The fluidised bed reactors are successfully utilised in various bioprocesses to produce high value products using immobilised cells and enzymes. The present work aims at evaluating hydrodynamic characteristics of a three phase fluidised bed bioreactor using Tulsion® A-1X MP, Tulsion® ADS-400 and Tulsion® ADS-800, polystyrene and polyacrylic based three types of free and immobilised cells solid carriers viz. and comparing their performance with Siran® SIKUG41 glass beads. The hydrodynamic parameters such as particle density (cells and beads), drag coefficient, minimum and maximum fluidisation velocity, particle settling velocity were estimated and compared in water and biological media (E2 and MSM) having varying rheological properties. The relationships between drag coefficient (CD)–Reynolds numbers (NRe), superficial liquid velocity (Uf)–void fraction(ε), expansion index(n)–NRe were obtained.

Foreign