Advantage of Using CSTR with recycle

Improving cellular productivity of the reactor

The dilution rate will increase when there is an increase in cellular productivity.
However, there is a point of maximum dilution rate. If the dilution rate increases beyond the
maximum dilution rate, the limiting nutrient that is essential for growth is reduced due to high
concentration of cells. This will result to the reduction of specific growth rate of cells and
greater amount of cells will be washed out compared to the formation of new cells by cell
division. Thus, the productivity of the cells will be limited.

Having a recycled system, like using a cross-flow filter unit, added to the CSTR reactor,
the cells will be separated to the product stream and will be returned back to the reactor. A
high concentration of cells will be maintained and cellular productivity will be increased.

Limitations of using CSTR with recycle

Chance of cell growth hindered

In increasing the productivity of the cells, there is a chance when the number of cells in
the reactor exceeds the allowable number for sufficient growth. They will be overcrowded by
the presence of each other and the nutrient-transfer rate will be decreased. Thus, it is
important to limit the cellular productivity.

Cost of filter unit

The maintenance of the extremely high cell concentration is also not practical because
the filter unit will fail more frequently at the higher cell concentrations. Hence, there is a need
to control cell concentrations as they reach near optimum values.
Solving Problems

1. In a chemostat with cell recycle, as shown in the figure, the feed flow rate and the
culture volumes are F =100ml/h and V =1000ml, respectively. The system is operated
under glucose limitation and the yield coefficient is YMX/S, is 0.5 gdw cells/ g substrate.
Glucose concentration in the feed is SO =10g glucose/L. The kinetic constants of the
organism are µm= 0.2 h-1, KS= 1 g glucose/L. The value of C is 1.5, and the recycle ratio is
α= 0.7. The system is steady state.

Given:
F =100ml/h YMX/S, is 0.5 gdw cells/ g substrate SO =10g glucose/L
V =1000ml µm= 0.2 h-1 KS= 1 g glucose/L C is 1.5 α= 0.7
Required:
(a) The specific growth rate (µnet=µg) of the organisms.
(b) The substrate concentration in the recycle stream (S).
(c) The cell (biomass) concentration in the recycle stream.
(d) The cell concentration in the centrifuge effluents (X2). Figure 1: Chemostat with cell
recycle
Solution:

(a)

D = F/V = 100/1000 = 0.1

µnet = [1 + α(1 – C)]D

= [1 + 0.7(1 – 1.5)](0.1)
= µg
=0.065h-1
 (b)

𝐾𝑆 𝐷 (1 + 𝛼 –𝛼𝐶)
S=
µ𝑚−𝐷 (1 + 𝛼 –𝛼𝐶)

(1) (0.065)
=
0.2−0.065
= 0.48 g/l

(c)

𝐷 (𝑆0 − 𝑆) 𝑌𝑋𝑀
𝑆
X1 =
µ𝑔
(0.1) (10 – 0.48) (0.5)
=
0.065
= 7.3 g/l

(d) A biomass balance around the concentrator yields

(1 + α) X1 = αCX1 + X2
X2 = (1 + α)X1 – αCX1
= (1.7)(7.3) – (0.7) (1.5)(7.3)
= 4.8 g/l
2. An industrial waste-water stream is fed to a stirred-tank reactor continuously and the
cells are recycled back to the reactor from the bottom of the sedimentation tank placed
after the reactor.
Given:
The following are given for the system:
F = 100 l/h
S0 = 5000 mg/l
µm = 0.25 h-1
Ks = 200 mg/l
α (recycle ratio) = 0.6
C (cell concentration factor) = 2
YMX/S = 0.4
The effluent concentration is desired to be 100 mg/l.
 Required:
a. Use the Monod’s Equation to determine the Dilution rate
b. Determine the required reactor volume.
Solution:
a.

𝐾𝑆 𝐷(1+𝑎−𝑎𝐶)
S=
𝜇𝑚−𝐷(1+𝑎−𝑎𝐶)

200𝐷(1+0.6−0.6(2))
100 =
0.25−𝐷(1+0.6−0.6(2))

200𝐷(0.4)
100 =
0.25−𝐷(0.4)

80𝐷
100 =
0.25−𝐷(0.4)

100(0.25 - D(0.4)) = 80D

25 – 40D = 80D

120D = 25

D = 0.208h-1

𝐹
b. D =
𝑉
𝐹
V=
𝐷
100𝐿/ℎ
=
0.208/ℎ
= 480.77 L

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