Extended Study on the Hydrodynamics of a Cold Model of the Inverse Fluidized Bed Bioreactor

ABSTRACTThe inverse fluidization as a hydrodynamic phenomenon is based on the interaction between a downflowing fluid and a bed of solid particles with density lower than that of the fluid. The successful implementation of this phenomenon in bioreactor engineering requires knowledge of the hydrodynamics of the inverse fluidized beds. In this work the total pressure drop through the bed as function of the liquid velocity is observed and discussed. The bed expansion of inverse fluidization using liquids with different viscosities and solid particles with wide ranging diameters and densities is investigated in detail. Previously published in the literature correlations of the bed expansion are used for modelling of the process. A good agreement between the experimental data and theoretical prediction is observed.