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Continuous alcohol fermentation in an immobilized cell rotating disk reactor
Author(s) -
Del Borghi M.,
Converti A.,
Parisi F.,
Ferraiolo G.
Publication year - 1985
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.260270602
Subject(s) - dilution , bioreactor , fermentation , continuous stirred tank reactor , continuous reactor , alcohol , materials science , trickling filter , chemistry , ethanol , chromatography , chemical engineering , waste management , biochemistry , catalysis , thermodynamics , organic chemistry , physics , wastewater , engineering
Abstract The increasing interest in alcohol fermentation over these last years because of the energy crisis has been demonstrated by an increase in scientific research. After a brief analysis of the main results of the literature in the field of alcohol fermentation reactors, the use of a new type of immobilized cell reactor [the rotating biological surface (RBS) reactor] was studied. As is well known, the RBS reactor is a form of fixed‐film reactor and can be described as a dynamic trickling filter. Our experimental apparatus employed a spongy material to trap the yeast cells on the disks. The results of fermentations carried out in the RBS reactor working in batch, in continuous with cell support, and in continuous without cell support have been presented in order to compare the different productivities and to assess the performance of the RBS immobilized cell reactor. An ethanol productivity of 7.1 g/L h was achieved in the RBS‐ICR at a dilution rate of 0.3 h −1 , 2.5 times higher than the maximum productivity obtained in the RBS reactor without support at a lower dilution rate. The adoption of a spongy material as a cell immobilizer, combined with the use of the RBS reactor, enhances the particular advantages of both systems.