ANALYSIS OF NONISOTHERMAL TUBULAR REACTOR PACKED WITH IMMOBILIZED ENZYME-SYSTEMS

The dynamic and steady state performance of a non-isothermal tubular r eactor packed with spherical encapsulated enzyme particles has been mo deled in terms of different dimensionless transport and kinetic parame ters. The dynamic concentration profile for an initially substrate-fre e reactor reaches a maximum before achieving steady state. The steady state dimensionless bulk substrate concentration, unlike the temperatu re, progressively decreases along the reactor bed. On increase in the external mass transfer coefficient K-L and Biot number Bi-m for mass t ransfer, the concentration profile decreases more steeply. The simulat ion study shows that the biocatalyst particles may be considered isoth ermal. The exit substrate concentration decreases with increase in Pec let number Pe(m) for mass transfer, i.e. backmixing effects, indicatin g that a plug flow reactor will have a higher overall conversion than a perfect mixer. The dynamic bulk temperature rises more rapidly near the reactor inlet with increase in the Peclet number Pe(n) for heat tr ansfer, i.e. thermal backmixing effects. The external resistance to ma ss and heat transfer becomes negligible above a critical value of K-L and external heat transfer coefficient h. The bulk substrate concentra tion, unlike the temperature, decreases with increase in the dimension less heat alpha of reaction. For typical Michaelis-Menten kinetics, th e exit conversion and temperature will be limited between those for ze ro- and first-order kinetics.