The Filtration Properties of Atropa belladonna Plant Cell Suspensions; Effects of Hydrodynamic Shear and Elevated Carbon Dioxide Levels on Culture and Filtration Parameters

The filtration properties of Atropa belladonna plant cell suspensions cultured at different bioreactor stirrer speeds and gas-phase carbon dioxide levels were measured. Cell cake compressibility did not vary significantly with culture time, shear intensity or carbon dioxide concentration. Average cell cake permeability decreased by c. 70% with increasing stirrer speeds between 400 and 1000 rpm, and could be correlated with concomitant reductions in cell aggregate size. Permeability was more responsible than other culture parameters, such as growth, cell membrane integrity and protein release, to levels of hydrodynamic energy dissipation in the range 10⁶–10⁹ J m⁻³. Cell cake permeability was significantly affected by carbon dioxide levels of 10 and 15%, but not 2%. Average permeability at 15% CO₂ was reduced by c. 50% compared with the air-sparged control culture, even though aggregate size, morphological characteristics and filtered cake compressibility were unaltered. A distinctive pattern of permeability change over the course of the cultures was observed when the reactor conditions were not inhibitory to growth; however, this pattern was destroyed at medium-to-high shear levels and high carbon dioxide concentrations. © 1997 SCI.     

Modeling for local dynamic behaviors of phenol biodegradation in bubble columns

A coupled three-dimensional (3-D) model, combining hydrodynamics with biochemical reactions, was developed to simulate the local transient flow patterns and the dynamic behaviors of cell growth and phenol biodegradation by yeast Candida tropicalis in the bubble-column bioreactor, using the computational fluid dynamic (CFD) method. In order to validate this proposed model effectively, the validation of the local hydrodynamic characteristics of the gas-mineral salt solution (gas-liquid) two-phase system, with the phenol concentration of 1200 mg/L, and with the absence of cells, was performed in a square-sectioned bubble column bioreactor using the LDA system and conductivity probe. Furthermore, the validation of phenol biodegradation behaviors by yeast Candida tropicalis at different initial concentrations of phenol and cell was also carried out in the above bubble-column bioreactor. The results indicated that the model simulations had a satisfying agreement with the experimental data. Finally, the local instantaneous flow and phenol biodegradation features including gas holdup, gas velocity, liquid velocity, cell concentration and phenol concentration inside the bioreactor were successfully predicted in different-scale bubble columns by the proposed model. © 2006 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2006     

Interactions between an alga and three bacterial species in a consortium selected for photosynthetic biomass and starch production

A four-membered consortium (MA003) of an algal species and bacteria was selected from a natural source for its ability to grow at 37°C and produce starch photosynthetically from carbon dioxide. The photosynthetic culture consisted of a Chlorella-like green alga (A003) and three heterotrophic bacteria, Alcaligenes sp. (B001), Flavobacter sp. (B002) and Serratia sp. (B003). The substrates for the bacterial growth were probably organic nitrogen and carbon compounds excreted by the alga at specific rates which were independent of the algal specific growth rate. The maximum specific growth rate of the alga was decreased by an inhibitor produced by bacterium B002. Bacterium B001 removed the inhibitor of algal growth released by bacterium B002, and bacterium B003 decreased the growth of bacterium B002 and consequently the production of algal growth inhibitor. The growth of bacterium B003 was greatly suppressed in the four-member consortium MA003. The coexisting bacteria in toto, did not affect the growth rate, yield and starch production of the algal member, but did help to establish a stable ecosystem and increase the biomass available. A culture density up to 36 g dry weight dm^?3 was achieved without significant variation in the ratio of the species in the culture.     

