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Comparison of batchstirred and electrospray reactors for biodesulfurization of dibenzothiophene in crude oil and hydrocarbon feedstocks

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Abstract

Biological removal of organic sulfur from petroleum feedstocks offers an attractive alternative to conventional thermochemical treatment, because of the mild operating conditions afforded by the biocatalyst. In order for biodesulfurization to realize commercial success, reactors must be designed that allow for sufficient liquid-liquid and gas-liquid mass transfer, while simultaneously reducing operating costs. Electro-spray bioreactors were investigated for use as desulfurization reactors because of their reported operational cost savings relative to mechanically agitated reactors. Unlike batch-stirred reactors, which mix the biocatalystcontaining aqueous phase with the organic feedstock by imparting momentum to the entire bulk solution, electro-spray reactors have the potential for tremendous cost savings, creating an emulsion <5 (μm in diameter, at a cost of only 3 W/L. Power law relationships indicate that mechanically stirred reactors would require 100-1000-fold more energy to create such a fine emulsion, but these relationships generally do not account for the effect of endogenously produced surfactant in the system. Here, the rates dibenzothiophene (DBT) oxidation to 2-hydroxybiphenyl (2-HBP) in hexadecane, byRhodococcus sp IGTS8 are compared in the two reactor systems. Desulfurization rates ranged from 1.0 to 5.0 mg 2-HBP/(dry g cells · h), independent of the reactor employed. The batch-stirred reactor was capable of forming a very fine emulsion in the presence of the biocatalyst IGTS8, similar to that formed in the emulsion phase contactor (EPTM), presumably because the biocatalyst produces its own surfactant. Although EPC did not prove to be advantageous for the IGTS8 desulfurization system, it may prove advantageous for systems that do not produce surface-active bioagents, in addition to being mass-transport limited.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemical Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Bioprocessing Research and Development Center, 37831-6226, Oak Ridge, TN

    Eric N. Kaufman, James B. Harkins & Abhijeet P. Borole

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  1. Eric N. Kaufman
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  2. James B. Harkins
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  3. Abhijeet P. Borole
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Correspondence to Eric N. Kaufman.

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The submitted manuscript has been authored by a contractor of the U.S. Government under contract DE-AC05-96OR22464. Accordingly, the U.S. Government retains a nonexclusive, royalty-free license to publish or reproduce the published form of this contribution, or allow others to do so, for U.S. Government purposes.

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Kaufman, E.N., Harkins, J.B. & Borole, A.P. Comparison of batchstirred and electrospray reactors for biodesulfurization of dibenzothiophene in crude oil and hydrocarbon feedstocks. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 73, 127–144 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02785650

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