3,857 research outputs found

    Design challenges for space bioreactors

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    The design of bioreactors for operation under conditions of microgravity presents problems and challenges. Absence of a significant body force such as gravity can have profound consequences for interfacial phenomena. Marangoni convection can no longer be overlooked. Many speculations on the advantages and benefits of microgravity can be found in the literature. Initial bioreactor research considerations for space applications had little regard for the suitability of the designs for conditions of microgravity. Bioreactors can be classified in terms of their function and type of operation. The complex interaction of parameters leading to optimal design and operation of a bioreactor is illustrated by the JSC mammalian cell culture system. The design of a bioreactor is strongly dependent upon its intended use as a production unit for cell mass and/or biologicals or as a research reactor for the study of cell growth and function. Therefore a variety of bioreactor configurations are presented in rapid summary. Following this, a rationale is presented for not attempting to derive key design parameters such as the oxygen transfer coefficient from ground-based data. A set of themes/objectives for flight experiments to develop the expertise for design of space bioreactors is then proposed for discussion. These experiments, carried out systematically, will provide a database from which engineering tools for space bioreactor design will be derived

    Safe design of cooled tubular reactors for exothermic, multiple reactions. Consecutive reactions

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    The model of the pseudo-homogeneous, one-dimensional, cooled tubular reactor is applied to two consecutive, irreversible first order reactions. A criterion is derived to obtain a desired integral yield. Based on this criterion three requirements are formulated, which enable us to choose the relevant design and operating conditions. If any of the requirements are met, the reactor is also safe with respect to runaway. In an illustration the results are applied to the production of phthalic anhydride via the oxidation of naphthalene. It is shown that the requirements formulated can be used for the design of the reactor and for its immediate adjustment to a change in operating conditions. In view of the special behaviour of consecutive reactions in a tubular reactor a fine tuning of the operating conditions remains necessary after this adjustment

    A model for a countercurrent gas—solid—solid trickle flow reactor for equilibrium reactions. The methanol synthesis

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    The theoretical background for a novel, countercurrent gas—solid—solid trickle flow reactor for equilibrium gas reactions is presented. A one-dimensional, steady-state reactor model is developed. The influence of the various process parameters on the reactor performance is discussed. The physical and chemical data used apply to the case of low-pressure methanol synthesis from CO and H2 with an amorphous silica—alumina as the product adsorbent. Complete reactant conversion is attainable in a single-pass operation, so that a recycle loop for the non-converted reactants is superfluous.\ud \ud In the following article the installation and experiments for which this theory was developed will be described

    Continuous Production of Biodiesel with Supercritical Methanol: a Simple Compressible Flow Model for Tubular Reactors

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    From an industrial point of view, the continuous process for biodiesel production with supercritical methanol (SCM) is more appropriate than the batch process. However, lab-scale studies on the continuous process have shown that the maximum conversion always remains slightly lower than that obtained in the batch process. This work proposes a simple compressible flow model to predict the conversion of methanol and oils into methyl esters (ME) along the length of a tubular reactor and further demonstrates the effect of the development of the compressibility factor of the reaction mixture upon the conversion efficiency to ME. The governing equation was derived from a general molar balance in the tubular reactor using transesterification kinetics of refined-bleached-deodorized (RBD) palm oil in SCM coupled with a suitable thermodynamic model with adjusted binary interaction parameters. Vapor-liquid equilibrium data for triolein + methanol, methyl oleate + methanol and glycerol + methanol mixtures were obtained from the literature and then refitted with the thermodynamic model consisting of the Peng-Robinson equation of state and MHV2 mixing rules to find the set of adequate interaction parameters. In order to check the validity of the proposed model, the predicted ME contents were compared with observed values in a lab-scale continuous reactor at various operating temperatures, pressures and methanol to oil molar ratios. The proposed model proved to be adequate for predicting the final conversion to ME for operating temperatures below 320°C, when the thermal degradation reactions of unsaturated fatty acids did not interfere. Our results also illustrate the importance of taking into account the development of the compressibility factor with time and reactor length, since this was shown to be the cause of the lower transesterification reaction rate in the tubular SCM process. The findings in this work could be employed as a knowledge base to further develop a better model for continuous production of biodiesel with SCM in a tubular reactor

    Evaluation and characterization of the methane-carbon dioxide decomposition reaction

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    A program was conducted to evaluate and characterize the carbon dioxide-methane (CO2-CH4) decomposition reaction, i.e., CO2 + CH4 = 2C + 2H2O. The primary objective was to determine the feasibility of applying this reaction at low temperatures as a technique for recovering the oxygen (O2) remaining in the CO2 which exits mixed with CH4 from a Sabatier CO2 reduction subsystem (as part of an air revitalization system of a manned spacecraft). A test unit was designed, fabricated, and assembled for characterizing the performance of various catalysts for the reaction and ultraviolet activation of the CH4 and CO2. The reactor included in the test unit was designed to have sufficient capacity to evaluate catalyst charges of up to 76 g (0.17 lb). The test stand contained the necessary instrumentation and controls to obtain the data required to characterize the performance of the catalysts and sensitizers tested: flow control and measurement, temperature control and measurement, product and inlet gas analysis, and pressure measurement. A product assurance program was performed implementing the concepts of quality control and safety into the program effort

    Safe design and operation of tank reactors for multiple reactions: Uniqueness and multiplicity

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    A method is developed to design a tank reactor for unique operation and for two simultaneous or consecutive reactions of the first order. Dimensionless groups are introduced which are either exclusively representative for the properties of the reaction system or exclusively for the design and operating variables. In a plot of the dimensionless slopes of the heat withdrawal line versus the dimensionless residence time in the reactor the region is indicated, where operation under conditions of uniqueness is feasible. The method is illustrated with two industrial examples; the oxidation of naphthalene and of ethylene. Whereas under conditions of uniqueness the naphthalene oxidation is shown to be feasible in a tank reactor, the ethylene oxidation cannot be executed economically in a tank reactor
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