Multiphase Bioreactor Design

Continuous Operation of a Micellar Membrane Reactor

One of the current issues under investigation in reversed micellar technology is the
development of reactors to perform continuous operation taking full advantage of this
reaction medium. Continuous operation of this type of reactor is feasible as long as
water-filled micelles are supplied to the reactor together with the substrates solution
(Prazeres et al., 1993).
The advantages of membrane bioreactors (MBRs) make them suitable for the
operation of continuous processes. However, there are very few examples of exhaustive
studies that attempt a full characterisation of membrane reactors from the hydrodynamic
point of view (Deeslie and Cheryan, 1981; Sims and Cheryan, 1992).

Analysis of the MBR set-up with differential and integral types of

reactors

The MBR can be broadly classified as a direct contact membrane recycle reactor, since
the enzyme acts on the substrate molecules as soon as they enter the reaction system
(Prazeres & Cabral, 1994). As a tubular reactor with partial recirculation, the MBR
characterisation is based on a mass balance, the conversion per pass, the number of cycles
and the hydraulic residence time.
An overall mass balance to the reactor system (see Figure 7.5) leads to:

(32)

where, Q 0 is the feed flow rate; Q 1 is the flow entering the ultrafiltration module; Qp is
the permeate flow rate and Qr is the recirculation flow rate.

(33)

then;

(34)

(35)

Reversed micellar bioreaction systems 217