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Influence of age and structure of Pencillium chrysogenum pellets on the internal concentration profiles

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Abstract

Pellets of Penicillium chrysogenum which were spontaneously formed after a certain stage of a batch fermentation, displayed a considerable structural change in course of their lifetime. Microelectrode studies showed the internal mass transport properties of these pellets (diameter 1–3 mm) to be highly effected by their morphological structure. Relatively young pellets, in an early stage of the batch fermentation, possessed a homogeneous and dense structure. These pellets were only partly penetrated by oxygen (ca. 70 μm) at air saturated bulk conditions. Older pellets, in a final stage of the batch fermentation, were stratified and fluffy. They were completely penetrated by oxygen due to a decreased activity and a higher diffusivity. Investigations with glucose microelectrodes revealed that glucose consumption inside pellets of all lifetimes exclusively occurred in the periphery, indicating that growth was restricted to these regions only.

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Abbreviations

C mol/m3 :

Concentration

De m2/s:

Effective diffusion coefficient in pellet

D gel m2/s:

Effective diffusion coefficient in gel

D m2/s:

Effective diffusion coefficient obtained from transient state experiment

k mol/(m3 s):

Zero order rate constant

Q mol/(m3/s):

Oxygen uptake rate

Q' mol/(m3 s):

Effective oxygen uptake rate

R m:

Radius of the pellet

r m:

Distance from the centre of the pellet

v m/s:

Average fluid velocity

y :

Dimensionless oxygen concentration

φ :

Thiele modulus: R(k/Ci, oDe0)1/2

λ m:

Oxygen penetration depth

ρ :

Dimensionless distance

b :

Bulk liquid

c :

Centre of the pellet

g :

Glucose

i :

Liquid-pellet interface

o :

oxygen

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 166, 1018, WV Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    C. C. H. Cronenberg, S. P. P. Ottengraf & J. C. van den Heuvel

  2. Institut für Technische Chemie der Universität Hannover, Callinstr. 3, D-30167, Hannover, Germany

    F. Pottel, D. Sziele, K. Schügerl & K. H. Bellgardt

Authors
  1. C. C. H. Cronenberg
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  2. S. P. P. Ottengraf
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  3. J. C. van den Heuvel
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  4. F. Pottel
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  5. D. Sziele
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  6. K. Schügerl
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  7. K. H. Bellgardt
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Cronenberg, C.C.H., Ottengraf, S.P.P., van den Heuvel, J.C. et al. Influence of age and structure of Pencillium chrysogenum pellets on the internal concentration profiles. Bioprocess Eng. 10, 209–216 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00369531

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00369531

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