Chapter 14 - Membrane Bioreactor

Abstract

The biocatalytic membrane reactor is a promising technology, which enables the user to carry out simultaneous selective and effective reaction and product separation. This survey tries to give useful and direct applicable information on this process. It discusses both momentum and component transport through the biocatalytic membrane layer. By solution of the simplified differential momentum equations, the pressure of the fluid phases adjacent to the membrane interfaces was predicted, and by their application the solvent transport flow across the biocatalytic membrane layer was calculated. The induced transversal convective velocity transports the substrate(s) through the membrane matrix, which can then significantly affect the transfer rate of both the substrate(s) and the product(s) components. Diffusive plus convective component transport accompanied by biochemical reaction, applying the nonlinear Michaelis–Menten kinetics, is discussed in this chapter given the concentration distribution and the inlet and outlet mass transfer rate. Two operation modes are distinguished, namely transport without a sweeping phase on the permeate side and with a sweeping phase. The membrane matrix is either a plane sheet or a cylindrical capillary biocatalytic membrane with variable space volume as a function of the radial coordinate. On the other hand, it was shown how the component transfer rate is affected by the location of the feed phase, namely it is fed on the shell or lumen side. An approach solution and also numerical solution are shown for solution of the Michaelis–Menten kinetic equation.