Intensification of CO2 absorption and desorption by metal/non-metal oxide nanoparticles in bubble columns

In this study, four different metal/non-metal oxide nanoparticles including CuO, Fe₃O₄, ZnO, and SiO₂ were employed to improve CO₂ absorption and desorption in methyl diethanolamine (MDEA)-based nanofluid. CO₂ absorption experiment with various nanofluids was done in a bubble column reactor at ambient temperature. Also, CO₂ stripping experiments for all nanofluids were done at 60 and 70 °C. The influence of nanoparticles type, nanoparticle concentration, and the stability of nanoparticles were studied on both CO₂ absorption and stripping. The obtained results revealed that Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles at 0.01 wt.% concentration had the best influence on CO₂ absorption and it improved the CO₂ loading up to 36%. Also, CO₂ stripping experiments for all nanofluids were done at 60 and 70 °C. The desorption experiments illustrated that metal oxide nanoparticles can be more efficient in improving CO₂ desorption. In CO₂ desorption, the CuO nanoparticles at 0.05 wt.% had higher efficiency, and enhanced CO₂ concentration at outlet gas phase up to 44.2 vol.% at 70 °C. Finally, as an indication, the chemical stability of Fe₃O₄ NPs under optimum operational conditions was studied using XRD analysis and the result showed that the proposed operational condition did not have any negative effect on the chemical nature of Fe₃O₄ NPs.

Quantification of oxygen transfer coefficients in simulated hydrocarbon-based bioprocesses in a bubble column bioreactor

This study investigates the overall volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient (K_La) in multiphase hydrocarbon-based bioprocess under a range of hydrocarbon concentrations (H_C), solid loadings (deactivated yeast) (S_L) and superficial gas velocities (U_G) in a bubble column reactor (BCR). K_La increased with increasing U_G in the air-water system; due to an increase in the number of small bubbles which enhanced gas holdup. In air-water-yeast systems, the initial addition of yeast increased K_La significantly. Further increases in S_L reduced K_La, due to increases in the bubble size with increasing S_L. K_La decreased when H_C was added in air-water-hydrocarbon systems. However, U_G, S_L and H_C affected K_La differently in air-water-yeast-hydrocarbon systems: an indication of the complex interactions between the yeast and hydrocarbon phases which changed the system's hydrodynamics and therefore affected K_L. This work illustrates the effect of the operating conditions (S_L, H_C and U_G) on oxygen transfer behaviour in multiphase systems.

Methods of preparation of microparticles for radioactive particle tracking experiments

Radioactive particle tracking (RPT) technique is a relatively newer technique for the characterization of flow of process materials (liquids, solids) in laboratory- and pilot-scale industrial systems. The technique uses a single particle labelled with a suitable radioisotope having similar physical properties to that of the bulk of the process material. The preparation of a representative radioactive microparticle is a challenging task in the implementation of the technique. There are no standard methods available for the preparation of radioactive microparticles. This paper discusses some of the methods of preparation of radioactive microparticles for RPT studies. A few examples of RPT applications using the prepared microparticles are also discussed.

Characterization of bubble column photobioreactors for shear-sensitive microalgae culture

The shear-sensitive marine algal dinoflagellate Karlodinium veneficum was grown in a cylindrical bubble column photobioreactor with an internal diameter of 0.044 m. Initial liquid height varied from 0.5 to 1.75 m, superficial gas velocities from 0.0014 to 0.0057 ms^-1, and nozzle diameter from 1 to 2.5 mm. Computational fluid dynamics was used to characterize the flow hydrodynamics and energy dissipation rates. Experimental gas holdup and volumetric mass transfer coefficient strongly depended on the liquid height and correlated well with the Froude number. Energy dissipation near the head space (ED_top) was one order of magnitude higher than the average energy dissipation in the whole reactor (ED_whole), and the value in the sparger zone (ED_spar) was one order of magnitude higher than ED_top. Cultures of K. veneficum were limited by CO₂ transfer at low ED_whole and severely stressed above a critical value of ED_whole.

Industrial radiotracer application in flow rate measurement and flowmeter calibration using 99mTc and 198Au nanoparticles radioisotope

The flow rate or fluid velocity measurement is important to maintain fluid flow quality performance in the systems. This study focuses on determination of volumetric flow rate measurement and to calibrate the conventional flowmeter using industrial radiotracer approach in quadrilateral gas-liquid bubble column reactor. In this work, two different radioisotopes which emit γ-ray have been chosen as radioactive tracer which is ^99mTc produced from ⁹⁹Mo/^99mTc radioisotope generator and ¹⁹⁸Au nanoparticle form neutron activation at research nuclear reactor TRIGA Mark II. Both radioisotopes representing liquid and solid tracer purposely designed for tracing liquid flow. The peak to peak radiotracer method known as pulse velocity method was applied to determine the volumetric flow rate. The radiation signals were monitored using 4 unit NaI scintillation detectors located at 4 different points nearby the inlet and outlet of the quadrilateral bubble column reactor process stream. The water volume inside the bubble column reactor was fixed at 0.04 m³ and liquid flow rates in this reactor were specified on installed flowmeter at different reference value which is 4 lpm, 8 lpm, and 12 lpm, respectively. The experimental result shows very good linearity and repeatability by following the theoretical equations with less uncertainty in volumetric flow rate measurement. The obtained results also validated the effectiveness of the proposed method for the installed flowmeter calibration efficiency.

