Abstract
Oxygen supply is a critical factor for many aerobic fermentation processes. It is no wonder then, that the study of oxygen transfer and reaction has attracted many researchers. There is a tendency, however, to treat these two subjects in isolation. The present contribution will emphasize the concept of interaction of these two topics because both of them individually and jointly affect the overall performance of an aerobic process. The choice of an appropriate mathematical model with which effects of oxygen supply on microbial activities can be quantitatively explained is dictated by the nature of biomass suspension, reactor configuration and scale of operation. Some examples of practical interest will be presented to throw light upon the role of oxygen transfer gas-liquid, liquid-biomass, diffusion and reaction. Special emphasis is given to problems of feed back from biomass to oxygen transfer via physical properties of the broth. Because physical environment that biomass encounters in production scale can be drastically different to that in a pilot plant a mechanistic framework is developed in which the concept of diffusion depending oxygen consumption in mycelial broths is used in conjunction with local energy dissipation and circulation models for the liquid.
Published Version
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