Growth kinetics and lipid production using Chlorella vulgaris in a circulating loop photobioreactor

BACKGROUND: Compared with agriculture, microalgae culture promises to be a novel way of producing lipids for both food consumption and transportation fuel (biodiesel) purposes while using a minimal amount of land area. A circulating loop photobioreactor has been used to study the growth kinetics and lipid yield of Chlorella vulgaris growing on carbon dioxide as the sole source of carbon. RESULTS: Because of high photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) fluxes, C. vulgaris was observed to grow in exponential mode. The highest growth rate achieved was 0.049 h^?1 at the optimum growth conditions of 71.8 mW L^?1 PAR density, 10% CO₂ (v/v) in air and with an applied 8 h dark phase. The microalgae was observed to grow in a Monod fashion with a PAR density saturation coefficient of 2.8 mW L^?1. Light intensity showed the potential to significantly increase lipid yield, which reached a maximum of 30% (by mass) of cell dry weight. CONCLUSION: The circulating loop photobioreactor is a low‐cost bioreactor technology capable of culturing photosynthetic microalgae at high PAR densities and with uniform mixing and lighting. C. vulgaris is able to grow exponentially in this bioreactor and produce lipids at concentrations up to 30% by cell dry weight. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Growth of Rhizobium leguminosarum on peat in rotating bioreactors

The legume inoculant Rhizobium leguminosarum was grown on peat in roller bottles and a rotating drum bioreactor. Growth conditions were first determined using experiments in roller bottles. The best growth rate and cell count were obtained with peat containing 40% moisture (wet basis) and a volume fraction of moist peat of 0.3 in the roller bottle bioreactors. A cell count of 1.3 to 1.9 × 10⁹ CFU/g was achieved in 4 d or less, from an initial inoculum of 10⁶ CFU/g. In a rotating drum bioreactor, the growth of R.leguminosarum on peat with sucrose as the main carbon source was completed after 4 d. The majority of growth was in the first 2 d, based on carbon dioxide evolution. These results showed that growth of R. leguminosarum was more rapid in the rotating drum than in bags of peat, due to enhanced oxygen transfer.     

Suspension culture of Nicotiana tabacum cells in a rotary-drum bioreactor

Suspension cultures of Nicotiana tabacum (tobacco) were studied using a rotary-drum bioreactor and the effects of various operating factors on culture growth were investigated. Conditions of oxygen concentration, aeration and drum rotation rates required for optimum culture growth rate were determined. The results were compared with those obtained in an air-lift bioreactor with a draft tube. The culture growth rates were higher in the rotary-drum bioreactor than in the air-lift bioreactor under the same conditions of aeration. The rotary-drum bioreactor was superior to the air-lift bioreactor in respect of oxygen mass transfer and the level of shear damage to N. tabacum cells.     

Dynamic properties of a continuous stirred tank biofilm bioreactor for aerobic processes

A dynamic analysis of a continuous stirred tank bioreactor with biofilm was performed. The existence of gas, liquid, and biofilm were taken into account. The proposed heterogeneous model of such bioreactor takes into account dynamic biofilm growth and interphase transfer of substrates and biomass for a double‐substrate aerobic process. Simulations were performed to investigate the influence of important process parameters, i.e., toxic substrate concentration in the feed stream, detachment rate coefficient, mean residence time of the liquid and aeration intensity, on dynamic properties of the bioreactor. Dynamic behavior at conditions of anoxia of microorganisms were shown. A method was proposed to reduce bioreactor start‐up time significantly. The paper presents a mathematical model of the bioreactor that uses a discrete model of biofilm growth based on the theory of cellular automata. Dynamics of the bioreactor based on the continuous and discrete biofilm model was compared. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 63: 1818–1829, 2017     

A study of mycelial growth and exopolysaccharide production from a submerged culture of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mycoleptodonoides aitchisonii</Emphasis> in an air-lift bioreactor

We determined the optimal culture and medium conditions for effective production of mycelial mass and exopolysaccharide from a liquid culture of Mycoleptodonoides aitchisonii in an air-lift bioreactor. The mycelial growth and exopolysaccharide production were found to be optimal at a temperature of 25 °C and pH of 6.5. When 60 g/L of lactose was used as a carbon source, the maximum mycelial growth and exopolysaccharide production were obtained. The polypeptone and yeast extract were the most appropriate nitrogen sources for mycelial growth and exopolysaccharide production. In addition, when a mixture of 20 g/L of polypeptone and 5 g/L of yeast extract was used, the exopolysaccharide production increased 50% compared to that of the sole nitrogen source. CaCl₂·2H₂O (1.0 g/L) was the most effective mineral source. Using the optimal culture and medium conditions, batch cultures with basal and designed medium on mycelial growth and exopolysaccharide production in a 5 L air-lift bioreactor were carried out for 16 days. The mycelial growth and exopolysaccharide production increased with an increase of culture time at 14 days, and the maximum mycelial growth and exopolysaccharide production were 20.3 and 6.2 g/L, respectively, after 14 days of culture. The developed model in an air-lift bioreactor showed good agreement with experimental data. These results indicate that exopolysaccharide production is associated with the mycelial growth of M. aitchisonii in an air-lift bioreactor.     

