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Title: Apparatus and process to eliminate diffusional limitations in a membrane biological reactor by pressure cycling

Abstract

An improved multilayer continuous biological membrane reactor and a process to eliminate diffusional limitations in membrane reactors in achieved by causing a convective flux of nutrient to move into and out of an immobilized biocatalyst cell layer. In a pressure cycled mode, by increasing and decreasing the pressure in the respective layers, the differential pressure between the gaseous layer and the nutrient layer is alternately changed from positive to negative. The intermittent change in pressure differential accelerates the transfer of nutrient from the nutrient layers to the biocatalyst cell layer, the transfer of product from the cell layer to the nutrient layer and the transfer of byproduct gas from the cell layer to the gaseous layer. Such intermittent cycling substantially eliminates mass transfer gradients in diffusion inhibited systems and greatly increases product yield and throughput in both inhibited and noninhibited systems.

Inventors:
 [1];  [2]
  1. Limassol, CY
  2. Ithaca, NY
Issue Date:
OSTI Identifier:
867091
Patent Number(s):
4861483
Application Number:
07/207,812
Assignee:
Cornell Research Foundation, Inc. (Ithaca, NY)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
C - CHEMISTRY C02 - TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE C02F - TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
C - CHEMISTRY C12 - BIOCHEMISTRY C12M - APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY
DOE Contract Number:  
957240
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
apparatus; process; eliminate; diffusional; limitations; membrane; biological; reactor; pressure; cycling; improved; multilayer; continuous; reactors; achieved; causing; convective; flux; nutrient; move; immobilized; biocatalyst; cell; layer; cycled; mode; increasing; decreasing; respective; layers; differential; gaseous; alternately; changed; positive; negative; intermittent; change; accelerates; transfer; product; byproduct; gas; substantially; eliminates; mass; gradients; diffusion; inhibited; systems; greatly; increases; yield; throughput; noninhibited; membrane reactor; product gas; pressure differential; differential pressure; mass transfer; membrane reactors; substantially eliminates; pressure cycling; substantially eliminate; immobilized biocatalyst; cell layer; improved multilayer; greatly increase; eliminate diffusional; diffusional limitations; /210/

Citation Formats

Efthymiou, George S, and Shuler, Michael L. Apparatus and process to eliminate diffusional limitations in a membrane biological reactor by pressure cycling. United States: N. p., 1989. Web.
Efthymiou, George S, & Shuler, Michael L. Apparatus and process to eliminate diffusional limitations in a membrane biological reactor by pressure cycling. United States.
Efthymiou, George S, and Shuler, Michael L. Tue . "Apparatus and process to eliminate diffusional limitations in a membrane biological reactor by pressure cycling". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/867091.
@article{osti_867091,
title = {Apparatus and process to eliminate diffusional limitations in a membrane biological reactor by pressure cycling},
author = {Efthymiou, George S and Shuler, Michael L},
abstractNote = {An improved multilayer continuous biological membrane reactor and a process to eliminate diffusional limitations in membrane reactors in achieved by causing a convective flux of nutrient to move into and out of an immobilized biocatalyst cell layer. In a pressure cycled mode, by increasing and decreasing the pressure in the respective layers, the differential pressure between the gaseous layer and the nutrient layer is alternately changed from positive to negative. The intermittent change in pressure differential accelerates the transfer of nutrient from the nutrient layers to the biocatalyst cell layer, the transfer of product from the cell layer to the nutrient layer and the transfer of byproduct gas from the cell layer to the gaseous layer. Such intermittent cycling substantially eliminates mass transfer gradients in diffusion inhibited systems and greatly increases product yield and throughput in both inhibited and noninhibited systems.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1989},
month = {8}
}