Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2026

08:13
A Novel Bioreactor for High Density Cultivation of Diverse Microbial Communities
Published on: December 25, 2015
Bed expansion behavior and sensitivity analysis for super-high-rate anaerobic bioreactor
Xiao-guang Chen1, Ping Zheng, Jing Cai
1Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China.
Journal of Zhejiang University. Science. B
|January 28, 2010
Summary
This study models super-high-rate anaerobic bioreactor (SAB) bed expansion, finding fluidization is key for stability. Superficial velocities impact bed expansion and sludge contact time, crucial for efficient anaerobic digestion.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Engineering
- Biochemical Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Super-high-rate anaerobic bioreactors (SABs) are advanced systems for wastewater treatment.
- Understanding bed expansion dynamics is critical for optimizing SAB performance and stability.
- Granular sludge washout can destabilize SAB operation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the bed expansion behavior of SABs.
- To perform a sensitivity analysis of key operational parameters on bed expansion.
- To develop models for predicting bed expansion under different operational states.
Main Methods:
- Established bed expansion behavior models for unfluidization, fluidization, and transportation states.
- Quantified bed expansion ratio (E), maximum bed sludge content (V(pmax)), and maximum bed contact time (tau(max)).
- Analyzed the correlation between superficial gas (ug) and liquid (ul) velocities and bed expansion parameters during stable operation.
Main Results:
- Under fluidization, E ranged from 5.28%-255.69%, V(pmax) from 1,368-4,559 ml, and tau(max) from 104-732 s.
- Bed expansion (E) positively correlated with ug and ul, while V(pmax) and tau(max) negatively correlated.
- Sensitivity analysis showed ug and ul had similar effects on E and V(pmax), but ul had a greater effect on tau(max).
Conclusions:
- The developed models accurately predict SAB bed expansion behavior.
- Fluidization state is essential for stable SAB operation, preventing sludge washout.
- Operational parameters like superficial velocities significantly influence bioreactor efficiency and stability.
Related Concept Videos
Bioreactor Controls-II
In aerobic fermentations, oxygen is vital for microbial growth and metabolite production. Since air comprises only about 20% oxygen and the gas is poorly soluble in water—just 9 ppm at 20°C—supplying sufficient oxygen becomes a critical challenge, especially in high-demand processes like yeast growth or citric acid production. Even a fully saturated broth may offer only a few seconds of oxygen availability.To address this, sterile or scrubbed air is introduced into the fermentor via a sparger...
Bioreactor Design and Operational System
Bioreactors are engineered vessels designed to cultivate microorganisms under controlled conditions for industrial bioprocessing. They maintain sterility and allow precise regulation of pH, temperature, oxygen, and nutrient levels to optimize microbial growth and metabolite production. Bioreactors range from small laboratory units of 1 liter to industrial systems holding up to 500,000 liters, though only about 75% of their volume is actively used for fermentation. The remaining headspace...
Designing Growth Media for Bioreactors
Growth media provide essential nutrients that support cell growth and metabolism, thereby enhancing the yield of valuable products such as enzymes, antibiotics, and biomass. Designing an effective growth medium involves balancing all components to prevent nutrient limitations or toxic excesses, both of which can impair growth and reduce product yields.Composition of a Typical Growth MediumA typical growth medium contains carbon and nitrogen sources, salts, vitamins, trace elements, and...
Scale-Up Processes
The scale-up of microbial fermentation processes is essential in industrial biotechnology, allowing the transition from laboratory-scale experiments to commercial-scale production while aiming to maintain product yield and quality. This process requires meticulous adjustment of equipment design, process parameters, and contamination control strategies to accommodate increasing culture volumes.At the laboratory scale, cultures are typically maintained in 1 to 10-liter glass or autoclavable...
Bioreactor Controls-I
Maintaining optimal conditions within fermenters is essential for maximizing microbial productivity and ensuring process efficiency. This lesson focuses on key parameters—temperature, foam, pH, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and pressure—and their precise measurement and control strategies in fermentation systems.Temperature ControlTemperature regulation is critical due to the exothermic nature of many fermentation processes. In small laboratory fermenters, temperature is commonly monitored using...
Bioreactor Controls-III
Strain improvement is a foundational strategy in industrial microbiology aimed at maximizing microbial productivity, particularly because natural isolates typically yield commercially valuable products in very low concentrations. Although optimizing the culture medium and environmental conditions can improve yields, these adjustments are inherently limited by the organism’s genetic potential. As a result, the focus shifts toward genetic modifications to enhance biosynthetic capacity. The...

