ESTIMATION OF EFFECTIVE SHEAR RATE FOR AERATED NON-NEWTONIAN LIQUIDS IN AIRLIFT BIOREACTOR”“

Abstract Effective shear rate is one of the indispensable parameters for the design of aerobic fermentors using a viscous non-Newtonian system. The estimation of effective shear rate in airlift loop bioreactors has been investigated with liquid circulation velocity. An empirical correlation of effective shear rate in airlift loop reactors is proposed. γeπ= 3.26-3.51 ; 102 UG + 1.48 104 U2 G It is found that the effective shear rate is lower in airlift reactors than in bubble columns. This equation can be used for the cultivation of cells sensitive to shear stress.