Enhancement of Synthesis-Gas Fermentations Using MicrobubbleDispersions

首席研究员(PI)建议研究微泡中的气体传质。微气泡，也被称为胶体气泡，是直径约50微米的表面活性剂稳定的气泡，使用旋转圆盘装置形成。微气泡传质和聚结的预测模型有待开发，对于一系列表面活性剂类型，要测量气体传质和气泡合并的速率。微泡分散体在合成气发酵中的应用也有待研究。对常规气体喷雾和微泡喷雾的发酵效率进行比较。目前，这些发酵的生产能力受到气体传质速度缓慢的限制。

The Principal Investigator (PI) proposes to study gas mass transfer from microbubbles. Microbubbles, also known as colloidal gas aphrons, are surfactant-stabilized bubbles about 50 microns in diameter that are formed using a spinning-disk apparatus. Predictive models of microbubble mass transfer and coalescence are to be developed, and rates of gas mass transfer and bubble coalescence are to be measured for a range of surfactant types. The utility of microbubble dispersions for synthesis-gas fermentations is also to be studied. Fermentation productivities using conventional gas sparging and microbubble sparging will be compared. Productivities of these fermentations is currently limited by the slow rate of gas mass transfer.