Estimation of mass transfer parameters in a Taylor-Couette-Poiseuille heterogeneous reactor

A bench-scale, continuous vortex flow reactor (VFR), with a radius ratio, h, equal to 0.48 and an aspect ratio, G, equal to 11.19 was studied. This reactor may be used in the enzymatic hydrolysis of polypeptides obtained from sweet cheese whey with enzymes immobilized on agarose gel. Operational conditions were 2410 < Re q < 11793 and 30-min residence time for glycerol-water, 14% w/w, 27ºC (Re ax = 1.1) and for water, 38ºC (Re ax = 1.5). Residence time distributions (RTDs) were obtained after pulse injections of different tracers (including dyed solid particles). Mass transfer coefficients o...