Dynamic measurement of the volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient in fermentation systems

Abstract

Abstract A rapid and internally consistent technique has been developed to measure the volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient, k L a , in fermentation systems. The method consists of tracing the dissolved O 2 concentration of the fermentation broth during a short interruption of the aeration. The O 2 concentration trace thus obtained can be analyzed to determine the values of k L a . Additional experiments on prolonged O 2 starvation, carried out to find the limitation of the technique, suggest that O 2 uptake rate will vary if a prolonged (2–10 min.) O 2 starvation occurs.