EFFECT OF PRODUCT INHIBITION PATTERNS ON THE EFFECTIVENESS FACTOR OF IMMOBILIZED CELL AGGREGATES

The effect of the bulk product concentration on the effectiveness fact or of immobilized cell aggregates is shown to be dependent on the patt ern of product inhibition experienced by the immobilized cells. If pro duct inhibition is linear with respect to the product concentration, t hen the concentration of the inhibitory product in the bulk of the liq uid phase is found to have no effect on the effectiveness factor of th e immobilized cell aggregate. For a convex product inhibition curve, t he particle effectiveness factor is found to increase with the bulk pr oduct concentration, while increasing the bulk product concentration h as the opposite effect in the case of a concave product inhibition cur ve. However, the often observed heterogeneous biomass distribution in immobilized cell aggregates is found to reduce potential product inhib ition effects.