Choice of reactor to minimize enzyme requirement: 1. Mathematical model for one-substrate Michaelis-Menten type kinetics in continuous reactors

Abstract

In order to establish the theoretically ideal conditions necessary to minimize enzyme requirement for a given process, a computer simulation of the ideal stirred tank reactor (CSTR), the ideal plug flow reactor (PFR) and the ideal laminar flow reactor (LFR) is presented. The reaction is assumed to follow Michaelis-Menten kinetics and the effects of competitive substrate and product inhibition are considered. The magnitude of the initial reactant concentration strongly influences the result. At low initial substrate concentrations (S 0/K m <2) both tube reactors require less enzyme than the tank reactor for a given conversion and inhibition effects are negligible. At higher initial reactant concentrations, the CSTR yields better results for substrate inhibited reactions. However, when product inhibition occurs the PFR and the LFR perform superiorly. Conversion in the LFR is always less than in the PFR.