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Continuous alcohol fermentation in an immobilized cell rotating disk reactor.

M Del Borghi1, A Converti, F Parisi

  • 1Instituto di Scienze e Technologie dell'Ingegneria Chimica, Facoltà di Ingegneria dell'Università di Genova, Via Opera Pia 15, 16145 Genova, Italy.

Biotechnology and Bioengineering
|June 1, 1985
PubMed
Summary

This study explores the rotating biological surface (RBS) reactor for alcohol fermentation, enhancing ethanol productivity by 2.5 times using immobilized yeast cells on a spongy material.

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Area of Science:

  • Biotechnology
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Industrial Microbiology

Background:

  • Growing interest in alcohol fermentation driven by the energy crisis.
  • Review of existing alcohol fermentation reactor technologies.
  • Introduction of the rotating biological surface (RBS) reactor as a novel immobilized cell system.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the performance of the RBS reactor for alcohol fermentation.
  • To evaluate the effectiveness of a spongy material for yeast cell immobilization.
  • To compare productivity in batch and continuous modes with and without cell support.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a rotating biological surface (RBS) reactor with a spongy material for yeast cell trapping.
  • Conducted fermentations in batch, continuous with cell support (RBS-ICR), and continuous without cell support modes.
  • Measured and compared ethanol productivity across different operational conditions.

Main Results:

  • Achieved an ethanol productivity of 7.1 g/L h in the RBS-ICR at a dilution rate of 0.3 h(-1).
  • Demonstrated a 2.5-fold increase in productivity compared to the RBS reactor without support.
  • Observed enhanced performance by combining the RBS reactor with spongy cell immobilization.

Conclusions:

  • The RBS reactor with immobilized yeast cells significantly enhances alcohol fermentation efficiency.
  • Spongy material immobilization effectively traps yeast cells, boosting reactor performance.
  • The RBS-ICR offers a promising, high-productivity solution for industrial alcohol fermentation.