Novel Bioreactors for Culturing Marine Organisms 12.3 Airlift Bioreactors (ALBR) and Bubble Column Bioreactors (BCBR) 337
Part B | 12.3
tion of CO 2 . 150 g of plastic carrier rings per reactor
were added as carrier material, and an anaerobic filter
for increased retention of algal biomass particles, was
installed.
12.3 Airlift Bioreactors (ALBR) and Bubble Column Bioreactors (BCBR)
12.3.1 Airlift Bioreactors
Airlift bioreactors (ALBR) (Tables 12.3 and 12.4) are
pneumatically agitated gas–liquid or gas–liquid–solid
contacting devices characterized by fluid circulation in
a defined cyclic pattern through two vertical channels
viz. the riser for gas–liquid upflow and downcomer
for downflow) connected at the top (the gas separator)
and bottom (the base). The driving force for recirculation of the fluid is the density difference between
the downcomer and the riser which generates the pressure gradient necessary for liquid recirculation [12.21].
Air/gas is usually injected at the bottom of the riser and
a portion of the gas disengages in the gas separator.
The remaining portion is entrapped by the descending
liquid and flows down the downcomer. If the gas residence time in the separator is substantially longer than
the time required for disengagement of the gas bubbles,
the fraction of gas recirculating through the downcomer
would be minimized. In addition to agitation, the gas
Table 12.3 Airlift and bubble column bioreactors (ALBR and BCBR)
Sl Bioreactor
Marine strain and bioprocess
Reference
1
ALBR
Simultaneous C and N removal from waste water by bacteria
Thiothrix sp.
Jiang et al. [12.22]
2
ALBR
Rhamnolipid production by bacterium Pseudomonus
aeruginosa
Jeong et al. [12.23]
3
Split column ALBR
Decolorization of textile waste water by marine fungi A. niger Assadi and Jahangiri [12.24]
4
ALBRC Fiber optics
sensors
Filamentous callus induction and microplantlet culture
propagation of macroalga Kappaphycus alvarezzi
Munoz et al. [12.25]
5
AL-PBR
Halogenated monoterpene production by red macroalga
O. secundiramea
Polzin and Rorrer [12.26]
6
Concentric tube airlift
PBR (AL-PBR)
Cultivation of microalga P. tricornutum
Contreas et al. [12.27]
7
Triangular configuration
inclined tube – AL-PBR
CO 2 fixation from flue gas by green algae Dunaliella sp.
Vunjak-Novakovic et al. [12.28]
8
Outdoor airlift driven
tubular PBR
Production of lutein by green unicellular microalga
Muriellopsis sp.
Del Campo et al. [12.29]
9
BC-PBR
CO 2 -fixation and H 2 production by green microalga
Platymonas subcordiformis.
Guo et al. [12.30]
10 BC-PBR
Phototrophic cultivation of microplantlet suspension culture
of the red macroalga A. subulata
Huang and Rorrer [12.31]
11 BC-PBR
Photolithotrophic cultivation of cell suspension culture from
microscopic, filamentous gametophyte life phase of the
complex brown macroalga L. saccharina
Zhi and Rorrer [12.32]
stream also facilitates exchange of material between the
gas phase and the culture medium – oxygen is usually
transferred to the liquid and often, metabolic products, from the liquid to the gas phase. ALBRs provide
a relatively homogeneous low-shear field for microbial growth. They are further characterized by (a) their
total lack of any moving parts and (b) their high aeration efficiency – the latter due to the high rates of
oxygen transfer alongside minimal power consumption
compared to conventional stirred bioreactor systems.
ALBRs may be classified into two basic categories
viz. (i) external loop ALBRs, in which fluid circulation occurs through separate and distinct channels, and
(ii) internal – loop (baffled) ALBRs – where strategically installed baffles create the channels required for
circulation. Configurations of both types may be further
modified.
