Experimental study and modeling of a packed bed bioreactor for urea removal in wines.
Author(s)
Date Issued
2023
Type
article
Volume
140
Issue
August 2023
Start Page
230
End Page
241
Journal
Abstract
The study involved the development and modeling of a fixed-bed bioreactor for the removal
of urea from wines. The reactor, based on the immobilization of acid urease enzyme,
was studied under both stationary and non-stationary conditions. The developed
model, including internal and external catalyst particle mass transfer, Michaelis-Menten
kinetics, convection and dispersion in the liquid along the reactor axis, was able to produce
urea concentration profiles in both the solid and liquid phases under various volumetric
flow rates and inlet urea concentrations. The experimental results were in good
agreement with the model predictions, the mean relative error between simulated and
experimental outlet ammonia concentration ranging from 4.1 % to 16.4 %. Model simulations
confirmed that in wines the reaction kinetics is of the pseudo-first order and that
internal and external catalyst particle diffusion limitations are negligeable. Simulations of
the decrease of urea concentration as a function of space velocity for the reactor under
study operating in the continuous mode and for three different wines were obtained
confirming that urea removal by immobilized urease in wines is more difficult than in
sake. The results obtained form the basis for the designing and scaling up of bioreactors
for the treatment of wines.
Subjects