BIOCHEM Combined mechanism – the total collection efficiency of a

fibrous filter is obtained from the combined effect of the

TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
preceding three mechanisms.

- Combined collection efficiency will normally decrease

0.5-1.0 vvm (air volume per liquid volume per minute) – to reach a minimum point and then increases with
typical aeration rates for aerobic fermentation increasing superficial air velocity.

Filtration using fibrous/membrane filters – most effective
technique for air sterilization
Cotton plug – used as a closure for tubes or flasks of sterile
solution. Good example of removal of microorganisms from air
by a fibrous filter.
Glass fibers – are favorable as filter medium because they give
a lower pressure drop and are less liable to wetting or
combustion
Modern fibrous filter systems – cylinders made from bonded
borosilicate microfibers. This type of design can deliver 3m3/s
of sterile air at 0.1 bar of pressure drop.
 When fibers are packed together in a filter bed, the
velocity will be increased and the flow pattern will be
changed, which increases the collection efficiency
from impaction and interception
Cf – Cunningham factor. It can be estimated using correlation
developed by DAVIES
Mean free path – based on Chapman-Enskog equation
ɳint – developed using langmuir’s viscous flow equation
Pe (Peclet number) – an important dimensionless parameter
in the theory of convective diffusion

Impaction – when air stream containing particles flows around ɳc – correlated by Pasceri and Friedlander
a cylindrical collector, the particle will follow the streamlines
packing density α – defined as the volume of fiber per unit
until they diverge around the collector.
volume of filter bed
Stokes and Reynolds number – as a collection efficiency by this
Chen – has determined fiber interferences experimentally.
inertial impaction
Humphrey – recommended that the design should permit only
ɳimp – is defined as the fraction of particles approaching the
one in a thousand chance of a single contaminant penetrating
collector which impact.
the filter during the entire course of the fermentation.
Correlations: Thom and Friedlander

ɳimp increases with increasing particle diameter or air flow

velocity

Interception – the inertial impaction model assumed particles

had mass and hence inertia, but no size. An interception is
considered where the particle has size, but no mass, and so
they can follow streamlines of the air around the collector.

- The interception depends on the ratio of the particle

diameter to the cylindrical collector diameter
- The collection efficiency by interception increases
with the increase of the particle size.

Diffusion – particles smaller than about 1 micron in diameter

exhibit a Brownian motion which is sufficiently intense to
produce diffusion. If a streamline containing these particles is
sufficiently close to the collector, the particles may hit the
collector and be removed.

- The collection efficiency increases with decreasing

particle size of air velocity
- Typical size of particles collected: 0.5 micrometer
Sample problem:

1.) A filter bed of glass fibers (Dc = 15μm, the bed depth
B = 10 cm, and packing density α = 0.03) is being used
to sterilize air (20ᵒC, 1 atm) with an undisturbed
upstream velocity, vo, of 10 cm/s. The air stream
contains 5,000 bacteria per cubic meter (dp = 1 μm
and ρp = 1 g/cm3)
a.) Estimate the single fiber collection efficiency by
inertial impaction, by interception, and by diffusion.
b.) Estimate the single fiber collection efficiency based
on combined mechanisms by using Eq (8.42) and Eq
(8.43) and compare the results
c.) Estimate the collection efficiency (nα) of the filter bed
d.) Show how the superficial velocity vo affects the
various single fiber collection efficiencies.
 2.) You need to design a filter for a 10,000-gallon
fermenter that will be aerated at a rate of 535 ft3/min
(at 20°C and 1 atm). The bacterial count in the air is
80 per ft3. Average size of the bacteria is 1 with
density of 1.08 g/cm3. You are going to use glass fibers
(Dc = 15 with packing density = 0.03.) The cross-
sectional area of the filter will be designed to give a
superficial air velocity of 5 ft/s.

a. What depth of the filter would you recommend to prevent

contamination?
b. How is the answer in (a) changed if is decreased to 1 ft/s?
Explain the results.