5 research outputs found
A mini-module with built-in spacers for high-throughput ultrafiltration
Ultrafiltration membrane modules suffer from a permeate flow decrease arising
during filtration and caused by concentration polarization and fouling in,
e.g., fermentation broth purification. Such performance losses are frequently
mitigated by manipulating the hydrodynamic conditions at the membrane-fluid
interface using, e.g., mesh spacers acting as static mixers. This additional
element increases manufacturing complexity while improving mass transport in
general, yet accepting their known disadvantages such as less transport in dead
zones. However, the shape of such spacers is limited to the design of
commercially available spacer geometries. Here, we present a methodology to
design an industrially relevant mini-module with an optimized built-in 3D
spacer structure in a flat-sheet ultrafiltration membrane module to eliminate
the spacer as a separate part. Therefore, the built-in structures have been
conceptually implemented through an in-silico design in compliance with the
specifications for an injection molding process. Ten built-in structures were
investigated in a digital twin of the mini-module by 3D-CFD simulations to
select two options, which were then compared to the empty feed channel
regarding mass transfer. Subsequently, the simulated flux increase was
experimentally verified during bovine serum albumin (BSA) filtration. The new
built-in sinusoidal corrugation outperforms conventional mesh spacer inlays by
up to 30% higher permeation rates. The origin of these improvements is
correlated to the flow characteristics inside the mini-module as visualized
online and in-situ by low-field and high-field magnetic resonance imaging
velocimetry (flow-MRI) during pure water permeation
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A scalable bubble-free membrane aerator for biosurfactant production
The bioeconomy is a paramount pillar in the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Still, the industrialization of bioprocesses is limited by economical and technical obstacles. The synthesis of biosurfactants as advanced substitutes for crude-oil-based surfactants is often restrained by excessive foaming. We present the synergistic combination of simulations and experiments towards a reactor design of a submerged membrane module for the efficient bubble-free aeration of bioreactors. A digital twin of the combined bioreactor and membrane aeration module was created and the membrane arrangement was optimized in computational fluid dynamics studies with respect to fluid mixing. The optimized design was prototyped and tested in whole-cell biocatalysis to produce rhamnolipid biosurfactants from sugars. Without any foam formation, the new design enables a considerable higher space-time yield compared to previous studies with membrane modules. The design approach of this study is of generic nature beyond rhamnolipid production
Reseña de El teatro chaqueño de las crueldades. Memorias qom de la violencia y el poder. Florencia Tola y ValentĂn Suarez (Comp.). Ciudad AutĂłnoma de Buenos Aires: Rumbo Sur/ethnographica. Resistencia: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TecnolĂłgicas (CONICET). Instituto de Investigaciones GeohistĂłricas (IIGHI). Nanterre: Centro EREA del LESC (CNRS), 2016, 200 pĂĄginas
En El teatro chaqueño de las crueldades. Memorias qom de la violencia y el poder, Florencia Tola y ValentĂn Suarez compilan historias narradas por hombres y mujeres qom de Riacho de Oro, Barrio Nam Qom y San Carlos en la provincia de Formosa, y Olla Quebrada y RĂo Muerto Cruz en la provincia de Chaco: ValentĂn Suarez, Timoteo Francia, Ernesto Segundo, AsunciĂłn Ceferino, Federico GĂłmez, FĂ©lix Suarez, Pablo Floricel, Eduardo Mansilla, Juan Rivero, Laureano MĂ©ndez, y Carlos Torrent. Estas histor..
A scalable bubbleâfree membrane aerator for biosurfactant production
The bioeconomy is a paramount pillar in the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Still, the industrialization of bioprocesses is limited by economical and technical obstacles. The synthesis of biosurfactants as advanced substitutes for crude-oil-based surfactants is often restrained by excessive foaming. We present the synergistic combination of simulations and experiments towards a reactor design of a submerged membrane module for the efficient bubble-free aeration of bioreactors. A digital twin of the combined bioreactor and membrane aeration module was created and the membrane arrangement was optimized in computational fluid dynamics studies with respect to fluid mixing. The optimized design was prototyped and tested in whole-cell biocatalysis to produce rhamnolipid biosurfactants from sugars. Without any foam formation, the new design enables a considerable higher space-time yield compared to previous studies with membrane modules. The design approach of this study is of generic nature beyond rhamnolipid production
Hands-on Kinetic Measurements and Simulation for Chemical Process Engineering Students
Hands-on experience in the laboratory is essential in chemical engineering education to enhance the understanding of abstract theories and their effect on chemical processes. In this work, we describe a laboratory class, which combines some of the main engineering concepts into a set of hands-on experiments and simulations. Students are introduced to an iodine clock reaction performed in multiple different reactor types and are instructed to determine the reaction kinetics. Subsequent analysis of the experimental data in Python teaches basic programming skills and the concepts of numeric integration and optimization. Finally, a digital twin of one of the reactors is developed in COMSOL Multiphysics to give the students an application-focused introduction to more-dimensional multiphysics modeling. The students thereby get practical insights into the different methods and stages of reactor and reaction engineering. Based on the students' assignments, we consistently see a deeper understanding of reaction kinetics and reactor engineering than in the accompanying traditional lecture