CBE 654 : BIOREACTOR ENGINEERING SEM 2 SESSION 2013/14

ASSIGNMENT 2 : QUESTION
(SUBMISSION DATELINE 4pm FRIDAY 20/6/2014)
(a) State the assumptions that need to be fulfilled by a batch fermentation system in order to
be able to use the following relationship:

X0

Y
X
S0 0
Y

S0 K s

max .t

where

max

t
S0
Ks

Y
X

X0

ln Y .S0 X 0 X

Y .S0

ln X
X 0

Ks
X0
S

0
Y

is the maximum specific growth rate of the microorganism

is time
is the initial concentration of the limiting substrate
is the the value of the limiting substrate concentration which results
in a specific growth rate of half the maximum value
is the yield
is the concentration of biomass at time

is the initial concentration of the biomass

(1 Mark)

(b) A type of yeast for use as dairy cow food supplement is grown in a batch fermenter of
working volume 200 m3 on a medium based on cheese whey. The limiting substrate in
the medium is a carbohydrate whose initial concentration in the cheese whey is 15 kgm-3 .
If this substrate is available in abundance ( ie not limiting), the yeast has an average
doubling time of 2 hours, and this changes to 4 hours when this carbohydrate is available
only in a concentration of 5 kgm-3 .
Average production of yeast biomass is 1kg (dry wt.) for every 2kg of this carbohydrate
used.
If this fermentation is innoculated with an innoculum whose size gives an initial
concentration of yeast in the production medium of 0.5kgm-3 and the fermenter needs 4
hours to empty, to clean, to fill and to sterilize, and to cool down, get an estimate of the
fermentation time needed to give the maximum productivity.
(3 Marks)