Reduced power consumption compared to a traditional stirred tank reactor (STR) for enzymatic saccharification of alpha-cellulose using oscillatory baffled reactor (OBR) technology

Abstract

Enzymatic saccharification of pure α-cellulose was conducted in oscillatory baffled (OBR) and stirred tank (STR) reactors over a range of mixing intensities requiring power densities (P/V) from 0 to 250Watts per cubic metre (W/m3). Both reactor designs produced similar saccharification conversion rates at zero mixing. Conversion increased with increasing mixing intensity. The maximum conversion rate occurred at an oscillatory Reynolds number (Reo) of 600 in the OBR and at an impeller speed of between 185 and 350rpm in the STR. The OBR was able to achieve a maximum conversion rate at a much lower power density (2.36W/m3) than the STR (37.2–250W/m3). The OBR demonstrated a 94–99% decrease in the required power density to achieve maximum conversion rates and showed a 12% increase in glucose production after 24h at 2.36W/m3.