FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING PROGRAMME

SEMESTER 2 2014/2015
BIOPROCESS PRINCIPLES
TITLE: SOLUTION FOR MID-SEMESTER EXAMINATION

Group Members:
NAME

MATRIC. NO.

ANGEL KUOK MEI ERH

BK12110025

MASZIAH BINTI MANSUR

BK12110180

MOHD MIRZUAN BIN MUSLIN

BK12160438

RICCO IRZWIN SYAZRYN BIN MOHD IRFAN

BK12110303

SAUFI AZRAEI BIN RAYMIE

BK12110425

Lecturers Name:

Prof. Pogaku Ravindra

Date of Submission:

27th April 2015

Question 1
Aiba et al. (1968) reported the results of a chemo stat study on the growth of a specific
strain of bakers yeast as shown in the following Table 1. The inlet stream of the chemo stat
did not contain any cells or products.
Table 1

Dilution rate, D,
hr-1
0.084
0.100
0.160
0.198
0.242

Inlet conc. (gL-1)

glucose Csi
21.5
10.9
21.2
20.7
10.8

Steady-state concentration (gL-1)

Glucose, Cs
Ethanol, Cp
Cells, Cx
0.054
7.97
2.00
0.079
4.70
1.20
0.138
8.57
2.40
0.186
8.44
2.33
0.226
4.51
1.25

a) Find the rate equation for cell growth.

Assume the cell growth follows Monod equation, and no endogenous material, kd=0, thus
g= net,
=

For a chemostat system, g=D,

1 +
=

1

1
1
+

A graph of 1/D against 1/Cs is plotted.

1/D , hr
11.905
10.000
6.250
5.051
4.132

1/Cs, g-1L
18.519
12.658
7.246
5.376
4.425

From the graph,

1

= = 2.0

= 0.500 1

= =

11.84.6
17.24.6

= 0.5714 1 .

= 0.57141 . 0.500 1 = 0.2857 1

= =

. +

b) Find the rate equation for product (ethanol) formation.

Assume it is growth-associated product,
1
= /

=

= /

/ is obtained from the slope of graph of CP against Cx.

From the graph,
=

8.2 2.5
= 3.5625 . ( )1
2.2 0.6

= .

. +

Question 2
A simple, batch fermentation of an aerobic bacterium growing on methanol gave the results
shown in the table. Calculate:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

Maximum growth rate (max)

Yield on substrate (YX/S)
Mass doubling time (td)
Saturation constant (Ks)
Specific growth rate (net) at t = 10h
Time (h)
0
2
4
8
10
12
14
16
18

X (g/l)
0.2
0.211
0.305
0.98
1.77
3.2
5.6
6.15
6.2

S(g/l)
9.23
9.21
9.07
8.03
6.8
4.6
0.92
0.077
0

Graph of X,S against t

7
6

X (g/l)

5
4
3
2
1
0
0

10
Time,t(h)

12

14

16

18

20

S (g/l)

10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

a) Maximum grow rate (max)

Maximum growth rate is between t = 10 and t = 12.
X2 = X1et

(1)

ln X2 = (ln X1)(ln et)

ln

2
1

ln

3.2
1.77

=(

= t
= (12-10)

0.592
)
2

max = 0.296 hr-1

b) Yield on substrate (Yx/s)

From the table,
XO = 0.2 hr-1

Xf = 6.2 hr-1

SO =9.23 hr-1

XO = 0 hr-1

Yx/s

6.20.2

9.230

= 0.65

c) Mass doubling time (td)

Mass doubling time is only applicable during the exponential growth phase
-

Use the maximum growth rate period. Rearranging

td =
td =

2
0.296

td = 2.34 hr
Mass doubling time, td = 2.34 hr

d) Saturation constant (Ks)

The value is in between 3 last points where the substrate is about to exhausted.
It is between S = 0.0 gl-1 and S= 0.92 gl-1
Ks

= (0 + 0.92)/2
= 0.46

e) Specific growth rate (net) at t = 10h

Specific growth rate is in midway into the fermentation run.
It is the same as max = 0.292 hr-1

3. The growth rate of E. coli can be expressed by monod kinetics with the parameters of
max = 0.935 hr-1 and ks = 0.71 g/L. Assume that the cell yield Yx/s is 0.6 g dry cells per g
substrate. If Cx0 is 1 g/L and Cs = 10 g/L when the cells start to grow exponentially, at t0 =
0, show how ln Cx, Cx, Cs, dln Cx/dt and dCx/dt, change with respect to time.
Solution:
=

=
Net specific growth rate = growth 0f cells
Kd = 0, cells start to grow exponentially.

