Residence Time Distribution of Solid Particles in a High-Aspect Ratio Multiple-Impeller Stirred Vessel

Despite its importance, experimental information on the Residence Time Distribution (RTD) of solid particles in continuous-flow stirred vessels is still scant. In this work, experimental data on particle RTD in a high-aspect-ratio vessel stirred by three equally-spaced Rushton turbines, was obtained by means of a special technique named Twin System Approach (TSA). Quite surprisingly, results indicate that, among the various possibilities that could have been devised (e.g. 6, or 3, or 1 ideal tanks in series), the flow model closest to reality for the particle phase, at least in the experimental range here investigated, is that of a single perfectly stirred vessel

Infrared, UV/VIS and Raman Spectroscopy of Comet Wild-2 Samples Returned by the Stardust Mission

Results from the preliminary examination of Stardust samples obtained using various spectroscopic methods will be presented

Oxygen Transfer Performances of Unbaffled Bio-Reactors with Various Aspect Ratios

Cultivation of microorganisms, plants or animal cells requires liquid agitation in order to ensure oxygen and nutrient transfer and to maintain cell suspension. Many studies on animal cell damage due to mechanical agitation and sparging aeration have shown that mechanical damage of freely suspended animal cells is in most cases associated with bursting bubbles at the air–liquid interface (Barrett et al., 2010). Gas bubbles are usually generated by direct air sparging aimed at supplying oxygen to the culture medium. Mechanical agitation may also introduce gas bubbles in the culture medium via vortexing entrainment from the free surface. In this work oxygen transfer performance of an unbaffled stirred bioreactor, with various aspect ratios, is presented in view of its use as a biochemical reactor for animal cell growth. In practice oxygen mass transfer occurs through the (more or less deep) free surface vortex which takes place when agitation is started in unbaffled vessels. If this vortex is not allowed to reach impeller blades, bubble formation and subsequent bursting at the free-surface is avoided. Experimental results show that this kind of bioreactor can provide sufficient oxygen mass transfer for animal cell growth, so resulting in a viable alternative to the more common sparged reactors. The mass transfer performance observed with the different aspect ratio configurations is also presented and discussed

Dust emission in massive star-forming regions with PRONAOS: the Orion and M17 molecular clouds

The balloon-borne submillimeter instrument PRONAOS has observed one square degree areas towards the Orion and M17 molecular clouds. The 2' - 3.5' resolution maps obtained in four wide wavelength bands between 200 microns and 600 microns, exhibit the dust distribution in these regions. We analyze the temperature and spectral index of the dust, and we show the anticorrelation between these two parameters. We derive estimations of the ISM column densities and masses in these regions.Comment: 1 fig. JPEG, to appear in the proc. of the Infrared and Submm Space Astronomy coll., held in memory of Guy Serra, Toulouse, June 11-13, 200

Formation of Molecular Hydrogen on Amorphous Silicate Surfaces

Experimental results on the formation of molecular hydrogen on amorphous silicate surfaces are presented and analyzed using a rate equation model. The energy barriers for the relevant diffusion and desorption processes are obtained. They turn out to be significantly higher than those obtained for polycrystalline silicates, demonstrating the importance of grain morphology. Using these barriers we evaluate the efficiency of molecular hydrogen formation on amorphous silicate grains under interstellar conditions. It is found that unlike polycrystalline silicates, amorphous silicate grains are efficient catalysts of H_2 formation in diffuse interstellar clouds

Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulation of Clearance Effect in High Solid Loading Polydisperse Solid-Liquid Mixing

A high solid loading concentration of solid-liquid mixing was investigated to observe the effect of ratio C, Clearance, and T, diameter tank, with C/T 0.33; C/T 0.25 and C/T 0.17 on local volume of hydrodynamic and spatial distribution of polydisperse solid suspension using CFD, Computational Fluid Dynamics. The 45o pitch blade turbine, diameter 0.5T, with down pumping flow simulation was used to remove solid particle from bottom of the tank. The tank is also equipped with four baffle with the size of 0.1T.. A solid-liquid mixing consists of five fractions of glass beads with equal proportion (X1=X2=X3=X4=X5=0.2X) have 40% wt total solid concentration with liquid fraction is aqueous solution of NaCl. The effect of ratio C/T at impeller speed 612 rpm create a flow pattern in the tank different. Effect ratio C / T also indicated the distribution on solid had a good uniformity index when N≥ Njs, just suspended speed. The highest uniformity was obtained on C/T 0.17. it also made difference power consumption on each geometry with C/T 0.17, 0.25, and 0.33 respectively are 251.18, 238.13, and 270.65watt

Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulation of Clearance Effect in High Solid Loading Polydisperse Solid-Liquid Mixing

A high solid loading concentration of solid-liquid mixing was investigated to observe the effect of ratio C, Clearance, and T, diameter tank, with C/T 0.33; C/T 0.25 and C/T 0.17 on local volume of hydrodynamic and spatial distribution of polydisperse solid suspension using CFD, Computational Fluid Dynamics. The 45o pitch blade turbine, diameter 0.5T, with down pumping flow simulation was used to remove solid particle from bottom of the tank. The tank is also equipped with four baffle with the size of 0.1T.. A solid-liquid mixing consists of five fractions of glass beads with equal proportion (X1=X2=X3=X4=X5=0.2X) have 40% wt total solid concentration with liquid fraction is aqueous solution of NaCl. The effect of ratio C/T at impeller speed 612 rpm create a flow pattern in the tank different. Effect ratio C / T also indicated the distribution on solid had a good uniformity index when N≥ Njs, just suspended speed. The highest uniformity was obtained on C/T 0.17. it also made difference power consumption on each geometry with C/T 0.17, 0.25, and 0.33 respectively are 251.18, 238.13, and 270.65watt