Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells were immobilized in calcium alginate and chitosan-covered calcium alginate beads and studied in the fermentation of glucose and sucrose for ethanol production. The batch fermentations were carried out in an orbital shaker and assessed by monitoring the concentration of substrate and product with HPLC. Cell immobilization in calcium alginate beads and chitosan-covered calcium alginate beads allowed reuse of the beads in eight sequential fermentation cycles of 10 h each. The final concentration of ethanol using free cells was 40 g L-1 and the yields using glucose and sucrose as carbon sources were 78% and 74.3%, respectively. For immobilized cells in calcium alginate beads, the final ethanol concentration from glucose was 32.9 ± 1.7 g L-1 with a 64.5 ± 3.4% yield, while the final ethanol concentration from sucrose was 33.5 ± 4.6 g L-1 with a 64.5 ± 8.6% yield. For immobilized cells in chitosan-covered calcium alginate beads, the ethanol concentration from glucose was 30.7 ± 1.4 g L-1 with a 61.1 ± 2.8% yield, while the final ethanol concentration from sucrose was 31.8 ± 6.9 g L-1 with a 62.1 ± 12.8% yield. The immobilized cells allowed eight 10 h sequential reuse cycles to be carried out with stable final ethanol concentrations. In addition, there was no need to use antibiotics and no contamination was observed. After the eighth cycle, there was a significant rupture of the beads making them inappropriate for reuse.

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Current literature relies almost exclusively on the power number to compare and characterize impellers. Industrial mixing requirements may rely on conditions far away from the impeller. A protocol is proposed to compare impellers designed for turbulent mixing on the basis of impeller hydrodynamic performance and mixing process objectives. A hydrofoil impeller (KPC), and a mixed‐flow impeller (45° down‐pumping PBT), each at two diameters, were used to test the protocol. Fourteen measures were considered. Five are recommended for full characterization: power number, momentum number, and peak rate of dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy to characterize conditions at the impeller; power at just‐suspended speed to compare the efficiency of solids suspension at the bottom of the tank; and point of air entrainment as a measure of turbulence penetration to the free surface. These five measures provide complete information about mixing performance and good differentiation between the impellers and geometries. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 58: 2573–2588, 2012

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Fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) riser reactors have complex hydrodynamics, which depend not only on operating conditions, feedstock quality, and catalyst particles characteristics, but also on the geometric configurations of the reactor. This paper presents a numerical study of the influence of different riser outlet designs on the dynamic of the flow and reactor efficiency. A three-dimensional, three-phase flow model and a four-lump kinetic scheme were used to predict the performance of the reactor. The phenomenon of vaporization of the liquid oil droplets was also analyzed. Results showed that small changes in the outlet configuration had a significant effect on the flow patterns and consequently, on the reaction yields.