• KSBB Journal
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.347-364
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• 1994

Airlift bioreactors are extensively used in the fields of aerobic fermentation, animal and plant cell cultures. This review article evaluates the present research activities in the field of airlift bioreactors. The published research works on the design parameters such as types, location and properties of gas sparser, hydrodynamic properties such as phase holdups mixing, liquid circulation rate, mass and heat transfer rates are summarized. Also, recommendations are presented for designing airlift bioreactors.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.180-185
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• 1994

The productivity of alkaloid in the airlift fermentor operation was less than that of suspension coltures of Eschscholtzia californica cells in the shake flask. To overcome the productivity reduction, a gas recycle airlift fermentor was developed because the gas-stripping in normal airlift fermentor was believed to play a significant role for productivity reduction. The alkaloid content in the gas recycle system with Eschscholtzia californica suspension cells was 2.7 times higher than that of normal airlift fermentor. The productivity of alkaloids and $CO_2$ concentration were affected by the volume of gas reservoir in the gas recycle airlift fermentor.

• Journal of the military operations research society of Korea
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.36-50
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• 2006

It is required to transport a considerable amount of wartime strategic materials from US to Korea via airlift operation. This study attempts to formulate the wartime airlift operation model and evaluate the airlift capability of mobilized resources, including civil aircrafts. Although an airlift plan has been annually updated by the Korea Transportation Command, it is necessary to evaluate the feasibility through simulation due to uncertainties in the process of airlift operation. Uncertain parameters are as follows; the inter-arrival time of materials in the US airfields, loading and unloading times, the distribution of aircraft's initial location at the time of mobilization order. The simulation is executed under two scenarios and the results are analyzed through a sensitivity analysis. Simulation result shows that the irregularity of inter-arrival time and the number of mobilized civil aircrafts are the most critical factors in influencing airlift capability.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.175-180
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• 2009

This study was conducted to improve biological degradation efficiency of toluene as a model volatile organic compound (VOC) using yeast Candida tropicalis and to suggest an effective method for bioreactor operation. The yeast strain was immobilized with polyethylene glycol (PEG), alginate, and powdered activated carbon (PAC). The yeast-immobilized polymer media were used as fluidized materials in an airlift bioreactor. Polymer media without PAC were also made and operated in another airlift bioreactor. The two bioreactors showed toluene removal efficiencies ranging 80-96% at loading rates of $10-35 g/m^3-hr$, and the bioreactor containing the polymer media with PAC achieved higher removal efficiency. Protein contents in the liquid phase showed that the bioreactor using the yeast-immobilized polymer media with PAC had a higher rate of microbial growth initially than that without PAC. In addition, the microbial growth rate inside of the polymer media with PAC was five times higher than that without PAC. Consequently, the polymer media containing the yeast strain and PAC could enhance removal efficiencies for VOCs, and the immobilization method improve microbial activity and stability for a long-term operation of biological systems.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.92-99
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• 2012

The optimal physical factors affecting enzyme production in an airlift fermenter have not been studied so far. Therefore, the physical parameters such as aeration rate, pH, and temperature affecting PLA-degrading enzyme production by Actinomadura keratinilytica strain T16-1 in a 3 l airlift fermenter were investigated. The response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize PLA-degrading enzyme production by implementing the central composite design. The optimal conditions for higher production of PLA-degrading enzyme were aeration rate of 0.43 vvm, pH of 6.85, and temperature at $46^{\circ}C$. Under these conditions, the model predicted a PLA-degrading activity of 254 U/ml. Verification of the optimization showed that PLA-degrading enzyme production of 257 U/ml was observed after 3 days cultivation under the optimal conditions in a 3 l airlift fermenter. The production under the optimized condition in the airlift fermenter was higher than un-optimized condition by 1.7 folds and 12 folds with un-optimized medium or condition in shake flasks. This is the first report on the optimization of environmental conditions for improvement of PLA-degrading enzyme production in a 3 l airlift fermenter by using a statistical analysis method. Moreover, the crude PLA-degrading enzyme could be adsorbed to the substrate and degraded PLA powder to produce lactic acid as degradation products. Therefore, this incident indicates that PLA-degrading enzyme produced by Actinomadura keratinilytica NBRC 104111 strain T16-1 has a potential to degrade PLA to lactic acid as a monomer and can be used for the recycle of PLA polymer.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.61 no.3
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• pp.446-455
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• 2023

