Mahnaz Mansouri - Iran and Chemical Engineering Department, Tarbiat Modarres University, Tehran ۱۴۱۱۵-۱۴۳, Iran, Research & development section, Engineering & Development department, south pars gas company, Assalueh
Jafar Towfighi - Iran and Chemical Engineering Department, Tarbiat Modarres University, Tehran ۱۴۱۱۵-۱۴۳, Iran
Mohammad Reza Mehrnia - Iran and Chemical Engineering Department, Tarbiat Modarres University, Tehran ۱۴۱۱۵-۱۴۳, Iran
Mohammad mehdi Akbarnegad - ۳-Iranian research of petroleum industry, Tehran ۱۸۷۴۵-۴۱۶۳, Iran

Determination of gas holdup and oxygen transfer coefficient was conducted in an internal loop airlift reactor containing calcium alginate dispersed in a water-in diesel microemulsion media. The effect of riser superficial gas velocities in the range of 0.01 to 0.05m/s, solid loading (up to 15% v/v) and the size of solid particles (2-3mm and 3-4mm) on the gas holdup and volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient were studied in this work. All partial gas holdups and kLa increased, in the whole range of applied air superficial gas velocities. Gas holdup and kLa decreased with solid loading for calcium alginate with diameter 2-3mm can be due to bubble coalescence however for the 3-4mm calcium alginate beads a slightly increase in gas holdup and kLa was observed in low solid loading that related to bubble breakage.

airlift bioreactor, three phase, gas holdup, oxygen transfer coefficient, microemulsion