BE 460 - BIOREACTOR DESIGN AND ANALYSIS

Catalog Description
3 Credits. Application of mass/energy balances and reaction kinetics for the design and analysis of bioreactors for microbial, plant, and animal cell cultures.

Required References
Bioprocess Engineering Principles, by Pauline M. Doran, Academic Press, 1995.

Ojectives
Provide the basic principles of reactor design for bioprocess applications such as enzymatic bioconversion, fermentation, cell and tissue cultures, and biological waste treatment. This course is comprised of two interrelated portions: bioreaction kinetics and bioreactor engineering. Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

• comprehend the state of the arts in bioreactor technology and its broad range of applications;
• develop mathematical descriptions of reaction kinetics in chemical, enzymatic, and cellular systems and their relationships with bioreactor design;
• grasp the linkage between biological phenomena and engineering design for effective bioreactor operations;
• apply basic principles of mass and energy conservation to analyze bioreactor systems;
• identify the major engineering parameters that characterize the performance of bioreactors and techniques to measure and control these parameters.

Prerequisites:
One semester of college physics, chemistry, calculus, mass and energy balances.

Schedule:
Two 75-minute classes per week.

Designation:
Required course.

Topics:

1. Overview of bioprocessing and bioreactor technology;
2. Chemical, Enzymatic, and Cellular Kinetics;
3. Mass and Energy Balances at Reactor and Cellular Levels;
4. Ideal reactor analysis;
5. Reactor Engineering: heat and mass transfer; non-ideal mixing models; gas hold-up; power consumption; shear; scale-up; sterilization; monitoring and control.
   

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