Jiang et al. [12.22] examined simultaneous carbon
and nutrient removal from wastewater in a plexiglass
bench-scale ALBR (working volume 22 L) by filamen-
Part B | 12.3
tion of CO 2 . 150 g of plastic carrier rings per reactor
were added as carrier material, and an anaerobic filter
for increased retention of algal biomass particles, was
installed.
12.3 Airlift Bioreactors (ALBR) and Bubble Column Bioreactors (BCBR)
12.3.1 Airlift Bioreactors
Airlift bioreactors (ALBR) (Tables 12.3 and 12.4) are
pneumatically agitated gas–liquid or gas–liquid–solid
contacting devices characterized by fluid circulation in
a defined cyclic pattern through two vertical channels
viz. the riser for gas–liquid upflow and downcomer
for downflow) connected at the top (the gas separator)
and bottom (the base). The driving force for recirculation of the fluid is the density difference between
the downcomer and the riser which generates the pressure gradient necessary for liquid recirculation [12.21].
Air/gas is usually injected at the bottom of the riser and
a portion of the gas disengages in the gas separator.
The remaining portion is entrapped by the descending
liquid and flows down the downcomer. If the gas residence time in the separator is substantially longer than
the time required for disengagement of the gas bubbles,
the fraction of gas recirculating through the downcomer
would be minimized. In addition to agitation, the gas
Table 12.3 Airlift and bubble column bioreactors (ALBR and BCBR)
Sl Bioreactor
Marine strain and bioprocess
Reference
1
ALBR
Simultaneous C and N removal from waste water by bacteria
Thiothrix sp.
Jiang et al. [12.22]
2
ALBR
Rhamnolipid production by bacterium Pseudomonus
aeruginosa
Jeong et al. [12.23]
3
Split column ALBR
Decolorization of textile waste water by marine fungi A. niger Assadi and Jahangiri [12.24]
4
ALBRC Fiber optics
sensors
Filamentous callus induction and microplantlet culture
propagation of macroalga Kappaphycus alvarezzi
Munoz et al. [12.25]
5
AL-PBR
Halogenated monoterpene production by red macroalga
O. secundiramea
Polzin and Rorrer [12.26]
6
Concentric tube airlift
PBR (AL-PBR)
Cultivation of microalga P. tricornutum
Contreas et al. [12.27]
7
Triangular configuration
inclined tube – AL-PBR
CO 2 fixation from flue gas by green algae Dunaliella sp.
Vunjak-Novakovic et al. [12.28]
8
Outdoor airlift driven
tubular PBR
Production of lutein by green unicellular microalga
Muriellopsis sp.
Del Campo et al. [12.29]
9
BC-PBR
CO 2 -fixation and H 2 production by green microalga
Platymonas subcordiformis.
Guo et al. [12.30]
10 BC-PBR
Phototrophic cultivation of microplantlet suspension culture
of the red macroalga A. subulata
Huang and Rorrer [12.31]
11 BC-PBR
Photolithotrophic cultivation of cell suspension culture from
microscopic, filamentous gametophyte life phase of the
complex brown macroalga L. saccharina
Zhi and Rorrer [12.32]
stream also facilitates exchange of material between the
gas phase and the culture medium – oxygen is usually
transferred to the liquid and often, metabolic products, from the liquid to the gas phase. ALBRs provide
a relatively homogeneous low-shear field for microbial growth. They are further characterized by (a) their
total lack of any moving parts and (b) their high aeration efficiency – the latter due to the high rates of
oxygen transfer alongside minimal power consumption
compared to conventional stirred bioreactor systems.
ALBRs may be classified into two basic categories
viz. (i) external loop ALBRs, in which fluid circulation occurs through separate and distinct channels, and
(ii) internal – loop (baffled) ALBRs – where strategically installed baffles create the channels required for
circulation. Configurations of both types may be further
modified.
Jiang et al. [12.22] examined simultaneous carbon
and nutrient removal from wastewater in a plexiglass
bench-scale ALBR (working volume 22 L) by filamen-