Problem no: 6

Group no : 12

A ten liter stirred tank bioreactor is used to grow bacillus thurigiensis to produce BT insecticide. The air flow rate is 15 liter per min at 1 atm. The temperature is 37 0C. At mid exponential growth stage and at a cell concentration of 15 g/l, the mass spectrometer measurement of exit gas (i.e. air coming out from the stirred tank bioreactor) shows a composition of 19.2% O2, and 1.8% CO2. The balance is N2, since the water vapor has been completely removed before air entry into mass spectrometer. The dissolved oxygen concentration is 0.08% mmole/l, which is equivalent to 40% of saturation with ambient air (oxygen content in the ambient air is 21%) at 1 atm. Caculate the volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient (KLa) and the specific oxygen consumption rate of the organism. ANS: V(air flow rate) = 15 lit/min Outlet concentration YO2 = 0.192 NA = KLa (C) Dissolved oxygen conc. = 0.08 mmole/lit. P = 1 atm T = 37 0C X (cell concentration) = 15 gram/lit

ln KLa = ln

= KLa
= KLa * t

= .223 min-1
OVR = OTR

qO qO

= specific oxygen consumption rate of the organism. * X = KLa * (C* - Cl )

C* =
)

= 0.201 mmole/lit

qO =
2

qO

= 5.766*10-5 gram of dissolved /gram of cells/min