Parametric adjustment of two different kinetic models with constant and variable yield coefficients. Butanol production from glycerol fermentation by Clostridium pasteurianum

The study of bioreactors, for their design and operation, is crucial for optimizing fermentation processes. This can be achieved through computational simulations based on unstructured kinetic models. Generally, unstructured kinetic models are established with yields associated with the concentrations of biomass, substrate, and product of constant type. It has been reported that variable polynomial yields can better describe these processes. Therefore, this work proposes the study of a glycerol fermentation system to produce butanol in the presence of Clostridium pasteurianum. Parametric identification of two unstructured kinetic models (Moser-Boulton and Moser-Levespiel) was performed. Three mass balances were proposed for a batch-operated reactor (biomass, glycerol, and butanol). Constant and variable yields of first, second, and third order were considered. Finally, the simulated data were validated using correlation coefficients with the corresponding experimental data.