FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING PROGRAMME

SEMESTER 2 2014/2015

BIOPROCESS PRINCIPLES

TITLE: SOLUTION FOR MID-SEMEST

MID -SEMESTER
ER EXAMINATION

Group Members:

NAME MATRIC. NO.

 ANGEL KUOK MEI ERH BK12110025
MASZIAH BINTI MANSUR BK12110180
MOHD MIRZUAN BIN MUSLIN BK12160438
RICCO IRZWIN SYAZRYN BIN MOHD IRFAN BK12110303
SAUFI AZRA’EI BIN RAYMIE  BK12110425

Lecturer’s Name: Prof. Pogaku Ravindra

Date of Submission: 27th April 2015

Question 1

 Aiba et al. (1968) reported the results of a chemo stat study on the growth of a specific
strain of baker s yeast as shown in the following Table 1. The inlet stream of the chemo stat
’ 

did not contain any cells or products.

Table 1

Dilution rate, D, Inlet conc. (gL-1) Steady-state concentration (gL-1)

hr-1 glucose Csi Glucose, Cs Ethanol, Cp Cells, Cx
0.084 21.5 0.054 7.97 2.00
0.100 10.9 0.079 4.70 1.20
0.160 21.2 0.138 8.57 2.40
0.198 20.7 0.186 8.44 2.33
0.242 10.8 0.226 4.51 1.25

a) Find the rate equation for cell growth.

 Assume the cell growth follows Monod equation, and no endogenous material, k d=0, thus
 =
g net,

  
=
+

For a chemostat system,  =D,

g

∴   
=
+

1 
=
+

  
1
 =
    1
+
1

   
 A graph of 1/D against 1/Cs is plotted.

1/D , hr 1/Cs, g-1L

11.905 18.519
10.000 12.658
6.250 7.246
5.051 5.376
4.132 4.425
From the graph,

1
 =  − = 2.0
 = 0.500 ℎ− 1

 =  = − = 0.5714 − . ℎ

11.8 4.6 1
  − 17.2 4.6

∴  = 0.5714− . ℎ × 0.500ℎ− = 0.2857 −

1 1 1

 =   = + 
.  
∴  = .  + 

b) Find the rate equation for product (ethanol) formation.

 Assume it is growth-associated product,

1  =   
  /

 =  =    
/

 =  +  

   is obtained from the slope of graph of C
/ P against Cx.

From the graph,

 = ∆
∆ = 
 = 8.2 − 2.5 = 3.5625  . ( )− 1
2.2 − 0.6

.  
 = . .  + 
Question 2

 A simple, batch fermentation of an aerobic bacterium growing on methanol gave the results
shown in the table. Calculate:

a) Maximum growth rate (µ max)

b)  Yield on substrate (Y X/S)
c) Mass doubling time (td)
d) Saturation constant (K s)
e) Specific growth rate (µnet) at t = 10h

Time (h) X (g/l) S(g/l)

0 0.2 9.23
2 0.211 9.21
4 0.305 9.07
8 0.98 8.03
10 1.77 6.8
12 3.2 4.6
14 5.6 0.92
16 6.15 0.077
18 6.2 0

Graph of X,S against t

7 10

9
6
8
5 7

    ) 4 6 S
    l (
    / g
   g
    ( 5 /
l
)
   X3
4

2 3

2
1
1

0 0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20

Time,t(h)
 a) Maximum grow rate (µmax)

Maximum growth rate is between t = 10 and t = 12.

X2 = X1eµ ∆ t (1)

ln X2 = (ln X1)(ln eµ ∆ t)


ln = µ∆t


3.2
ln = µ(12-10)
1.77

0.592
µ=( )
2

µmax = 0.296 hr-1

b)  Yield on substrate (Y  x/s)

From the table,

XO = 0.2 hr-1 Xf = 6.2 hr-1

SO =9.23 hr-1 XO = 0 hr-1

 − 
 Y x/s =
 − 

6.2−0.2
=
9.23−0

= 0.65

c) Mass doubling time (td)

Mass doubling time is only applicable during the exponential growth phase

- Use the maximum growth rate period. Rearranging

 2
td =
µ

 2
td =
0.296

td = 2.34 hr

Mass doubling time, td = 2.34 hr

 d) Saturation constant (K s)

The value is in between 3 last points where the substrate is about to exhausted.

It is between S = 0.0 gl-1 and S= 0.92 gl-1

K s = (0 + 0.92)/2
= 0.46

e) Specific growth rate (µ net) at t = 10h

Specific growth rate is in midway into the fermentation run.

