DEVELOPMENT OF A TABLE-TOP BIOREACTOR FOR A PROJECT-BASED INTRODUCTORY CHEMICAL ENGINEERING COURSE
PUBLISHED IN AD SAPIENTIAM VOLUME IX 2015, COPYRIGHT: ISSN 2012-290X
LUIS S. JIMENEZ
ABSTRACT
A table-top bioreactor was fabricated to introduce undergraduate chemical engineering freshmen to their field of study. The bioreactor was designed for use in a laboratory setting in which students were given the opportunity to fabricate the bioreactor themselves and conduct studies in process control, bioreactor design and engineering, fluid mechanics, and other areas of chemical engineering. The bioreactor was intended for use as a tool to facilitate learning using outcomes-based education (OBE) concepts. The 3-L bioreactor was made of locally-available and inexpensive materials, such as: plastic containers and tubes, PVC pipes and fittings, and scrap rubber, and was easy to fabricate. The performance of the bioreactor was evaluated as a demonstration apparatus for fermentation of molasses for ethanol production, and anaerobic digestion of pig manure for biogas production. The bioreactor performed satisfactorily both as a fermenter and a digester. It exhibited stable operation with performance parameters, such as pH, temperature, and gas production, maintained at expected and acceptable levels.