Performance of trickle-bed bioreactors for converting synthesis gas to methane

Conference · Tue Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:431602

Kimmel, D E; Klasson, K T; Clausen, E C; Gaddy, J L ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR (United States)

Carbon monoxide, H{sub 2}, and CO{sub 2} in synthesis gas can be converted to CH{sub 4} by employing a triculture of Rhodospirillum rubrum, Methanosarcina barkeri, and Methanobacterium formicicum. Trickle-bed reactors have been found to be effective for this conversion because of their high mass-transfer coefficients. This paper compares results obtained for the conversion of synthesis gas to CH{sub 4} in 5-cm- and 16.5-cm-diameter trickle-bed reactors. Mass-transfer and scale-up parameters are defined, and light requirements for R. rubrum are considered in bioreactor design.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Badger Engineers, Inc., Tampa, FL (United States); Solar Energy Research Inst., Golden, CO (United States)
• OSTI ID: 431602
• Report Number(s): CONF-900512-; TRN: 96:006510-0042
• Resource Relation: Conference: 12. symposium on biotechnology fuels and chemicals, Gatlinburg, TN (United States), 7-11 May 1990; Other Information: PBD: 1991; Related Information: Is Part Of Twelfth symposium on biotechnology for fuels and chemicals; Greenbaum, E. [ed.] [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)]; Wyman, C.E. [ed.] [Solar Energy Research Inst., Golden, CO (United States)]; PB: 934 p.
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

10 SYNTHETIC FUELS
55 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
BASIC STUDIES
SYNTHESIS GAS
BIOCONVERSION
BIOREACTORS
BIOTECHNOLOGY
CARBON MONOXIDE
MASS TRANSFER
METHANE
RHODOSPIRILLUM