Modeling of antibiotics production in magneto three-phase airlift fermenter

A mathematical model is developed to describe the performance of a three-ph ase airlift reactor utilizing a transverse magnetic field. The model is bas ed on the complete mixing model for the bulk of liquid phase and on the Mic haelis-Menten kinetics. The model equations are solved by the explicit fini te difference method from transient to steady state conditions. The results of the numerical simulation indicate that the magnetic field increases the degree of bioconversion. The mathematical model is experimentally verified in a three-phase airlift reactor with P. chrysogenum immobilized on magnet ic beads. The experimental results are well described by the developed mode l when the reactor operates in the stabilized regime. At relatively high ma gnetic field intensities a certain discrepancy in the model solution was ob served when the model over estimates the product concentration. (C) 2001 El sevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.