| Summary: | Thesis (MTech (Chemical Engineering))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2007. === Innovation in biotechnology research has resulted in a number of fungi being identified for
diverse industrial applications. One such fungus, which is the subject of this study and has been
one of the most intensively studied, is Phanerochaete chrysosporium. Much research has been
done in developing optimized membrane bioreactor systems for the cultivation of these fungi
because of their potent industrial applications. This research, however, has been hampered by the
lack of a thorough understanding of the kinematics of flow, as well as the dynamics of the flow
through these devices. Previous analyses of momentum transfer in membrane bioreactors have
been entirely based on horizontally orientated bioreactor systems, and ignored the different
modes of operations of membrane bioreactors. These models also ignored the osmotic pressure
effects brought about by the retention of solutes on the membrane surface.
In this study, analytical and numerical solutions to the Navier-Stokes equations for the
description of pressure, velocity, and volumetric flow profiles in a single fibre capillary
membrane bioreactor (SFCMBR) were developed. These profiles were developed for the lumen
and shell sides of the SFCMBR, taking into account osmotic pressure effects, as well as gel
and/or cake formation on the lumen surface of the membrane. The analytical models developed
are applicable to horizontal and vertical systems, as well as dead-end, continuous open shell,
closed-shell, and shell side crossflow modes.
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