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Oxygen transfer in intensive microbial culture

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Abstract

Oxygen transfer performances in intensive microbial cultures are compared with those occuring in coalescing and non-coalescing mineral media. E. coli fed-batch cultures are carried out in a 22 L bioreactor. Biomass concentrations of 80 gDW L−1 are reached, with oxygen consumption rates of up to 0.6 mol L−1 h−1. To achieve these high transfer performances, dissipated power e reaches 35 kW m−3. The hold-up in the culture broth and in the corresponding supernatant matches the non-coalescing mineral medium. Oxygen transfer coefficients, K L a in mineral media, and K T in the culture broth, are compared. K T, calculated online from a gas balance method, excesses 1 s−1. Yet, for given values of e, K T is 4–8 times lower than K L a determined in the non-coalescing mineral medium. The cell activity modifies the chemical medium properties and reduces the oxygen transfer conductance, as in a non-coalescing ionic medium containing surfactant.

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Abbreviations

a :

interfacial area (dispersed interfacial area/V L) (m−1)

d 32 :

Sauter mean diameter (m)

dO2 :

dissolved oxygen, percentage of the saturation value

e :

volumetric dissipated power (W m−3)

E chem :

enhancement due to chemical modifications of the medium

E pp :

enhancement due to the physical presence of cells as solid particles

\({{E_{\rm qO}}_{2}}\) :

enhancement due to oxygen consumption

H :

Henry’s law constant (mol L−1 bar−1)

k L :

oxygen transfer conductance in the liquid phase (m s−1)

K L :

overall oxygen transfer conductance defined in the liquid phase (m s−1)

K L,b :

overall oxygen transfer conductance defined in the liquid phase in biological medium (m s−1)

K L a :

overall volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient defined in the liquid phase (s−1)

K T :

overall volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient defined in the liquid phase in biological complex systems, (s−1)

Q :

gas flow rate (L h−1)

\({q_{{\rm O}_{2}}}\) :

volumetric oxygen consumption rate (mol L−1 h−1)

R :

perfect gas constant

RQ :

respiratory quotient

T :

temperature (°K or °C)

Us :

superficial gas velocity (m s−1)

V c :

volume of the living cells (L)

V G :

dispersed gaseous volume (L)

V L :

liquid volume (including microorganisms) (L)

V L-c :

liquid volume excluding the volume of the cells (L)

X :

biomass concentration (gDW L−1)

x :

concentration in the liquid phase (mol L−1)

y :

concentration in the gaseous phase (mol L−1)

α, β, χ:

constants in Eq. 1

ɛ:

gas hold-up

σ:

surface tension (dyne cm−1)

τp :

time constant of the probe (s)

c :

in coalescing medium

lm :

logarithmic mean

N2 :

relative to nitrogen

nci :

in non-coalescing ionic medium

O2 :

relative to oxygen

* :

saturation value according to Henry’s law

in :

inlet of the reactor

out :

outlet of the reactor

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Acknowledgments

We thank JA de Hollander and WJ Beekman from DSM-Food Specialties for their advice, and DSM for having supported this work. We thank P Winterton for his careful rereading.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire d’Ingénierie des Sytèmes Biologiques et des Procédés, UMR INSA-CNRS 5504, UMR INSA-INRA 792, Institut National des Sciences Appliquées, 135 Avenue de Rangueil, 31077, Toulouse Cedex 4, France

    Mathias Fyferling, Jean-Louis Uribelarrea, Gérard Goma & Carole Molina-Jouve

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  1. Mathias Fyferling
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  2. Jean-Louis Uribelarrea
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Correspondence to Mathias Fyferling.

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Fyferling, M., Uribelarrea, JL., Goma, G. et al. Oxygen transfer in intensive microbial culture. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 31, 595–604 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-008-0208-6

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