Examination Information for Biochemical Engineering

Michaelis-Menten Equation

Vmax CS CS = Substrate concentration.

- rS Km = Michaelis constant for the substrate.
K m CS
Vmax = Maximum rate of reaction at infinite CS.
where, (- rS) = Volumetric reaction rate.

Monod Equation

max CCCS max = Maximum specific growth reaction rate.

rG CC = Cell concentration.
K S CS CS = Substrate concentration.
KS = Monod constant.
where, rG = Cell growth rate.

Monod Equation for Product Inhibition

max CC CS max = Maximum specific growth reaction rate.

rG K obs CC = Cell concentration.
K S CS CP = Product concentration.
n CP* = Cp at which all metabolism ceases.
C
where K obs 1 *P CS = Substrate concentration.
Kobs = Observed rate constant.
CP KS = Monod constant.
n = Empirical constant.
rG = Cell growth rate.

Maximum Dilution Rate in a Continuous Stirred-Tank Reactor (CSTR)

max CSin max = Maximum specific growth reaction rate.

D max CSin = Substrate concentration entering the bioreactor.
K S CSin
Dmax = Maximum dilution rate.
KS = Monod constant.

Dilution Rate for Maximum Productivity in a Continuous Stirred-Tank Reactor (CSTR)

max = Maximum specific growth reaction rate.

KS
Dmaxprod max 1

CSin = Substrate concentration entering the
K S CSin reactor.
Dmaxprod = Dilution rate for maximum productivity.
KS = Monod constant.
Examination Information for Reaction Engineering

Subscript 0 means initial conditions.

Symbol Description Units

Ci0, Ci, (e.g. CA0, CA) Concentration of species (e.g. kmol m-3 or mol m-3
species A)

E Energy of activation kJ mol-1

Fi0, Fi, (e.g. FA0, FA) Molal flow rate of species (e.g. kmol s-1 or mol s-1
species A)

Ni Moles of species i (e.g species A) mol

R Gas Law constant 8.314 J mol-1 K-1

0.0825 m3 atm kmol -1 K-1

t time s, min, h

T Absolute temperature K

vo Volumetric flow rate m-3 s-1

V Volume of the system m3

Vr Reactor volume m3

Xi (e.g XA) Fractional conversion of species i

or mole extent of reaction
(e.g. CA0XA = amount of A reacted)

Temperature in K = oC + 273

Glossary of Terms and Definitions

1. Reaction rate (-rA) or (rB)

(-rA) indicates that reactant A is being used up.
(rB) indicates that B is being produced.

2. The rate of reaction is expressed as the rate of change in moles of A with

respect to unit volume or some other appropriate property of the system.
- rA 1 dN A mol m -3 s 1
V dt
In a constant volume system NA = CA V, therefore, dNA = d(CAV)
- rA 1 dC A V dC A mol m -3 s 1
V dt dt
N.B. For liquid phase reactors V Vr , the reactor volume, but for gases V = Vr ,
since all of the reactor is occupied by the reacting phase.

3. Order of Reaction
The rate of reaction is a function of reactant (and sometimes product) concentration.
(-rA) = k f(CA, CB, CC
= kCaA , C bB , CcC

where k is the rate constant, and a, b and c are the respective orders of reaction with
respect to CA, CB, CC and n = a + b + c + = overall reaction order.
(-rA) = kCA reaction is FIRST ORDER
2
(-rA) = kCA reaction is SECOND ORDER
(-rA) = kCACB reaction is SECOND ORDER
(i.e. first order in CA and first order in CB).

NOTE: The reaction order must be determined experimentally, but most simple
reactions are ZERO, FIRST or SECOND order.

4. Arrhenius Equation
E

RT
The rate constant, k = A e
where A is the frequency or pre-exponential factor

5. Variable Volume Batch Reactors

These are, in a sense, similar to plug flow reactors because the volume changes to
maintain constant pressure. Thus for a nth order reaction,
n
NA
- rA k
V

where NA = NA0(1 - XA)

XA = fractional conversion of A,
N N A Initial moles of A Final moles of A
A0
N A0 Initial moles of A

The volume of a system is a linear function of the number of moles in the system
and, hence, the conversion. Defining the expansion coefficient, , by
Final moles initial moles NX A 1 NX A 0
,
Initial moles NX A 0

where N = total number of moles in the system. Thus, V = V0(1 + XA)

For an nth order reaction,
dX A kC A0
n 1
1 X A
n

.
dt 1 X A n
When = 0 (liquid phase, and gas phase where there is no change in the number of
moles),
dX A
kC A0
n 1
1 - X A n
dt

Integrating from t = 0 (XA = 0) to time t and conversion XA,

1 1 (1 X A ) n1 ( n 1)
For n not equal to one, kCA0 t
n - 1 (1 X A )
n

For n = 1, ln(1 - XA) = k t.

For second order when CB0 = M CA0 with M not one,

M XA
ln k M 1C A0 t
M 1 X A

6. Design Equations

X
dX A
(a) Batch t C A0
0
rA

X
Vr dX A
(b) Plug Flow (PFR)
FA0
r
0 A

Vr XA
(c) CSTR
rA
=
FA0