Abstract

Time Scale Analysis and BioProcess Intensification

Igor Plazl, Professor, University of Ljubljana

The intensification and optimization of biochemical processes with better selectivity, highly efficient transport phenomena, product quality and the development of new and environmentally friendly technologies are possible with microreactor technology, in which model-based design plays an essential role. Time Scale Analysis (TSA) and Characteristics Times are proposed as a novel and useful tool for analyzing the performance of microscale bioreactors with immobilized enzymes and for flow diagrams of chemical processes. Transport rates, reaction kinetics, and phase contact can be easily represented by unique time constants that facilitate the understanding and representation of these processes through the "heat map" of characteristic times. Characteristic times are estimated based on first principles and controlled by the user to support meaningful analysis of chemical processes and provide insight or suggestions for successful design decisions. Characteristic times can be readily embedded in the time scale analysis (TSA) approach that enables evaluation of preliminary microreactor and operating unit designs [1,2]. In this work, we demonstrate the feasibility and usefulness of this novel tool by comparing a microbial biochemical reaction process conducted in a classical bioreactor with its performance in a microscale-based bioreactor design.