Studies on Gas Holdup in a Draft Tube Fluidised-bed Bioreactor

Abstract

Studies on gas holdup have been carried out in a draft tube gas-liquid-solid fluidised-bed bioreactor treating phenolic wastewater at different feed concentrations of phenol, feed flowrates and air flowrates. From the data obtained through a set of experimental runs, an empirical correlation was developed for the overall gas holdup using dimensional analysis. It was found that the gas holdup increases with the flow rate of air and decreases with increase in the flow rate of water. In the concentration range considered in the study the variation of feed concentration of phenol did not affect the gas holdup.