TEMA 7.

AERACIÓ

Oxygen is needed by cells for respiration (electron acceptor)

oxygen solubility is quite small

continuous aeration 

Actively respiring yeast requires about 0.15 g O2 /(g cell) · h 

P02 JFHOO ÂK

OXYGEN TRANSFER  275 from

gas phase to liquid phase 

liquid
O2 fermentation
medium
bubble

mass transfer coefficient

specific transfer area (area interfacial)
driving force (gradient across interface)

1
 saturation level

Henry’s law

pi = H·Ci H∞T

Ci = P yO2/ H 
P = pressure (atm)
yO2 = molar fraction of oxygen in air, 0.21
H = Henry’s constant (atm·L/mol)

the saturated DO concentration for water at 25ºC and 1 atmDLU ~7 ppm

alter the saturation value
• presence of dissolved salts and organics
• increasing temperatures

Solubility of Oxygen in Fresh Water - Salinity ~ 0

mm
Air Hg
760 1520 3040

Pressure psi 14.7 29.3 58.7

abs
bar 1 2 4

Pa 101.1 202.2 404.3

Temperature Solubility

o o Mol Mol Mol

C F mg/l ml/l mg/l ml/l mg/l ml/l
10-3 10-3 10-3

0 32 457 14.6 10.2 913 29.2 20.5 1823 58.4 40.9

5 41 399 12.8 9.1 798 25.5 18.2 1595 51.1 36.4

10 50 353 11.3 8.2 705 22.6 16.4 1411 45.1 32.8

15 59 315 10.1 7.5 630 20.2 14.9 1260 40.3 29.8

20 68 284 9.1 6.8 568 18.2 13.7 1137 36.4 27.3

25 77 258 8.3 6.3 517 16.5 12.6 1034 33.1 25.3

30 86 236 7.6 5.9 473 15.2 11.8 947 30.3 23.6

35 95 218 7 5.5 436 14 11 872 27.9 22.1

40 104 202 6.5 5.2 404 12.9 10.4 808 25.9 20.8

45 113 189 6 4.9 375 12 9.8 751 24 16.9

50 122 177 5.6 4.6 355 11.3 9.3 710

2
 7.1. Velocitat de transferència d’oxigen (OTR)

boundary layer

air bubble liquid

kg

kl

gas film liquid film

gas-liquid
interface

Oxygen transfer is limited by O2 transfer

through the liquid film surrounding the gas

oxygen transfer rate (OTR)

(
N O 2 = k l a C∗ − C L )
NO2 oxygen transfer rate (mg O2/l-h)

kL oxygen transfer coefficient (cm/h)

a interfacial area per liquid volume (cm-1)

kLa volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient (h-1)

C* saturated oxygen concentration (mg/l)

CLactual oxygen concentration in the broth (mg/l)

3
 7.2. Factors que influeixen en la velocitat de transferència d’oxigen

to improve oxygen transfer

increase kl – make the interface more turbulent

increase a – use smaller bubbles 
increase ∆C – use oxygen enriched air
– don’t maintain CL at an unnecesary high level

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Factors influencing k/a Bioreactor internal arrangements

• Baffles
Operational characteristics • Sparger 
• Location 
Bubble diameter • Type
• Air flow rate
Coalescence
• Impeller 
Residence time • Power imput
• Configuration
Gas hold-up
• stages
Pressure • Size
• speed 
viscosity
density Microorganism
temperature • Growth form 
pH • Concentration of solids
Surface tension • Hydrophobicity of solids 
Ionic strength • Morphology of solids
Anti-foaming agents  • Metabolic products

4
 7.2. Factors que influeixen en la velocitat de transferència d’oxigen

Influence of biomass concentration on oxygen

mass transfer coefficient (vS = 5.02 × 10−3 ms−1)
- bubbles surface blocking by cells adsorption
Biochemical Engineering Journal 20 (2004) 85–94

Influence of biomass concentration on oxygen

mass transfer coefficient (vS = 5.02 × 10−3 ms−1)

Biochemical Engineering Journal 20 (2004) 85–94

5
 7.3. Velocitat de consum d’oxigen (OUR)

oxygen transfer capacity

OTR = kLa · 0.25 mmol/L · h

oxygen uptake rate (OUR)

μ
=- dO 2 = q O 2 X = X
Batch
- rO
reactor 2
dt YX/O 2

6
 7.3. Velocitat de consum d’oxigen (OUR)

specific oxygen uptake rate (q02)

dO 1
qO2 =- 2

dt X

Units of qO2: (mass of O2 consumed) ÷ (unit wt. of dry biomass) . (time)

mM O2/(g dry wt. of biomass) (hr)
g O2 /(g dry wt) (hr)
μL O2 /(mg dry wt) (hr)

qO2
g O2/g dw · h
Aspergillus niger 0.096
Streptomyces griseus 0.096
Penicillium chrysogenum 0,124
Enterobacter aerogenes 0.128
Saccharomyces cerevisiae 0.256
Escherichia coli 0.345

relationship between qO2 and CL is of the Monod type

6 FW
CL
qO2 = qOmax KO2 ~ 0.16 mg/L ~ 2% air sat
2
K O2 + C L

qO2max

½ qO2max
qO2
mg O2 /(g dry wt) (hr)

KO2
CL , mg/L

7
 7.3. Velocitat de consum d’oxigen (OUR)

critical oxygen concentration

CL CRIT. = O2 conc. beyond which O2 is not limiting
C Lcrit
qO2 = 0.99qOmax = qOmax 5%-10% of C* -
2 2
K O2 + C Lcrit bacteria and yeast

q max
0.99 qO2
O2
max

qO2
mg O2 /(g dry wt) (hr)

CL CRITIC
CL , mg/L

Temperature (ºC) CLcrit mg L-1

E. coli 37 0.26
S. cerevisiae 30 0.13
Penicillium sp 24 0.78

Mass Balance of Oxygen %DWFKUHDFWRU

dC L
= k L a(C * −C L ) − q O 2 ·X
dt
at steady-state
rate of O2 transfer = rate of O2 uptake

OTR = OUR

N O 2 =rO 2
k L a(C * −C L ) = q O 2 ·X

kl aC * qO2 ·X
X max = k la =
qR C* −C crit