Sedimentation

Downstream Processing
Short Course
May 2007
Kevin Street
Gavin Duffy
 Bioprocess Overview
Upstream Processing

Intra-Cellular
Extra-Cellular Product
Product Chemical/Enzymatic/
Cell Disruption Mechanical/Physical

Solid-liquid Centrifugation/Sedimentation,
Separation Extraction, Filtration

Evaporation, Ultrafiltration,
Concentration Adsorption, Precipitation

Purification Chromatography

Crystallisation, freeze drying,

Formulation Spray drying, sterile filtration

Final Product
Basic Biotechnology, 2nd Ed, Ch 9
Learning Outcomes
After this lecture you should be able to

Describe the sedimentation process and equipment

Describe the motion of particles in free fall
Calculate the terminal velocity of a particle
Sedimentation
This is the separation of a liquid from particles
suspended in the liquid
A particle, falling from rest, accelerates under the force
of gravity
The drag force increases so the acceleration decreases
(liquid viscosity is important here)
Acceleration eventually becomes zero the terminal
velocity is reached
Terminal velocity is reached quickly, e.g. a 100 m
particle in water reaches 2 mm/s in 1.5 ms
Upward velocity of liquid must be less than terminal
velocity for sedimentation to work
We must know the terminal velocity!
Sedimentation Tank
Single Particle Terminal velocity
For low Particle Reynolds number:
Creeping flow

Drag coefficient increases with velocity

Stokes law region

d 2 p f g
uT
18

For high Particle Reynolds number:

Inertial flow (fluid must accelerate out of path)

Drag coefficient constant

d p f g
12

uT 1.74

f
Drag coefficient
The drag coefficient is defined as:
2 R
CD
f u2
R is the drag force per unit projected area (N)
u is the velocity (m/s)
f is the fluid density (kg/m3)
(What are the units of CD?)
24
Stokes law region: CD
Re p
24
Intermediate region: CD 0.44
Re p

Newtons law region: CD 0.44

 Drag curve for motion of a particle in fluid
Stokes

Newtons

BL separation

Introduction to Particle Technology, Martin Rhodes, Ch 1

Sphericity
Sphericity = surface area of equivalent sphere
surface area of particle

Equivalent sphere = sphere of same volume as particle

Deviation from sphere does not matter in Stokes law
region as much as in Newtons law region
Particles fall with their small surface pointed
downwards in Stokes law region
The largest surface is pointed downwards in

Newtons law region

Activity Calculate Terminal Velocity
What are the particle Reynolds number and terminal
velocity for the following system?

Diameter 3 m
Density of solid phase 1090 kg/m3
Cell free liquid density 1025 kg/m3
Cell free liquid viscosity 0.005 Pa.s

Data taken from a case study of r-HSA production with recombinant Pichia Pastoris prepared by L Van der Wielen, European Federation on
Biotechnology
If you dont know which region
Calculate CDRe2 from the following eqn:
4 f p f g
3
d
CD Re p2
3 2
Use result to draw a line on the drag curve

For example, suppose CDRe2 = 8

Then, for Re = 10 Re2 = 100 CD = 0.08

for Re = 1 Re2 = 1 CD = 8
for Re = 0.1 Re2 = 0.01 CD = 800

Use these points to draw the line and read the Particle
Reynolds number. The velocity is then obtained
..use the Re v Drag coefficient chart

x
 The Thickener

Feed added gently just below surface

Upward velocity of liquid must be less than uT
Capacity depends on area: big area = low velocity (Q = va)
Degree of thickening depends on residence time which depends
on height
Can heat tank to reduce viscosity and increase uT
Limit to solids flux

http://www.filtration-and-separation.com/thickener/sld004.htm 20/4/07
Batch Settling Test
Thickener Area Calculation
Q0 Y U C s
A
uT f

where A = area (m2)

Q0 = feed rate of suspension (m3/s)
Y = mass ratio liquid to solid in feed
U = mass ratio liquid to solid in underflow
C = particle volume fraction (1-)
s = density of solid (kg/m3)
uT = terminal velocity at conc. C (m/s)
f = density of liquid (kg/m3)
Activity Calculate Terminal Velocity
based on worked example 2.1 from Rhodes.