A mathematical model for predicting the liquid circulation velocity in an airlift reactor was developed based on the mechanical energy balance of the fluid circulation loop. The model considered the energy loss due to a 90° turn, the energy loss due to friction, and the energy loss due to the change in cross-sectional area at each part of the reactor. The model that separately considered the loss coefficients related to friction, direction change, and cross-sectional area change was able to predict the liquid circulation velocity better than the previous model using lumped parameters. The liquid circulation velocity was measured by the tracer pulse method. Most of our experimental results obtained in external-loop airlift reactors, which had the top and bottom connecting pipes, as well as other investigators' results obtained in various types of airlift reactors, were well predicted by the developed model with an error within 20%. Useful empirical equations for the loss coefficient related to the 90° turn of the circulating fluid were obtained in external and internal-loop airlift reactors and used to predict the liquid circulation velocity.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.451-458
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• 1997

The oxygen transfer coefficient was not significantly affected by either flow pattern, initial bubble size or the wastes present in the water studied. Surface active substances in the water did however influence the transition from bubble to slug flow. Airlift with length to diameter ratios less than 50 suffered from considerable losses in efficiency. When properly designed, airlift pumping efficiencies were comparable to those of conventional centrifugal pumps and the oxygen transfer efficiency were as high as or higher than those of diffused aeration systems.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.603-610
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• 2009

This research was performed to improve removal efficiency of toluene and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) using Candida tropicalis, one of the yeast species. An airlift loop bioreactor (ALB) was employed to enhance the capability of mass transfer for toluene and MEK from the gas phase to the liquid, microbial phase. Polymer gel media made from PAC, alginate and PEG was applied for the effective immobilization of the yeast strain on the polymer gel media. The experimental results indicated that the mass transfer coefficient of toluene without polymer gel media was 1.29 $min^{-1}$ at a gas retention time of 15 sec, whereas the KLa value for toluene was increased to 4.07 $min^{-1}$ by adding the media, confirming the enhanced mass transfer of volatile organic compounds between the gas and liquid phases. The removal efficiency of toluene and MEK by using yeast-immobilized polymer gel media in the ALB was greater than 80% at different pollutant loading rates (5, 10, 19 and 37 g/$m^3$/hr for toluene, 4.5, 8.9, 17.8 and 35.1 g/$m^3$/hr for MEK). In addition, an elimination capacity test conducted by changing inlet loading rates stepwise demonstrated that maximum elimination capacities for toluene and MEK were 70.4 and 56.4 g/$m^3$/hr, respectively.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.37 no.9
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• pp.837-845
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• 2013

An airlift pump can be used to pump liquids and sediments within itself, which cannot easily be pumped up by a conventional method, by using the airlift effect. This characteristic of the airlift pump can be exploited in a DCFC (Direct Carbon Fuel Cell) so that molten fuel with high temperature may be carried or transported. The basic characteristics of airlift are investigated. A simple system is constructed, where the reservoir is filled with water, a tube is inserted, and air is supplied from the bottom of the tube. Then, water is lifted and its flow rate is measured. Bubble patterns in the tube are observed in a range of air flow rates with the parameters of the tube diameter and submergence ratio, leading to four distinct regimes. The pumping performance is predicted, and the correlation between the supplied gas flow rate and the induced flow rate of water is found.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.479-483
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• 1999

Nitrifier consortium immobilized in polyvinyl alcohol was used for the removal of ammonia nitrogen from synthetic aquaculture water in the airlift bioreactor. At the aeration rate fo 0.15 vvm and bead packing volume fraction of 20%, airlift bioreactor was operated effectively for a removal of ammonia nitrogen and for a stability of operation. Ammonia nitrogen removal rate by airlift bioreactor was continuously increased with decreasing hydraulic residence time. At the HRT(hydraulic residence time) of 0.3 hour, ammonia nitrogen removal rate was 84.3 g/$m^3$.d and the highest ammonia nitrogen removal rate was 130.8 g/$m^3$.d when HRT was 0.1 hour.