a fluidised bed reactor with liquid recycling (FBR) and an external loop gas lift reactor (GLR). A large scale design (50–65 m 3 ) was made for both reactors. A regime analysis, by evaluating the time constants for e.g. mixing and conversion, identified the ruling regime. Via the scale down approach two representative model reactors were developed: a 10 dm 3 FBR reactor (H/D=25, D=0.08 m) and a 15 dm 3 external loop GLR (H/D = 12.5, D r =D d =0.08 m). For both reactors the hydrodynamical behaviour and the total reactor performance were studied and are described in parts II and III of this study.