A kinetic and mass transfer model to simulate the growth of baker's yeast in industrial bioreactors

A structured unsegregated cybernetic model, able to simulate the growth of baker's yeast in any possible condition in multistage industrial production has been developed. The model has first been proven in the simulation of the behavior of a laboratory batch bioreactor, describing the evolution with time of the biomass growth rate, the glucose and oxygen consumption as well as the production of ethanol and carbon dioxide. The same model with the same parameters has then been used to simulate both laboratory and industrial size fed-batch bioreactors achieving satisfactory results. The effect of the oxygen mass transfer Limitation in fed-batch bioreactors has also been described and discussed. The model developed allows to find and keep the optimal conditions of biomass growth in industrial fed-batch bioreactors. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.