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Estimation of dissolved carbon dioxide concentrations in aerobic fermentations
Author(s) -
Royce Patrick N. C.,
Thornhill Nina F.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
aiche journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.958
H-Index - 167
eISSN - 1547-5905
pISSN - 0001-1541
DOI - 10.1002/aic.690371111
Subject(s) - carbon dioxide , chemistry , bicarbonate , aeration , mass transfer coefficient , oxygen , fermentation , mass transfer , carbon fibers , environmental chemistry , total inorganic carbon , pulp and paper industry , chromatography , organic chemistry , materials science , composite number , engineering , composite material
Abstract Dissolved carbon dioxide and bicarbonate ions in fermentation broths can (independently) inhibit or promote microbial growth and productivity. In research facilities with a large number of fermenters, dissolved carbon dioxide sensors tend not to be used, and as a result this variable will generally go unmonitored, making the meaningful analysis of data more difficult. For aerobic fermentations, mass transfer of carbon dioxide can be described in an analogous way to oxygen transfer. The mass transfer coefficient for carbon dioxide is 0.89 times that for oxygen. The maximum dissolved carbon dioxide concentration as a function of exit gas composition is compared with the concentration obtained by assuming equilibrium between the broth and exit gas. The difference between these two concentrations is typically 20–40% of the equilibrium concentration. In large fermenters, a degree of plug flow behavior in the gas and the generally lower specific aeration rates will serve to produce a better approach to equilibrium than for research fermenters.