Fermentors continuous operation

The alternative to batch mode operation is continuous operation. In the continuous mode there is a continuous flow of medium into the fermentor and of product stream out of the fermentor. Continuous bioprocesses often use homogenously mixed whole cell suspensions. However, immobilised cell or enzyme processes generally operate in continuous plug flow reactors, without mixing (see Figure 2.1, packed-bed reactors). 

Batch operation of fermentors is much more common than continuous operation, although theories for continuous operation are well established (as will be indicated later in this section). The reasons for this are as follows ... 

In the situation where the left-hand side of Equation 12.24 (i.e., the amount of cells withdrawn from the fermentor per unit time) is greater than the right-hand side (i.e., the cells produced in the fermentor per unit time), continuous operation will become impossible. This is the range where D is greater than /d, as can be seen by dividing both sides of Equation 12.24 by V and such a condition is referred to as a washout. ... 

With the rotating-drum fermentor, the oxygen mass transfer is enhanced and overheating is prevented. The heterogeneity of the system is also reduced to a large extent as compared with static trays or a packed-bed fermentor [29]. It is possible to operate a rotating-drum fermentor continuously which enhances... 

Typically, the SSF process is carried out in a CSTR reactor in batch mode. Under these reaction conditions, the fermentation product, ethanol, exerts its effect not only on microbes but also on saccharification. To overcome this problem, and to improve the efficiency of ethanol production from cellulose, the continuous removal of end-product during ethanol production would have advantages. With this type of process application, the SSF process can be operated in a fed-batch mode. Fed-batch operation is similar to continuous operation except the fermentation broth is retained in the fermentor at all times whereas the solid substrate is continuously fed into the fermentor [73]. Another method is to continuously remove ethanol during the SSF process (see Sect. 2.1.3). 

The N. rustica hairy roots were successfully grown in a packed-bed fermentor, yielding biomass densities (DW) of 10 g/liter (90). The growth rate was comparable with a cell suspension culture. The fermentor was operated as a batch fermentor for 11 days, after which is was run as a continuous culture. Nicotine was isolated from the medium during the continuous operation. The alkaloid production rate was estimated to be 1.54 mg/liter/day during this phase. To improve the release of alkaloids by the hairy roots, a continuous removal of the alkaloids from the medium with XAD-4 as an adsorbent was tested. Hairy roots cultured in flasks did not produce more alkaloids in the presence of sachets with XAD-4. However, the amount of alkaloid released into the medium increased in other words, the accumulation ratio was affected by the adsorbent. 

Commercial-scale operations are conducted in batch, fed-batch, or continuous culture systems. Fermentation vessels include the conventional baffled aerated tank, with or without impeller agitation, and the ak-lift tower fermentors in which ak is sparged into an annular space between the... 

C. uti/is yeast is produced by either fed-batch or continuous processes. Aerated-agitated fermentors range up to 300 m total capacity and ate operated in the same manner as described for S. cerevisiae (2,5). C. utilis is capable of metabolizing both hexose and pentose sugars. Consequendy, papermiU wastes such as sulfite waste Hquot that contain these sugars often ate used as substrates. 

Studies show that the production of 1kg dry biomass requires 2.0 kg sugar, 0.7 kg oxygen, 0.1 kg ammonia, with the liberation of 12,300 k Joules heat. A typical continuous fermentation operates at a dilution rate (D) = 0.2 h 1, with sugar concentration of 3% (w/v) in the incoming medium. With a fermentor of 50 m3 capacity and 90% utilisation of carbohydrate [ie 0.3% (w/v) sugar in the outgoing medium] what would be ... 

True. Batch cultures give lower overall outputs than continuous cultures, as they suffer from non-productive down-time (the time taken to empty, clean, re-sterilise and re-fill the fermentor). After inoculation, considerable time can be taken for biomass to build up to a level where substrates are effectively utilised. Continuous cultures do not suffer such drawbacks once they are in operation. 

This bioreactor mode refers to a tank fermenter operated semi-continuously. The rate of the feed flow, F0, may be variable, and there is no outlet flow rate from the fermentor. As a consequence of feeding the reactor volume will change with respect to time. 

Stirred-tank reactors can be used for continuous fermentation, because cells can grow in this type of fermentors without their being added to the feed medium. In contrast, if a plug flow reactor is used for continuous fermentation, then it is necessary to add the cells continuously in the feed medium, but this makes the operation more difficult. 

There are two different ways of operating continuous stirred-tank fermentors (CSTFs), namely chemostat and turbidostal. In the chemostat, the flow rate of the... 

Steady-State Mass Balance Method In theory, the Ki a in an apparatus that is operating continuously under steady-state conditions could be evaluated from the flow rates and the concentrations of the gas and liquid streams entering and leaving, and the known rate of mass transfer (e.g., the oxygen consumption rate of microbes in the case of a fermentor). However, such a method is not practical, except when the apparatus is fairly large and highly accurate instruments such as flow meters and oxygen sensors (or gas analyzers) are available. 

In the fed-batch operation of fermentors (which is also commonly practiced), the feed is added either continuously or intermittently to the fermentor, without any product withdrawal, the aim being to avoid any excessive fluctuations of oxygen demand, substrate consumption, and other variable operating conditions. 

The characteristics of the fed-batch culture, shown by Equations 12.21 and 12.23, make it possible to keep the concentrations of the substrate and/or the cell at the desired values. For example, after a batch culture, a feed medium that contains the substrate at a high concentration can be fed, either continuously or intermittently, to the fermentor under a fed-batch operation. The values of the dilution rate and the substrate concentration in the feed medium can be determined using Equation 12.23. Thus, by using the fed-batch operation, the yield and/or productivity can be greatly improved in a variety of areas of biotechnology by controlling the concentrations of substrate and cell. Some examples of where the fed-batch operation can be effectively used are as follows. 

Bioreactors that use enzymes but not microbial cells could be regarded as fermentors in the broadest sense. Although their modes of operation are similar to those of microbial fermentors, fed-batch operation is seldom practiced for enzyme reactors. The basic equations for batch and continuous reactors for... 

Batch cultivation is perhaps the simplest way to operate a fermentor or bioreactor. It is easy to scale up, easy to operate, quick to turn around, and reliable for scale-up. Batch sizes of 15,000 L have been reported for animal cell cultivation [2], and vessels of over 100,000 L for fermentation are also available. Continuous processes can be classified into cell retention and non-cell retention. The devices typically used for cell retention are spin filters, hollow fibers, and decanters. Large-scale operation of continuous processes can reach up to 2,000 L of bioreactor volume. Typically, the process is operated at 1-2 bioreactor volumes... 

Commercial fermentations are conducted in large bioreactors which are usually referred to as fermentors and arc designed tor operation in batch, fed-baldi. or continuous ferine illation modes. The batch and fed-batch procedures are used for most commercial antibiotic fermentations. 

Chen and Lee [24] studied lactic acid production from dilute acid pretreated a-cellulose and switchgrass by L. delbruckii NRRL-B445 in the presence of a fungal cellulase in a fermentor extractor employing a microporous hollow fiber membrane (MHF). This reactor system was operated in a fed-batch mode with continuous removal of lactic acid by in situ extraction. A tertiary amine (alamine... 

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