CONTINUOUS

FERMENTER
------Roll No's: 170-174.
Continuous fermentation

Nutrients are added and products are also

continuously removed.

Efficient for high and constant demand products.

Intensive use of the equipment

Direct production of the final goods.

 Advantages
No emptying of the fermenter required at the end
of each batch.

Colonies are merely growing and not producing.

They are run for long time after once set-up.

Savings in labor which do not have to
repeatedly perform the various operations

Continuous processes are most easily

automated.

Eliminates human error & ensures greater

uniformity in the quality of the products.
Design of fermenter
 Continuous stirred tank fermentators:

The tank used is similar to the batch

fermenter.

It is different from batch fermenter as it has

a feed tank and overflow device.

Agitation systems is used in CSTF.

Wash-out phenomenon.

The mathematical model works for all fluids:

liquids, gases & slurries.

The most widely used continuous process
based on the CSTF is the activated sludge
process used in waste water treatment.
 TURBIDOSTAT
Turbidity of the vials is used to determine the
cell growth
Concentration of cells in the culture is kept
constant.
This may be achieved by monitoring the
biomass with a photoelectric cell.
 CHEMOSTAT
A chemostat maintains the nutrient feed and
culture withdrawal rates.

The growth rate is controlled by supplying

only a limiting amount of nutrient.
Employed more than the turbidostat.

 Organisms grown in continous culture:

e.g: Algae, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, yeast.
 Chemostat is better than turbidostat
It is easier to design and operate.

The flow rate is fixed at the beginning to the

desired value.

Better at low dilution rate.

 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BATCH &
CONTINUOUS
Batch fermenter FERMENTATION
Continuous fermenter
1. Fresh innoculum is added at
the end of every process.
2. For every batch sterilization of
fermenter is essential.
3. Rate of contamination is less.
4. If contamination is detected
loss would be of one batch
only.
1. Continuous innoculum is
added just at the beginning.
2. Fermenter is sterilized only
once.
3. Rate of contamination is more.
4. If contamination occurs a
heavy loss would result as the
process is continuous.
Batch fermenter
5. Less yield of product is
obtained.
6. More labor is required.
7. Performed manually.
8. Log, lag, stationary & death
phases are observed.
Continuous
fermenter
5. More yield of product is
obtained.
6. Less labor is required.
7. Performed automatically.
8. Log phase is observed.
 ADVANTAGES OF
Batch over continuous:
More Productive

Operability and Equipment

Greater Flexibility and multiple product formation

Continuous over Batch:

Effect of nutrient limitation or composition can

be studied

Collection of samples is possible

No time consuming processes required

Thank you