ISSN:
0006-3592
Keywords:
Chemistry
;
Biochemistry and Biotechnology
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Process Engineering, Biotechnology, Nutrition Technology
Notes:
The biological rate equation that describes the overall rate of substrate uptake by microbial films has been extended to microbial flocs with the aid of a shape parameter. The “solid”- and liquid-phase diffusion limitations are explored and found to depend largely on a dimensionles characteristic size k21Vp/Ap. Procedures are discussed by which k21Vp/Ap can be determined from experimental data on the conversion efficiency in a completely mixed fermentor and measurements carried out on flocs recovered from the fermentor are assessed. Floc size distributions are shown to affect the performance characteristics of a fermentor when some of the flocs are sufficiently large to exhibit a diffusional limitation, and it is concluded that a single mean floc size (k21Vp/Ap)* is sufficient to characterize a given distribution, at least when all the flocs are geometrically similar. The mean floc size closely corresponds to the “surface” mean floc size of the floc size distributions.
Additional Material:
11 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/bit.260210209