Assessing the influence of the carbon source on the abatement of industrial N2O emissions coupled with the synthesis of added-value bioproducts

The continuous abatement of a synthetic N₂O emission from a nitric acid plant coupled with the simultaneously production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) copolymer and the coenzyme Q10 (CoQ₁₀) in a bubble column reactor (BCR) was tested using methanol, glycerol and a mixture of sodium acetate-acetic acid (Ac-HAc) as a carbon and electron donor source. The BCRs were inoculated with Paracoccus denitrificans and supplied with the carbon/electron donor at a loading rate of 139gCm^-3d^-1. High N₂O removal efficiencies (81-91%) were achieved, with glycerol supporting the highest abatement. The PHBV cell content ranged from 25 to 53%, with highest accumulation in the culture obtained with methanol and Ac-HAc. However, the greatest PHBV productivities were observed in the BCRs operated with glycerol and Ac-HAc (21.7 and 33.5gPHBVm^-3d^-1, respectively). Glycerol supply induced the highest molar ratio (23%) of the homopolymer 3-hydroxyvalerate in the composition of PHBV. In addition, the specific cell content of CoQ₁₀ ranged from 0.4 to 1mgg^-1. This work constitutes, to the best of our knowledge, the first study combining N₂O abatement with the simultaneous production of multiple bioproducts, which pave the way to the development of greenhouse gas biorefineries for climate change mitigation.

Synthesis, characterization and application of Au-198 nanoparticles as radiotracer for industrial applications

This paper describes synthesis and characterization of radioactive gold nanoparticles ((198)Au-NPs), and explores their utility as a radiotracer for tracing an aqueous phase in a continuous laboratory-scale bubble column at ambient conditions. The performance of the (198)Au-NPs as a radiotracer was compared with the results obtained with a conventional radiotracer i.e. bromine-82 ((82)Br) as ammonium bromide and found to be identical. A tank-in-series with backmixing model (TISBM) was used to simulate the RTDs of the aqueous phase and characterize flow in the bubble column.

Biological carbon dioxide utilisation in food waste anaerobic digesters

Carbon dioxide (CO2) enrichment of anaerobic digesters (AD) was previously identified as a potential on-site carbon revalorisation strategy. This study addresses the lack of studies investigating this concept in up-scaled units and the need to understand the mechanisms of exogenous CO2 utilisation. Two pilot-scale ADs treating food waste were monitored for 225 days, with the test unit being periodically injected with CO2 using a bubble column. The test AD maintained a CH4 production rate of 0.56 ± 0.13 m(3) CH4·(kg VS(fed) d)(-1) and a CH4 concentration in biogas of 68% even when dissolved CO2 levels were increased by a 3 fold over the control unit. An additional uptake of 0.55 kg of exogenous CO2 was achieved in the test AD during the trial period. A 2.5 fold increase in hydrogen (H2) concentration was observed and attributed to CO2 dissolution and to an alteration of the acidogenesis and acetogenesis pathways. A hypothesis for conversion of exogenous CO2 has been proposed, which requires validation by microbial community analysis.

Control of CO₂ input conditions during outdoor culture of Chlorella vulgaris in bubble column photobioreactors

A study on the optimization of CO2 usage during outdoor microalgae cultivation in order to further maximize the CO2 to biomass conversion efficiency is presented. A constant supply of CO2 was found to be non-essential for culturing microalgae outdoors in 80 L (8 L×10 sets) bubble columns. Among the different CO2 input conditions that were studied, 2% CO2 with intermittent supply and 2%+4% CO2 alternation did not affect the algal growth as compared to having a constant supply of 2% CO2. However, during both input conditions, the CO2 to biomass conversion efficiency was doubled while the amount of CO2 used was reduced by 50%. The algal biomass obtained was found to have a higher carbohydrate yield but a lower protein yield as compared to previously published studies. The findings from this study could be applied for large-scale microalgae production so as to minimize cultivation and energy costs.

Optimization of bubble column performance for nanoparticle collection

Fibrous media embody the most effective and widely used method of separating ultrafine particles from a carrier fluid. The main problem associated with them is filter clogging, which induces an increasingly marked pressure drop with time and thus imposes regular media cleaning or replacement. This context has prompted the idea of investigating bubble columns, which operate at constant pressure drop, as alternatives to fibrous filters. This study examines the influence of different operating conditions, such as liquid height, air flow rate, bubble size and presence of granular beds on ultrafine particle collection. Experimental results show that bubble columns are characterised by high collection efficiency, when they feature a large liquid height and small diameter bubbling orifices, while their efficiencies remain lower than those of fibrous filters. Gas velocity does not greatly influence collection efficiency, but the inclusion of a granular bed, composed of beads, increases the bubble residence time in the column, thereby increasing the column collection efficiency.