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Experimental Study of Biodegradation of Ethanol and Toluene Vapors

Experimental Study of Biodegradation of Ethanol and Toluene Vapors

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C<br />

x<br />

(<br />

1 max Q<br />

max<br />

= ⋅{<br />

D(<br />

Cb0 − Cb<br />

) ⋅Ybx<br />

+ [ ( yin,<br />

t<br />

− yout,<br />

e<br />

) − DCt<br />

] ⋅Ytx<br />

}<br />

μ + met<br />

)<br />

V<br />

(5-73)<br />

Equations (5-72), <strong>and</strong> (5-73) are applied to predict benzyl alcohol, <strong>and</strong> biomass<br />

concentrations for the steady state continuous removal <strong>of</strong> benzyl alcohol <strong>and</strong> toluene<br />

mixtures. Figures 5-19 <strong>and</strong> 5-20 show the predicted results <strong>of</strong> biomass (X), benzyl<br />

alcohol (C b ) concentrations, <strong>and</strong> the DO level (calculated from Equation 5-68) as a<br />

function <strong>of</strong> dilution rate <strong>and</strong> feed concentration.<br />

Figure 5-19 demonstrates that at a benzyl alcohol inlet concentration <strong>of</strong> 0.6 g/L,<br />

the system can be operated at steady state conditions for toluene gas inlet concentrations<br />

up to 12.0 mg/L. The results show that with increasing dilution rates, the biomass<br />

concentration (X) decreases <strong>and</strong> that the system can be operated at dilution rates up to<br />

0.21 h -1 with the DO levels above 0.87 mg/L. Therefore, oxygen mass transfer is not the<br />

rate-limiting factor at these conditions. When the dilution rate is higher than 0.21 h -1 ,<br />

cells are washed out, <strong>and</strong> no consumption occurs. At these dilution rates, the benzyl<br />

alcohol concentration equals the feed concentration (C b = C b0 ), toluene in the liquid<br />

phase reaches equilibrium with the gas phase, <strong>and</strong> the gas outlet toluene concentration<br />

reaches the same level as the gas inlet concentration (y t = y t,in ). The predicted results<br />

also indicate that at benzyl alcohol feed concentration <strong>of</strong> 0.6 g/L, the system could not<br />

be operated at steady state when the toluene gas inlet is higher than 12.0 mg/L unless an<br />

oxygen-enriched air is used as the oxygen supply.<br />

147

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