Measuring carbon monoxide gas-liquid mass transfer in a stirred tank reactor for syngas fermentation.

Carbon monoxide-liquid mass transfer rates in a water-filled stirred tank reactor are determined using a myoglobin protein method to measure dissolved carbon monoxide concentrations as a function of time. Data are acquired over a range of stirrer speeds (200 < or = N < or = 600 rpm) and gas flow rates (1 < or = Q < or = 6 L/min), corresponding to a gas retention time range of 1.2-7 min. Volumetric CO-water mass transfer coefficients range from 0.003 to 0.043 s(-1) and are well-correlated using the power density and the superficial gas velocity.