Operating characteristics of solid-state fermentation bioreactor with air pressure pulsation

The development of solid state fermentation (SSF) technology is very important to the production of cellulase and ultimately to the utilization of natural cellulose. However, inadequate dissipation of heat generated by biological activities has prevented solid-state fermentation from large-scale applications. The paper deals with the development of a novel SSF bioreactor with air pressure pulsation. By developing a measurement and control system under the Virtual Instrument (VI) concept, the performance of the SSF bioreactor with pressure pulsation was studied by cultivating Trichoderma koningii in solid medium made of wheat bran and corncob. The cooling effects of pressure pulsation on solid porous beds are discussed. Experimental results show that pressure pulsation enhances medium moisture evaporation, and hence, heat dissipation. Furthermore, through changing the pressure pulsation directions, it is able to mitigate the temperature gradients in the bioreactor. To sum up, pressure pulsation can provide the microbes with a growing environment at optimal temperature and medium water content.