Effect of Carbon Dioxide Chemical Absorption on Bubble Diameter and Interfacial Area

The influence of a gas‐liquid chemical reaction on the interfacial area produced in a contactor is analyzed. Two different amines were used to capture carbon dioxide by chemical absorption. The effects of the operation time, the amine used, the concentration interval, and the gas flow rate on typical hydrodynamic parameters used in bubble columns such as the gas holdup and the Sauter mean diameter were investigated. These parameters were used to determine the interfacial area value. Significant influences on the gas‐liquid interfacial area were detected, mainly caused by the reaction rate intensity, the physicochemical properties of the liquid phase, and the gas flow rate fed to the contactor.     

Potential fuel oils from the microalga Choricystis minor

BACKGROUND: Continuous culture of the freshwater microalga Choricystis minor was investigated for possible use in producing lipid feedstock for making biofuels. The effects of temperature (10–30 °C) and dilution rate (0.005–0.017 h^?1) on lipid productivity in a nutrient sufficient medium in a 4 L stirred tank bioreactor under continuous illumination at an incident irradiance level of 550 µE · m^?2s^?1 and a controlled pH of 6 under carbon dioxide supplemented conditions are reported. RESULTS: The maximum lipid productivity was 82 mg L^?1 d^?1 at 25 °C and a dilution rate of 0.014 h^?1. Lipid contents of the biomass were 21.3 ± 1.7 g per 100 g of dry biomass, irrespective of the culture temperature and dilution rate. After the biomass had been grown in nutrient sufficient conditions in continuous culture, it was recovered and subjected to various postharvest treatments. With the best postharvest treatment, the neutral lipid contents of the algal biomass were raised ～6‐fold relative to untreated biomass. CONCLUSION: At 82 mg L^?1 d^?1, or 21 000 L ha^?1 year^?1, the lipid productivity of C. minor was nearly four times the lipid productivity of oil palm, a highly productive crop. Therefore, C. minor is potentially a good source of renewable lipid feedstock for biofuels. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Inhibition of penicillin production by carbon dioxide

By means of chemostat culture and automatic control of pH and dissolved oxygen tension the penicillin fermentation was controlled so that the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (P_co2) in the gas phase was the only variable. This reveals that under the conditions used carbon dioxide strongly inhibits penicillin production. The synthesis rate (units/mg dry mycelium x h) was decreased about 50% by a P_co2 of 0.08 atm.     

Study of Local Gas Holdup and Specific Interfacial Area in a Split-Column Airlift Bioreactor Using Sphosticated 4-Point Optical Probe for Culturing Microlgae/Cyanobacteria

Local gas holdup (?) and interfacial area (a) at different axial locations of the riser and downcomer of a split-column airlift bioreactor were investigated using a sophisticated four-point optical probe. Such a type of a reactor has been found to outperform both bubble-column and draft-tube airlift bioreactors for culturing microalgae. The effect of superficial gas velocity (0.3–2.8 cm/s) on both gas holdup and interfacial area was studied using air–water system. It was found that both gas holdup and interfacial area significantly decrease from the top to the bottom of the downcomer for all superficial gas velocities, while their variation from the bottom to the top for the riser was found to be much less than that of the downcomer at the same superficial gas velocities. It was found that the interfacial area of the riser tends to increase by 35% from the bottom to the upper middle point of the column (6.15 Z/D from the bottom), then declines by 10% at the top location (7.7 Z/D from the bottom). Empirical correlations were obtained relating the gas holdup and specific interfacial area to superficial gas velocity of the riser and the downcomer of the bioreactor. It was found that the riser has to be represented as upper and lower halves to be best correlated, while the only upper half of the downcomer was successfully correlated. Having obtained variable interfacial area (a) at different locations of both the riser and the downcomer of the bioreactor, the local K_La consequently changes as a function of the location of the bioreactor and hence needs to be investigated locally as opposed to the current studies that have only measured and correlated the overall K_La.     

