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Characterizing mixing in a rotating drum bioreactor for solid-state fermentation

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Abstract

A method, based on the use of wheat bran particles dyed with Rhodamine-WT as tracer particles, was developed to characterize mixing in a 200 l rotating drum bioreactor used for solid state fermentation. The extraction process contributes a 15% relative error in determining Rhodamine concentrations. Extraction efficiency is not affected by autoclaving of the bran and there is no inter-particle transfer of dye during the mixing of bran within the drum. For an unbaffled drum rotated at 5 rpm the axial dispersion coefficient is 9.15 cm2 min−1.

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Marsh, A., Stuart, D., Mitchell, D. et al. Characterizing mixing in a rotating drum bioreactor for solid-state fermentation. Biotechnology Letters 22, 473–477 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005675703617

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005675703617

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