Time scale analysis & characteristic times in microscale-based bio-chemical processes: Part II – Bioreactors with immobilized cells, and process flowsheet analysis

Time-Scale Analysis and Characteristics Times are suggested as a novel and useful tool for analyzing the performance of microscale-based bioreactors with immobilized bioactive material (e.g. enzymes or microbial species), and plant flow-sheet diagrams of chemical processes. Transport rates, reaction kinetics, and phase contacting can be easily represented by unique time constants, which facilitate understanding and representation of these processes via the ‘heat-map tableau' of Characteristic Times. Details related to the development and the origin of Characteristic Times are presented in Part I of this paper; Jovanovic et al. (2020). Time Scale Analysis & Characteristic Times is a technical approach germane to process improvement, where it facilitates the discovery of areas in need of process intensification. The feasibility and usefulness of this novel tool is demonstrated by considering a microbial biochemical reaction process performed in a traditional bioreactor vs. performance in a microscale-based bioreactor design and evaluating the balance of characteristic times associated with each technology. We believe that this technical approach will confidently find its place in the toolbox of practicing chemical reaction engineers.