Influence of high partial pressure of carbon dioxide and/or oxygen on nitrification

The advent of new intensive wastewater treatment processes with high rates of solution of oxygen, such as the oxygen activated-sludge process and the Deep-Shaft process, implies that there will be conditions of high concentrations of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the mixed liquor. These processes, as operated, have problems in maintaining nitrification. To determine how the above conditions affect the nitrifying bacteria, other than by reducing the pH, a mixed culture of nitrifying bacteria was maintained on a synthetic substrate in a computer-controlled chemostat at constant pH and temperature, with different proportions of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the aeration gas. The specific growth rate of the ammonia-oxidising bacteria was independent of the concentration of carbon dioxide in the gaseous phase when this was between 0.03 and 2.0%. The ammonia-oxidising bacteria were initially inhibited by high partial pressures of oxygen but eventually became acclimatised and retained this property, even when grown for several generations at lower partial pressures.     

Molecular dynamics study on growth of carbon dioxide and methane hydrate from a seed crystal

In the current work, molecular dynamics simulation is employed to understand the intrinsic growth of carbon dioxide and methane hydrate starting from a seed crystal of methane and carbon dioxide respectively. This comparison was carried out because it has relevance to the recovery of methane gas from natural gas hydrate reservoirs by simultaneously sequestering a greenhouse gas like CO₂. The seed crystal of carbon dioxide and methane hydrate was allowed to grow from a super-saturated mixture of carbon dioxide or methane molecules in water respectively. Two different concentrations (1:6 and 1:8.5) of CO₂/CH₄ molecules per water molecule were chosen based on gas–water composition in hydrate phase. The molecular level growth as a function of time was investigated by all atomistic molecular dynamics simulation under suitable temperature and pressure range which was well above the hydrate stability zone to ensure significantly faster growth kinetics. The concentration of CO₂ molecules in water played a significant role in growth kinetics, and it was observed that maximizing the CO₂ concentration in the aqueous phase may not result in faster growth of CO₂ hydrate. On the contrary, methane hydrate growth was independent of methane molecule concentration in the aqueous phase. We have validated our results by performing experimental work on carbon dioxide hydrate where it was seen that under conditions appropriate for liquid CO₂, the growth for carbon dioxide hydrate was very slow in the beginning.     

Hydrodynamic considerations on optimal design of a three‐phase airlift bioreactor with high solids loading

The hydrodynamic study of a three‐phase airlift (TPAL) bioreactor with an enlarged gas–liquid dual separator was carried out. Different lengths and diameters of the draft tube were tested to show how the design of the separator zone affects the hydrodynamic performance of the TPAL reactor. Ca‐alginate beads with entrapped yeast biomass at different loadings (0, 7, 14 and 21% v/v) were used in order to mimic the solid phase of conventional high cell density systems, such as those with cells immobilized on carriers or flocculating cells. Important information on multiphase flow and distribution of gas and solid phases in the internal‐loop airlift reactor (ALR) with high solids loading was obtained, which can be used for suggesting optimal hydrodynamic conditions in a TPAL bioreactor with high solids loading. It is finally suggested that the ALR with a dual separator and a downcomer to riser cross‐sectional area ratio (A_D/A_R) ranging from 1.2 to 2.0 can be successfully applied to batch/continuous high cell density systems, where the uniform distribution of solid phase, its efficient separation of particles from the liquid phase, and an improved residence time of air bubbles inside the reactor are desirable. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Optimization of the influential factors for the improvement of CO2 utilization efficiency and CO2 mass transfer rate

