Bioreactor Engineering

Abstract

This paper is not about formal design rules for bioreactors as such. There is plenty of literature available about this subject: Bailey and Ollis [1]; Schügerl [2]; Van’t Riet [3], Kossen [4]; as well as about its limitations: Zlokarnik [5]. The continuous thread through this paper is that the kind of product to be made in the bioreactor has a direct influence upon the time and the money that is available for the design of a new reactor, or the adaptation of an existing one. Time and money determine to a large extent the rules and methods that should be used Designs with a built-in flexibility will appear to be essential. Finally the consequences for the education of those involved in bioprocess engineering (including bioreactor design) will be discussed.