It is the same as μmax = 0.292 hr-1

3. The growth rate of E. coli  can be expressed by monod kinetics with the parameters of
µmax = 0.935 hr-1 and k s = 0.71 g/L. Assume that the cell yield Y x/s is 0.6 g dry cells per g
substrate. If Cx0 is 1 g/L and Cs = 10 g/L when the cells start to grow exponentially, at t 0 =
0, show how ln Cx, Cx, Cs, dln Cx/dt and dCx/dt, change with respect to time.

Solution:

µ = 1 
 =  

 =  −
Net specific growth rate = growth 0f cells

K d = 0, cells start to grow exponentially.

 = .

 Assume that a single chemical species is in a growth rate limiting,

Monod equation,

 = .

 = .
  
Based on the question, S = Cs, x = Cx

Thus,
 = .  
 +
+  = 
. 
  ∫  = ∫ 
.   

  [] = []

.
Cx increased at step size = 0.1. Thus, Cs I calculated.

 = 1 − /
−0
 Value of t is calculated from integration value of Cs and Cx.

For Cx = 1.0, Step size = 0.1

0.71 10  (ln1− ln1) = 

0.935(10)
t=0

 = 10 − 10.−61
Cs = 10

 =  − 0

 
 = 1 − 1 = 0
 0
 =  −0
 
 = 1 −1 = 0
 0

For Cx = 1.1,

0.71 10  (ln1.1 −ln1) = 

0.935(10)
t = 0.1092 h

 = 1.1 −1 = 0.9158

 0.1092
 = 1.1 − 1  = 0.8728
 0.1092
Then, we continue to iterate the value of t by using Microsoft excel. The table below only
shows some of the iterations values.
 Cx Cs t ln Cx dCx dln Cx
1.0 10 0 0 0 0
1.1 9.833 0.1092 0.0953 0.9158 0.8728
1.2 9.5 0.2091 0.1823 0.9564 0.8719
1.3 9.0 0.3016 0.2624 0.9947 0.8699
1.4 8.333 0.3883 0.3365 1.0301 0.8665
1.5 7.5 0.4706 0.4055 1.0625 0.8616
1.6 6.5 0.5503 0.4700 1.0903 0.8541
1.7 5.333 0.6295 0.5306 1.1120 0.8429
1.8 4.0 0.7123 0.5878 1.1231 0.8252
1.9 2.5 0.8083 0.6419 1.1134 0.7941
2.0 0.833 0.9519 0.6932 1.0505 0.7282

Based on the iterations, we will plot the graphs that show the relation of ln Cx, Cx, Cs, dln
Cx/dt and dCx/dt against time.

Graph Cx,Cs against time

12
Cx,Cs against time

10

   s
   C
 ,
   x
6
   C Cx

4 Cs

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
time
Graph ln Cx against time

ln Cx against time
2.5

1.5
   x
   C
   n
    l
1

0.5

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
time

Graph dCx/dt against time

dCx/dt against time

3

2.5

2
   t
    d
    /
   x 1.5
   C
    d

0.5

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
time
Graph d(ln Cx)/dt against time

d(lnCx)/dt against time

1
0.9
0.8
0.7
   t
    d
    /
0.6
    )
   x
   C 0.5
   n
    l
    (
    d
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
time
4. Penicillin is produced by P.chrysogenum   in a fed-batch culture with the intermittent
addition of glucose solution to the culture medium. The initial culture volume at quasi-steady
state is V0 = 500L, and glucose-containing nutrient solution is added with a flow rate of F =

50 . Glucose concentration in the feed solution and initial cell concentration are S 0 = 300

 

and X0 = 20 , respectively. The kinetic and yield coefficient of the organisms are u m = 0.2


h-1, K s = 0.5 , and   = 0.3
  .
   
(a) Determine the culture volume at t=10h.

 =  + 
=500+50 ℎ10ℎ
=1000 #
(b) Determine the concentration of glucose at t=10h at quasi steady state.

  
 =  =   = 0.05 h-1
 .
   = .    = 0.1667  
 = − . − .

 #

(c) Determine the concentration and total amount of cells at quasi-steady state when t
=10h.

 Amount of glucose
  =  +  
  = 20   500+50   0.3  
    300     10 ℎ

  = 10 000 g glucose + 45 000 g glucose
  = 55 000  
Concentration of glucose

[  ] = 55 0001000
 

[  ] =55  
 #
(d) If qp = 0.05
  and P  =0.1, determine the product concentration in the vessel
 . o

at t=10h.

 =   +   ( + 2)

=0.1  x   ) + (0.05    55  )(   + .
    10ℎ
    .    
=0.05  +2.75  
  0.7510
 = 20.675  # ≈ 21