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Water recycle in biomass production processes
Author(s) -
Topiwala H. H.,
Khosrovi B.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
biotechnology and bioengineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.136
H-Index - 189
eISSN - 1097-0290
pISSN - 0006-3592
DOI - 10.1002/bit.260200106
Subject(s) - biomass (ecology) , dewatering , fermentation , pulp and paper industry , process (computing) , substrate (aquarium) , material balance , process engineering , chemistry , production (economics) , bioreactor , environmental science , food science , computer science , engineering , ecology , biology , organic chemistry , geotechnical engineering , operating system , macroeconomics , economics
Various aspects of process water recycle in a continuous flow fermentation process are analyzed. Simple mass balance equations in terms of product and feed components for a single‐stage reactor producing biomass are developed. Constraints on the recycle ratio, imposed by the efficiency of the dewatering stage, are examined. The recycle analysis is extended using a kinetic growth model incorporating water soluble product formation and growth inhibition. The potential effect of recycle on substrate conversion and product accumulation is also examined and the concept of a critical recycle ratio in fermentation processes is developed.