CHEMOSTAT IN SERIES

SAMPLE PROBLEM

CHEMOSTAT IN SERIES

In a two stage chemostat system, the volumes of the first and second
reactors are 500 L and 300 L respectively. The first reactor is used for
biomass production and the second is for a secondary metabolite
formation. The feed flow rate to the first reactor is F = 100 L/h, and
the glucose concentration is 5.0 g/L. Use the following constants for
the cells.
m = 0.3 h-1, Ks = 0.1 g/L Y X/S= 0.4 g/g

Determine the cell and glucose concentrations after the first stage.

Assume that growth is negligible in the second stage and the specific
rate of product formation is qP = 0.02 gP/g cell hr, and Y P/S = 0.6
gP/gS. Analyze and estimate the product and substrate
concentrations in the effluent of the second.

ANALYSIS
GIVEN:

V1 = 500L

F = 100L/h

S0 = 5.0g/L

m = 0.3/hr; Ks = 0.1g/L
YX/S = 0.4g/g

qp = 0.02g P/g cellhr

YP/S = 0.6g P/g S

REQUIRED:

(a) S1, X1

(b) S2, P2

V2 = 300L

For any stage n:

X n 1
n Dn (1
)
Xn

qp X n
n X n
S n S n 1

M
DnYX / S DnYP / S

Pn Pn 1

qp X n
Dn

SOLUTION

Assuming steady state is reached and feed is sterile:

So,

Xs

Using (1): S1=-0.12

----- Equation 1

SOLUTION

Production is optimum when substrate utilization is maximized:

P2 = 0.12 g/L