Microalgae fix CO₂ as energy source and afford biomass and high valued products such as carotenoids, pigments, proteins, and vitamins that can be used for the production of nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, animal feed additives, cosmetics, etc. Carbon dioxide is the sole source of carbon and it is supplied continuously for the microalgal cultivation. But undissolved CO₂ is lost by outgassing and sufficient dissolved CO₂ should be provided to avoid carbon limitation. The effect of CO₂ mass transfer with different CO₂ concentrations, aeration rate of gas, bubble size, baffle type and baffle number on the growth of Chlorella sp. AG10002 was investigated and the optimized conditions for the enhancement of biomass productivity were determined. We confirm that these results can be provided as basic data to improve the CO₂ mass transfer ability for the high density culture of Chlorella sp. and some microalgae having commercial value.     

Inhibition of the growth of the red microalga porphyridium sp. by limitation of nutrient transfer

The unicellular red alga Porphyridium sp. was cultured in a medium to which increasing concentrations of its cell wall polysaccharide were added. As the polysaccharide concentration in the culture medium increased, algal growth rate and maximum cell number progressively decreased. In a different series of experiments it was shown that the polysaccharide also inhibited the rate of carbon uptake by the cells and as a result photosynthesis was also inhibited. In-vitro experiments showed that the mass transfer coefficient for nitrate, bicarbonate, phosphate and potassium decreased as the polysaccharide concentration increased. The data indicate that the polysaccharide inhibits nutrient transfer from the medium to the cells, resulting in a reduction of the growth rate.     

Application of gas anti-solvent process to the recovery of andrographolide from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Andrographis paniculatanees</Emphasis>

The gas anti-solvent (GAS) process was employed to extract andrographolide, which is the active ingredient found in Andrographis Paniculatanees, using carbon dioxide as an anti-solvent. The effects of temperature, flow rate and solvent type on the extraction recovery, particle size and morphology were investigated in this study. The experiments were conducted at the temperature ranging from 25–45 °C, carbon dioxide flow rate of 1–15 mL/min, and various types of organic solvents (methanol, ethanol, acetone and N,N-dimethylformamide). The extracted product was analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The highest extraction yield was found to be 1.24 g andrographolide per 100 g of A. paniculata when using acetone as a solvent, carbon dioxide flow rate of 5 mL/min and the temperature of 35 °C. It was also found that no significant change in size or morphology of the precipitates was observed when changing temperature, carbon dioxide flow rate and solvents.     

小球藻在内光源气升式反应器中的培养工艺优化

为探索小球藻在内光源气升式光生物反应器中的培养工艺,本文采用自行设计的50L内光源气升式反应器为实验装置,以藻细胞密度为考察指标,采用单因素法分别考察了内置光源波长、光源强度、光暗周期以及二氧化碳供应量对小球藻生长的影响。在此基础上,利用响应面设计法对工艺条件进行了优化,优化结果为：反应器内置光源为红蓝光,光照强度9615lux,光暗周期17.5h：6.5h,二氧化碳通气量为30L/h。在该优化条件下,进行3次验证实验,经15天培养,小球藻的收获藻细胞密度均值为5.48×10⁷ cells/mL,与预测值5.5×10⁷ cells/mL相近。收获小球藻干重为1.21g/L,相较优化前提高了157%。该结果为内光源气升式反应器在微藻培养的应用提供了重要的参考。     

微气泡耦合生物反应器的研究进展

微气泡具有气液接触面积大、气体溶解速率快、上升速度慢和水中停留时间长等理化特征,非常适合于高气液传质效率需求的生物发酵过程。本文介绍了能够耦合生物反应器的几种微气泡发生装置,分别为微气泡分散器、微孔膜、流体振荡器耦合微孔膜和微气泡曝气搅拌桨;并简述了微气泡发生装置耦合搅拌式生物反应器、气升式生物反应器和生物膜反应器在生物反应过程的应用进展;最后回顾了二氧化碳微气泡在生物反应器的应用研究进展。指出微气泡耦合生物反应器的研究仍处于起步阶段,在放大规律和能耗方面仍处于研究空白。微气泡耦合生物反应器的发展对工业生物技术、石油化工、污水处理和资源再利用等的发展具有重要的意义。