The efficiency of the aeration process in airlift reactors with moving beds

The current work consisted of performing tests on the prototype airlift reactor, examining the efficiency of oxygenation in an airlift reactor equipped with an airlift pump and an additional nozzle to aerate and mix water in the tank. In particular, the objective was to find the optimal submergence of the nozzle which would allow achieving the best possible oxygenation of water with adequate lift efficiency. The testing was performed in two series: with a tank fully filled with water; with a tank filled with 80% water and 20% moving bed. The use of a moving bed with a high specific surface area significantly improved aeration conditions and decreased mixture flow velocity thus causing an increase of gas and liquid contact time. The research has shown the effect of nozzle position on the aeration and circulation conditions in the reactor.