Data-based dynamic compartment model: Modeling of E. coli fed-batch fermentation in a 600 m3 bubble column.

Mathematical modeling is a powerful and inexpensive approach to provide a quantitative basis for improvements that minimize the negative effects of bioreactor heterogeneity. For a model to accurately represent a heterogeneous system, a flow model that describes how mass is channeled between different zones of the bioreactor volume is necessary. In this study, a previously developed compartment model approach based on data from flow-following sensor devices was further developed to account for dynamic changes in volume and flow rates and thus enabling simulation of the widely used fed-batch process.

Flow-following sensor devices: A tool for bridging data and model predictions in large-scale fermentations.

Production-scale fermentation processes in industrial biotechnology experience gradients in process variables, such as dissolved gases, pH and substrate concentrations, which can potentially affect the production organism and therefore the yield and profitability of the processes. However, the extent of the heterogeneity is unclear, as it is currently a challenge at large scale to obtain representative measurements from different zones of the reactor volume. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models have proven to be a valuable tool for better understanding the environment inside bioreactors.

Raw material quality assessment approaches comparison in pectin production.

Different opportunities are explored to evaluate quality variation in raw materials from biological origin. Assessment of raw materials attributes is an important step in a bio-based production as fluctuations in quality are a major source of process disturbance. This can be due to a variety of biological, seasonal, and supply scarcity reasons.

Real-time model based process monitoring of enzymatic biodiesel production.

In this contribution we extend our modelling work on the enzymatic production of biodiesel where we demonstrate the application of a Continuous-Discrete Extended Kalman Filter (a state estimator). The state estimator is used to correct for mismatch between the process data and the process model for Fed-batch production of biodiesel. For the three process runs investigated, using a single tuning parameter, qx  = 2 × 10(-2) which represents the uncertainty in the process model, it was possible over the entire course of the reaction to reduce the overall mean and standard deviation of the error between the model and the process data for all of the five measured components (triglycerides, diglycerides, monoglycerides, fatty acid methyl esters, and free fatty acid).

Mechanistic modeling of biodiesel production using a liquid lipase formulation.

In this article, a kinetic model for the enzymatic transesterification of rapeseed oil with methanol using Callera™ Trans L (a liquid formulation of a modified Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase) was developed from first principles. We base the model formulation on a Ping-Pong Bi-Bi mechanism. Methanol inhibition, along with the interfacial and bulk concentrations of the enzyme was also modeled.