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Appl Environ Microbiol. 1977 December; 34(6): 725–732.
PMCID: PMC242738
Dialysis Continuous Process for Ammonium-Lactate Fermentation of Whey: Mathematical Model and Computer Simulation
G. A. Coulman,1†† R. W. Stieber,2 and Philipp Gerhardt2
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
2Department of Microbiology and Public Health, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
†† Present address: Department of Chemical Engineering, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH 44115.
Journal article 7986 from the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station.
Abstract
A mathematical model was developed to describe a dialysis process for the continuous fermentation of whey lactose to lactic acid, with neutralization to a constant pH by ammonia. In the process, whey of a relatively high concentration is fed into the fermentor circuit at a relatively low rate so that the residual concentration of lactose is low. The fermentor effluent contains ammonium lactate, bacterial cells, and residual whey solids and could be used as a nitrogen-enriched feedstuff for ruminant animals. Only water is fed into the dialysate circuit at a relatively high rate. The dialysate effluent contains purified ammonium lactate and could be converted to lactic acid and ammonium sulfate for industry. The fermentation was specifically modeled as a set of equations representing material balances and rate relationships in the two circuits. Dialysis continuous fermentations, in general, were modeled by combining these equations and by using dimensionless parameters. The generalized model was then solved for the steady state and used to simulate the specific fermentation on a digital computer. The results showed the effects of various material and operational and kinetic parameters on the process and predicted that it could be operated efficiently.
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Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
  • Friedman MR, Gaden EL., Jr Growth and acid production by Lactobacillus (L) delbrueckii in a dialysis culture system. Biotechnol Bioeng. 1970 Nov;12(6):961–974. [PubMed]
  • GERHARDT P, GALLUP DM. DIALYSIS FLASK FOR CONCENTRATED CULTURE OF MICROORGANISMS. J Bacteriol. 1963 Nov;86:919–929. [PubMed]
  • Reddy CA, Henderson HE, Erdman MD. Bacterial fermentation of cheese whey for production of a ruminant feed supplement rich in curde protein. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1976 Dec;32(6):769–776. [PubMed]
  • Stieber RW, Coulman GA, Gerhardt Philipp. Dialysis Continuous Process for Ammonium-Lactate Fermentation of Whey: Experimental Tests. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1977 Dec;34(6):733–739. [PubMed]