Problem

Product yield in anaerobic digestion

Anaerobic digestion of volatile acids by methane bacteria is represented by the equation:

The composition of methane bacteria is approximated by the empirical formula

CH1.4O0.40N0.20. For each kg of acetic acid consumed, 0.67 kg of CO2 is evolved. How
does the yield of methane under these conditions compare with the maximum possible
yield?

VIVEK R BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

Energy balance for bio-production process

Heat of reaction for processes with biomass production

CwHxOyNz +a O2 +b HgOhNi  c CHαOβNδ +d CO2 +e H2O

Heats of reaction for cell growth can be estimated using stoichiometry and the
concept of available electrons. Empirically, the energy content of organic
compounds is related to their degree of reduction as follows:

Δh°C =-q .γ. xC

where Δhc  molar heat of combustion at standard conditions,

q  heat evolved per mole of available electrons transferred to oxygen during combustion,
γ  degree of reduction of the compound relative to N2, and
xC  number of carbon atoms in the molecular formula.
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A value of 115 kJ/gmol was determined for q

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Heat of Reaction with Oxygen as Electron Acceptor

Since γ of a substance is directly related to the amount of oxygen required for its combustion,
the heat produced by the reaction is directly proportional to the amount of oxygen consumed
So for aerobic process,

ΔHrxn = -115 kJ x 4 mol electrons/gmol of O2 = -460 KJ/g mol of O2

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Heat of Reaction with Oxygen not as Electron Acceptor

where n is the number of moles and

Δh c is the standard molar heat of combustion.

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 Heat of combustion of biomass

CH1.8O0.5N0.2 + 1.2 O2  CO2 + 0.9 H2O + 0.1 N 2

Assuming 5 % ash MW of biomass = 25.9, γB= 4.8 and with q = 115 kJ/gmol

When the composition of the organism is unknown, the heat of combustion can be assumed to be

VIVEK R BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

Energy balance equation for cell culture in a bioreactor

Mv is the mass of liquid evaporated and

Δhv is the latent heat of vaporisation.
ΔHrxn  -ve sign
Ws  shaft power

VIVEK R BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

Problem

Product yield in anaerobic digestion

Anaerobic digestion of volatile acids by methane bacteria is represented by the equation:

The composition of methane bacteria is approximated by the empirical formula

CH1.4O0.40N0.20. For each kg of acetic acid consumed, 0.67 kg of CO2 is evolved. How
does the yield of methane under these conditions compare with the maximum possible
yield?

VIVEK R BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

Problem : Bacterial production of alginate

Azotobacter vinelandii is investigated for production of alginate from sucrose. In a continuous

fermenter at 28°C with ammonia as nitrogen source, the yield of alginate was found to be
4 g g -1 oxygen consumed. It is planned to produce alginate at a rate of 5 kg h - 1 . Since the
viscosity of alginate in aqueous solution is considerable, energy input due to mixing the broth
cannot be neglected. The fermenter is equipped with a flat-bladed disc turbine; at a
satisfactory mixing speed and air flow-rate, power requirements are estimated at 1.5 kW.
Estimate the cooling requirements.

VIVEK R BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

Problem . Continuous ethanol fermentation

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is grown anaerobically in continuous culture at 30°C. Glucose is

used as carbon source; ammonia is the nitrogen source. A mixture of glycerol and ethanol is
produced. At steady state, mass flows to and from the reactor at steady state
are as follows:
Glucose in = 36 kg/h
NH3 in =0.4 kg/h heat of combustion for yeast is - 21.2 kJ/ g
Cells out = 2.81 kg/h
Glycerol out = 7.94 kg/h
Ethanol out = 11.9 kg/h
CO2 out = 13.6 kg/h (Δh°C) glucose = -2805.0 kJ/gmol
H2O out = 0.15 kg/h (Δh° ) NH = - 382.6 kJ /gmol
C 3
(Δh°C) glycerol = -1655.4 kJ/ gmo1
(Δh°C) ethanol = - 1366.8 kJ/ gmol

