Studies on on‐line bioreactor identification. III. Sensitivity problems with respiratory and heat evolution measurements

The applicability of the respiratory quotient measurement, a heat evolution measurement, and a commonly observed correlation between the respiratory quotient and product yield to on‐line bioreactor identification and control were inspected. It was found that singularities can exist in macroscopic balances used in connection with these measurements or the correlation, rendering them inappropriate for process parameter identification. By the formulation of generalized metabolic pathways together with NADH2 and ATP balances, general rules were derived for identifying conditions causing singularities. Thus it was found that, in addition to other less probable situations, the RQ measurement becomes impractical when the degree of reductance of the substrate is identical to that of the product, if any, and close to that of biomass. The correlation always presents sensitivity problems because it is nearly a linear combination of the elemental balances and the balance arising from the definition of the respiratory quotient. The heat evolution measurement nearly always presents sensitivity problems because of a linear dependence between the enthalpy balance and the degree of reductance, or NADH2, balance due to the regularity that the degrees of reductance of most biological compounds are proportional to their heats of combustion. Problems are considered and suggestions made for replacing the measurements, when inapplicable, or the correlation with an ATP balance. Experimental results and numerical studies on the fermentations of yeast and E. coli support the theoretically derived rules.