Circulation of gas/liquid mixtures
AssigneeImperial Chemical Industries PLC
InventorsFrank C. Roesler, David A. Hines, Frank P. Maslen, Richard Fawcett
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for continuously circulating a mixture comprising a liquid and a gas around a system comprising a riser and a downcomer and a gas disengagement section in which liquid flows downwardly at a velocity which does not exceed 0.2 meters per second and is being injected into a lower section of the riser. The method and apparatus are particularly useful for conducting aerobic fermentations.
Claims4
A method for circulating a mixture comprising a liquid and a gas which comprises the steps of continuously circulating the mixture around a system comprising a riser communicating at its lower end with the lower end of a downcomer and at its upper end communicating through a gas disengagement section with the upper end of the downcomer, the riser having an upper section and a lower section, the lower section being of greater cross-sectional area than the upper section, injecting a gas into the liquid in the lower section of the riser and disengaging a substantial portion of the gas injected into the liquid from downwardly flowing liquid in the gas disengagement section, in which section the liquid flows downwardly at a velocity which does not exceed 0.2 meters per second.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.