VIVEK R BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

Problem #9 : Production of glutamic acid

Immobilized cells of a genetically-improved strain of Brevibacterium lactofermentum are used to

convert glucose to glutamic acid for production of MSG (monosodium glutamate).
The immobilized cells are unable to grow, but metabolise glucose according to the equation: A feed
stream of 4% glucose in water enters a 25 000-1itre reactor at 25 °C at a flow rate of 2000 kg h-1. A
gaseous mixture of 12% NH3 in air is sparged into the reactor at 1 atm and 15 °C at a flow rate of
4 vvm (1 vvm means 1 vessel volume per minute). The product stream from the reactor contains
residual sugar at a concentration of 0.5%.
(a) Estimate the cooling requirements.
(b) How important is cooling in this fermentation? For example, assuming the reaction rate remains
constant irrespective of temperature, if cooling were not provided and the reactor operated
adiabatically, what would be the temperature?
(In fact, the rate of conversion will decline rapidly at high temperatures due to cell death and enzyme
deactivation.)

VIVEK R BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

C6H12O6 + NH3 + 1.5 O2  C5H9NO4 + CO2 + 3 H2O

(Δh°C) glucose = -2805.0 kJ/gmol

(Δh°C) NH3= - 382.6 kJ /gmol
(Δh°C) glutamic acid = -2244.1 kJ/gmol

VIVEK R BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

 F= 2000 kg/h
G = N2 + O2 + CO2
4% w/w glucose = 80 kg/h

V = 25 000 L

0.5 % w/w glucose = 0.005 P

P
Air @ 4 vvm = 4x 25000 L/min
= 100000 L/min = 6x106 L/h
12 % NH3 = 7.2 x105 L/h
21 % O2 = 0.21x 0.88x 6x106 = 1.108 x 106 L/h
79% N2 = 0.79x0.88x 6x106 = 4.171 x 106 L/h VIVEK R
n = P V/RT
R= 0.082057 lit.atm/gmol K
T = 288.15 K
kgmole of NH3 = 30.45
kgmole of O2 = 46.86
kg mole of N2 = 176
Liq. Product stream bottom
Overall mass balance

518.5 kg (NH3) + 1500.8 kg (O2) + 4928 kg (N2) + 2000 kg (liquid stream) = P + G

Liquid stream entering top Gas stream leaving top

Gas stream entering bottom

Equation 1

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Glucose consumed = 80 – 0.005 P
In kgmole = (0.444- 2.777 x 10 -5 P)
= kg mole of ammonia consumed
= kg mole of glutamic acid formed
= kgmole of CO2 formed

O2 consumed = 1.5 (0.444- 2.777 x 10 -5 P)

H2O formed = 3 (0.444- 2.777 x 10 -5 P)

VIVEK R BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

Stoichiometry in terms of kg

Glucose consumed = 80 – 0.005 P

NH3 consumed = (7.548 – 4.72 x 10 -4 P)

O2 consumed = (21.312 – 1.332 x 10 -3 P)

Glutamic acid formed = (65.26 – 4.082 x 10 -3 P)

CO2 formed = 19.536 – 1.221 x 10 -3 P)

H2O formed = (23.976 – 1.499 x 10 -3 P)

VIVEK R BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

Off gas (G) in terms of Kg

N2 out = 4928 kg
NH3 out = (510.9 + 4.72 x 10 -4 P)
O2 out = (1479.48 + 1.332 x 10 -3 P)
CO2 out = (19.536 – 1.221 x 10 -3 P)

G = 6427 + 0.111 x 10 -3 P

From eq 1
P + 6427 + 0.111 x 10 -3 P = 8947.3

P = 2519.3 kg
G = 6427 kg
VIVEK R BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus
Answers:
1) Q = -∆𝐻𝑅 = 3.53 x 105 kJ

∆𝐻
2) ∆𝑇 = = 22.8° 𝐶
(𝑚𝑐𝑃 )𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 +(𝑚𝑐𝑃 )𝑎𝑖𝑟

Assume cP of medium as cP of water = 4.186 kJ/kg K

And cP of gas as cP of air – 1.006 kJ/Kg K
Mass of feed water/medium = 2000 kg
Mass of gas (G) = 6947 kg

Hence if the heat is not removed, the temperature of the reactor would
Rise up to a value of 48 °C

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