= .

Assume that a single chemical species is in a growth rate limiting,

Monod equation,
=

.
+

.
=

+
Based on the question, S = Cs, x = Cx
Thus,

+
.

.
+

=
.
0

+
[] = []
.

Cx increased at step size = 0.1. Thus, Cs I calculated.

= 1

0
/

Value of t is calculated from integration value of Cs and Cx.

For Cx = 1.0, Step size = 0.1
0.71 + 10
(ln 1 ln 1) =
0.935(10)
t=0
= 10

11
0.6

Cs = 10
0
=

1 1
=
=0

0
0
=

1 1
=
=0

For Cx = 1.1,
0.71 + 10
(ln 1.1 ln 1) =
0.935(10)
t = 0.1092 h
1.1 1
=
= 0.9158

0.1092
1.1 1
=
= 0.8728

0.1092
Then, we continue to iterate the value of t by using Microsoft excel. The table below only
shows some of the iterations values.

Cx
1.0
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.7
1.8
1.9
2.0

Cs
10
9.833
9.5
9.0
8.333
7.5
6.5
5.333
4.0
2.5
0.833

t
0
0.1092
0.2091
0.3016
0.3883
0.4706
0.5503
0.6295
0.7123
0.8083
0.9519

ln Cx
0
0.0953
0.1823
0.2624
0.3365
0.4055
0.4700
0.5306
0.5878
0.6419
0.6932

dCx
0
0.9158
0.9564
0.9947
1.0301
1.0625
1.0903
1.1120
1.1231
1.1134
1.0505

dln Cx
0
0.8728
0.8719
0.8699
0.8665
0.8616
0.8541
0.8429
0.8252
0.7941
0.7282

Based on the iterations, we will plot the graphs that show the relation of ln Cx, Cx, Cs, dln
Cx/dt and dCx/dt against time.

Graph Cx,Cs against time

12

Cx,Cs against time

10

Cx, Cs

8
6

Cx
Cs

4
2
0
0

4
time

Graph ln Cx against time

ln Cx against time
2.5

ln Cx

2
1.5

1
0.5
0
0

time

Graph dCx/dt against time

dCx/dt against time

3
2.5

dCx/dt

2
1.5
1
0.5
0
0

4
time

Graph d(ln Cx)/dt against time

d(ln Cx)/dt

d(lnCx)/dt against time

1
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0

4
time

4. Penicillin is produced by P.chrysogenum in a fed-batch culture with the intermittent

addition of glucose solution to the culture medium. The initial culture volume at quasi-steady
state is V0 = 500L, and glucose-containing nutrient solution is added with a flow rate of F =

50 . Glucose concentration in the feed solution and initial cell concentration are S 0 = 300

and X0 = 20 , respectively. The kinetic and yield coefficient of the organisms are um = 0.2

h-1, Ks = 0.5 , and = 0.3

(a) Determine the culture volume at t=10h.

= 0 +

= 500 + (50 )(10)

= 1000 #
(b) Determine the concentration of glucose at t=10h at quasi steady state.

50

= (0.5 )( ) = 0.1667
0.2
0.05

= 0.05 h-1

1000

0.05

(c) Determine the concentration and total amount of cells at quasi-steady state when t
=10h.
Amount of glucose
= 0 + 0

= (20 500) + (50

0.3

300

= 10 000 g glucose + 45 000 g glucose

= 55 000
Concentration of glucose
[ ] =

55 000
1000

[ ] = 55

10 )

(d) If qp = 0.05

and Po =0.1 , determine the product concentration in the vessel

at t=10h.

= 0

0
0
+ ( +
)

= (0.1

= 0.05

( 0.75)10
+ 2.75

500
)
1000

= 20.675 21

+ (0.05

55

500
)(

1000

0.05
10

)10