Bioprocess kinetics in a horizontal rotating tubular bioreactor

A horizontal rotating tubular bioreactor (HRTB) is a plug flow bioreactor whose interior is provided with O-ring-shaped partition walls that serve as carriers for microbial biomass. During this investigation, microbial biomass was grown in suspension and on the bioreactor inner surface as a microbial biofilm with average mass that was considerably higher than suspended biomass. The dynamics of bioprocess in HRTB was studied by different combinations of process parameters (bioreactor rotation speed and mean residence time) and it was monitored by withdrawing the samples from five positions along the bioreactor. During this investigation it was also observed that mean residence time had a more pronounced effect on the bioprocess dynamics than bioreactor rotation speed. For the description of bioprocess kinetics in HRTB an unstructured kinetic model was established that defines biomass growth, product formations and substrate consumption rate by using a modified Monod (Levenspiel) model. This kinetic model defines changes in suspension and in microbial biofilm, and it shows relatively good agreement with experimental data.