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Integrated experimental and numerical study of a bubble column bioreactor with immobilized S. cerevisiae for ethanol production in non-Newtonian fermentation broth.

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Title: Integrated experimental and numerical study of a bubble column bioreactor with immobilized S. cerevisiae for ethanol production in non-Newtonian fermentation broth.
Authors: Abutu, David1,2,3 (AUTHOR) davidabutu@fuwukari.edu.ng, Aderemi, Benjamin O.2 (AUTHOR), Ameh, Alewo O.3 (AUTHOR), Wan Yussof, Hafizuddin2 (AUTHOR), Yerima, Emmanuel A.4 (AUTHOR), Agi, Augustine2,5 (AUTHOR)
Source: Chemical Engineering Communications. 2026, Vol. 213 Issue 4, p689-707. 19p.
Subject Terms: *Saccharomyces cerevisiae, *Bubble column reactors, *Mass transfer, *Fermentation, *Ethanol manufacturing, *Immobilized cells, *Multiscale modeling, *Non-Newtonian fluids
Abstract: The design and scale-up of bubble column bioreactors (BCBs) for ethanol fermentation are constrained by non-Newtonian fluid behavior and mass transfer limitations, particularly when immobilized cells are employed. This study integrates experimental and numerical approaches to evaluate ethanol production using Saccharomyces cerevisiae immobilized in calcium alginate beads within a 500 mL lab-scale BCB. A multiscale simulation framework was developed, combining Monod kinetics (SciPy), glucose diffusion in spherical beads (FiPy), and shear-thinning hydrodynamics using a power-law model (FEniCS, n = 0.55). Model predictions were calibrated with triplicate batch fermentations over 48 h, achieving strong agreement between simulations and experiments (R2 > 0.93; RMSE < 1.0 g/L). The experimental ethanol yield was 0.44 g/g glucose (8.8 ± 0.3 g/L ethanol), closely matching the simulated value of 0.45 g/g. Diffusion modeling revealed substrate depletion in bead cores, explaining the ethanol plateau observed experimentally, as internal glucose dropped below 0.2 g/L despite bulk concentrations >1.0 g/L at 24 h. Predictive simulations indicated that reducing bead diameter from 4 mm to 2 mm improved core glucose availability (0.1 → 0.8 g/L at 24 h) and increased yield from 0.45 to 0.52 g/g. Scale-up simulations from 500 mL to 2 L predicted higher circulation velocity (0.012 → 0.025 m/s), but stagnant zones increased disproportionately (8% → 15% reactor volume) due to shear-thinning effects. These results demonstrate the value of integrating experimental data with multiscale modeling to enable mechanistic interpretation, predictive scenario testing, and rational scale-up of immobilized-cell BCBs under non-Newtonian conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Database: Energy & Power Source
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Header DbId: enr
DbLabel: Energy & Power Source
An: 192007196
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
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  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Integrated experimental and numerical study of a bubble column bioreactor with immobilized S. cerevisiae for ethanol production in non-Newtonian fermentation broth.
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  Data: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Abutu%2C+David%22&quot;&gt;Abutu, David&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;1,2,3&lt;/relatesTo&gt; (AUTHOR)&lt;i&gt; davidabutu@fuwukari.edu.ng&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Aderemi%2C+Benjamin+O%2E%22&quot;&gt;Aderemi, Benjamin O.&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;2&lt;/relatesTo&gt; (AUTHOR)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Ameh%2C+Alewo+O%2E%22&quot;&gt;Ameh, Alewo O.&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;3&lt;/relatesTo&gt; (AUTHOR)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Wan+Yussof%2C+Hafizuddin%22&quot;&gt;Wan Yussof, Hafizuddin&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;2&lt;/relatesTo&gt; (AUTHOR)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Yerima%2C+Emmanuel+A%2E%22&quot;&gt;Yerima, Emmanuel A.&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;4&lt;/relatesTo&gt; (AUTHOR)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Agi%2C+Augustine%22&quot;&gt;Agi, Augustine&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;2,5&lt;/relatesTo&gt; (AUTHOR)
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  Data: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;JN&quot; term=&quot;%22Chemical+Engineering+Communications%22&quot;&gt;Chemical Engineering Communications&lt;/searchLink&gt;. 2026, Vol. 213 Issue 4, p689-707. 19p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subject Terms
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  Data: *&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Saccharomyces+cerevisiae%22&quot;&gt;Saccharomyces cerevisiae&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;*&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Bubble+column+reactors%22&quot;&gt;Bubble column reactors&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;*&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Mass+transfer%22&quot;&gt;Mass transfer&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;*&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Fermentation%22&quot;&gt;Fermentation&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;*&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Ethanol+manufacturing%22&quot;&gt;Ethanol manufacturing&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;*&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Immobilized+cells%22&quot;&gt;Immobilized cells&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;*&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Multiscale+modeling%22&quot;&gt;Multiscale modeling&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;*&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Non-Newtonian+fluids%22&quot;&gt;Non-Newtonian fluids&lt;/searchLink&gt;
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: The design and scale-up of bubble column bioreactors (BCBs) for ethanol fermentation are constrained by non-Newtonian fluid behavior and mass transfer limitations, particularly when immobilized cells are employed. This study integrates experimental and numerical approaches to evaluate ethanol production using Saccharomyces cerevisiae immobilized in calcium alginate beads within a 500 mL lab-scale BCB. A multiscale simulation framework was developed, combining Monod kinetics (SciPy), glucose diffusion in spherical beads (FiPy), and shear-thinning hydrodynamics using a power-law model (FEniCS, n = 0.55). Model predictions were calibrated with triplicate batch fermentations over 48 h, achieving strong agreement between simulations and experiments (R2 &gt; 0.93; RMSE &lt; 1.0 g/L). The experimental ethanol yield was 0.44 g/g glucose (8.8 &#177; 0.3 g/L ethanol), closely matching the simulated value of 0.45 g/g. Diffusion modeling revealed substrate depletion in bead cores, explaining the ethanol plateau observed experimentally, as internal glucose dropped below 0.2 g/L despite bulk concentrations &gt;1.0 g/L at 24 h. Predictive simulations indicated that reducing bead diameter from 4 mm to 2 mm improved core glucose availability (0.1 → 0.8 g/L at 24 h) and increased yield from 0.45 to 0.52 g/g. Scale-up simulations from 500 mL to 2 L predicted higher circulation velocity (0.012 → 0.025 m/s), but stagnant zones increased disproportionately (8% → 15% reactor volume) due to shear-thinning effects. These results demonstrate the value of integrating experimental data with multiscale modeling to enable mechanistic interpretation, predictive scenario testing, and rational scale-up of immobilized-cell BCBs under non-Newtonian conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=enr&AN=192007196
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/00986445.2025.2572738
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 19
        StartPage: 689
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Saccharomyces cerevisiae
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Bubble column reactors
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mass transfer
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Fermentation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Ethanol manufacturing
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Immobilized cells
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Multiscale modeling
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Non-Newtonian fluids
        Type: general
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      – TitleFull: Integrated experimental and numerical study of a bubble column bioreactor with immobilized S. cerevisiae for ethanol production in non-Newtonian fermentation broth.
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            NameFull: Abutu, David
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            NameFull: Aderemi, Benjamin O.
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            NameFull: Ameh, Alewo O.
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            NameFull: Wan Yussof, Hafizuddin
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            NameFull: Yerima, Emmanuel A.
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            NameFull: Agi, Augustine
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            – D: 01
              M: 04
              Text: 2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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              Value: 00986445
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              Value: 213
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            – TitleFull: Chemical Engineering Communications
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