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Relationship between mass transfer coefficient and liquid flow velocity in heterogenous biofilms using microelectrodes and confocal microscopy

Relationship between mass transfer coefficient and liquid flow velocity in heterogenous biofilms using microelectrodes and confocal microscopy
Relationship between mass transfer coefficient and liquid flow velocity in heterogenous biofilms using microelectrodes and confocal microscopy
The relationship between local mass transfer coefficient and fluid velocity in heterogenous biofilms was investigated by combining microelectrodes and confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM). The biofilms were grown for up to 7 days and consisted of cell clusters separated by interstitial channels. Mass transfer coefficient depth profiles were measured at specific locations in the cell clusters and channels at average flow velocities of 2.3 and 4.0 cm/s. Liquid flow velocity profiles were measured in the same locations using a particle tracking technique. The velocity profiles showed that flow in the open channel was laminar. There was no flow at the top surface of the biofilm cell clusters but the mass transfer coefficient was 0.01 cm/s. At the same depth in a biofilm channel, the flow velocity was 0.3 cm/s and the mass transfer coefficient was 0.017 cm/s. The mass transfer coefficient profiles in the channels were not influenced by the surrounding cell clusters. Local flow velocities were correlated with local mass transfer coefficients using a semi-theoretical mass transfer equation. The relationship between the Sherwood number (Sh,) the Reynolds number (Re,) and the Schmidt number (Sc) was found using the experimental data to find the dimensionless empirical constants (n1, n2, and m) in the equation Sh = n(1) + n(2)Re(m) Sc(1/3). The values of the constants ranged from 1.45 to 2.0 for n(1), 0.22 to 0.28 for n(2), and 0.21 to 0.60 for m. These values were similar to literature values for mass transfer in porous media. The Sherwood number for the entire flow cell was 10 when the bulk flow velocity was 2.3 cm/s and 11 when the bulk flow velocity was 4.0 cm/s. (c) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 56: 681-688, 1997.
0006-3592
681-688
Stoodley, Paul
08614665-92a9-4466-806e-20c6daeb483f
Yang, S.
b5909d57-37ad-487f-921e-2bbbe6870b76
Lappin-Scott, H.
df7975dc-8693-4afc-bc72-199155bd33c5
Lewandowski, Z.
1f3f2a52-af00-4d39-99b9-cb4a372959ce
Stoodley, Paul
08614665-92a9-4466-806e-20c6daeb483f
Yang, S.
b5909d57-37ad-487f-921e-2bbbe6870b76
Lappin-Scott, H.
df7975dc-8693-4afc-bc72-199155bd33c5
Lewandowski, Z.
1f3f2a52-af00-4d39-99b9-cb4a372959ce

Stoodley, Paul, Yang, S., Lappin-Scott, H. and Lewandowski, Z. (1997) Relationship between mass transfer coefficient and liquid flow velocity in heterogenous biofilms using microelectrodes and confocal microscopy. Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 56 (6), 681-688. (doi:10.1002/(SICI)1097-0290(19971220)56:6<681::AID-BIT11>3.0.CO;2-B).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The relationship between local mass transfer coefficient and fluid velocity in heterogenous biofilms was investigated by combining microelectrodes and confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM). The biofilms were grown for up to 7 days and consisted of cell clusters separated by interstitial channels. Mass transfer coefficient depth profiles were measured at specific locations in the cell clusters and channels at average flow velocities of 2.3 and 4.0 cm/s. Liquid flow velocity profiles were measured in the same locations using a particle tracking technique. The velocity profiles showed that flow in the open channel was laminar. There was no flow at the top surface of the biofilm cell clusters but the mass transfer coefficient was 0.01 cm/s. At the same depth in a biofilm channel, the flow velocity was 0.3 cm/s and the mass transfer coefficient was 0.017 cm/s. The mass transfer coefficient profiles in the channels were not influenced by the surrounding cell clusters. Local flow velocities were correlated with local mass transfer coefficients using a semi-theoretical mass transfer equation. The relationship between the Sherwood number (Sh,) the Reynolds number (Re,) and the Schmidt number (Sc) was found using the experimental data to find the dimensionless empirical constants (n1, n2, and m) in the equation Sh = n(1) + n(2)Re(m) Sc(1/3). The values of the constants ranged from 1.45 to 2.0 for n(1), 0.22 to 0.28 for n(2), and 0.21 to 0.60 for m. These values were similar to literature values for mass transfer in porous media. The Sherwood number for the entire flow cell was 10 when the bulk flow velocity was 2.3 cm/s and 11 when the bulk flow velocity was 4.0 cm/s. (c) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 56: 681-688, 1997.

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Published date: 20 December 1997
Organisations: Engineering Mats & Surface Engineerg Gp

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 155987
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/155987
ISSN: 0006-3592
PURE UUID: 9d1db1a8-3855-469f-8c44-c752ad4f1226
ORCID for Paul Stoodley: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-6069-273X

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Date deposited: 15 Jun 2010 14:18
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 02:55

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Contributors

Author: Paul Stoodley ORCID iD
Author: S. Yang
Author: H. Lappin-Scott
Author: Z. Lewandowski

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