CHEMOSTAT IN SERIES

SAMPLE PROBLEM
CHEMOSTAT IN SERIES
In a two stage chemostat system, the volumes of the first and second
reactors are 500 L and 300 L respectively. The first reactor is used for
biomass production and the second is for a secondary metabolite
formation. The feed flow rate to the first reactor is F = 100 L/h, and
the glucose concentration is 5.0 g/L. Use the following constants for
the cells.
m = 0.3 h-1, Ks = 0.1 g/L Y X/S= 0.4 g/g
Determine the cell and glucose concentrations after the first stage.
Assume that growth is negligible in the second stage and the specific
rate of product formation is qP = 0.02 gP/g cell hr, and Y P/S = 0.6
gP/gS. Analyze and estimate the product and substrate
concentrations in the effluent of the second.
ANALYSIS

GIVEN: V1 = 500L V2 = 300L

F = 100L/h S0 = 5.0g/L
m = 0.3/hr; Ks = 0.1g/L
YX/S = 0.4g/g
qp = 0.02g P/g cellhr
YP/S = 0.6g P/g S
REQUIRED:
(a) S1, X1
(b) S2, P2
For any stage n:

X n 1
n Dn (1 )
Xn

n X n qp X n
S n S n 1 M

DnYX / S DnYP / S
qp X n
Pn Pn 1
Dn
SOLUTION

Assuming steady state is reached and feed is sterile:

D
So, ----- Equation 1

Xs
Using (1): S1=-0.12
SOLUTION

Production is optimum when substrate utilization is maximized:

P2 = 0.12 g/L