Design Schematics, Operational Characteristics and Process Applications of Bioreactors

Abstract

A fermenter vessel maintains ideal controlled conditions and environment for the growth of various microorganisms and for the production of various products from microorganisms, used in different scales of the fermentation process. The fermentation processes can be carried out on different scales from lab to industrial-scale in different size fermenters for varying product quantity. The commercial production of products like alcoholic beverages, enzymes, antibiotics, organic acids, single cell proteins, bio-fertilizers, food colours, and gums are carried out in a fermenter under different controlled conditions. The fermenter aims to produce biological products so it is necessary to monitor and control different factors like external and internal mass and heat transfer, fluid velocity, shear stress, agitation speed, aeration rate, cooling rate or heating intensity, and the feeding rate of nutrients and base or acid through valves. Fermentation in the fermenter is accomplished in several configurations and these simple configurations are batch, fed-batch and continuous fermentation process. The selection of appropriate process and process parameters can affect fermentation kinetics, the nature of microorganism used and the process economic aspects. Improved modelling tools, reactor operation and reactor design in the fermenter based on mass transfer behaviour have improved the reaction rate to maximize throughput rates optimization with minimized cost. The fermenter design, fermentation process, types of fermenters used in industries, their application, heat and mass transfer in the fermenter are discussed in this chapter.