Last updated on Sep 15, 2024

What are the current trends and challenges in fermentation process flow diagram development and improvement?

Fermentation is a widely used process in biotechnology, food, pharmaceutical, and biofuel industries. It involves the conversion of organic substrates into valuable products by microorganisms or enzymes. To design, optimize, and control fermentation processes, you need to understand the complex interactions between the biological, chemical, and physical phenomena that occur in the bioreactor and downstream units. That's where process flow diagrams (PFDs) come in handy. PFDs are graphical representations of the process steps, equipment, piping, and streams involved in a fermentation process. They help you visualize the material and energy balances, process parameters, and operational conditions of the system. In this article, you will learn about the current trends and challenges in fermentation PFD development and improvement.

1 PFD basics

A PFD for a fermentation process typically consists of four main sections: feed preparation, fermentation, product recovery, and waste treatment. Each section may have several sub-sections depending on the type and complexity of the process. For example, feed preparation may include pretreatment, sterilization, and nutrient addition; fermentation may include inoculation, aeration, agitation, and pH control; product recovery may include filtration, centrifugation, extraction, and purification; and waste treatment may include anaerobic digestion, aerobic oxidation, and effluent disposal. A PFD should show the key equipment, such as bioreactors, pumps, valves, heat exchangers, and separators, as well as the main streams, such as feed, product, air, water, and waste, with their respective flow rates, compositions, temperatures, and pressures.

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2 PFD trends

Integrating novel technologies and techniques is a current trend in fermentation PFD development. These methods can improve process performance, efficiency, and sustainability. Continuous fermentation involves continuously adding and removing feed and product streams to maintain a steady state of biomass and substrate concentration, which can increase productivity, yield, and quality of the product. Membrane bioreactors incorporate membranes to separate the biomass from the product stream, enabling higher cell densities and longer retention times. Metabolic engineering is a technique that manipulates the genetic and metabolic pathways of the microorganisms to enhance their capabilities and characteristics, allowing for the production of new or improved products with increased substrate utilization and tolerance, as well as reduced by-product formation and toxicity.

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Victor Macedo

MBA em Gestão de processos e Docente do ensino Superior - Universidade Municipal de São Caetano do Sul
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É preciso lembrar que o BPM (Business Process Management) não é uma ferramenta e nem uma métodologia, mas sim uma Disciplina Gerencial (CBOK.2013). Nesse cenário de alta transformação e dinâmismo, é comum que algumas notações possam vir a se tornar obsoletas, inadequadas ou ineficientes para alguns processos. A notação mais eficiente é aquela que consegue transmitir o processo com sucesso. A mistura, criação, recapitulação, e outras formas podem vir a sanar conforme uma demanda específica. Mas em um contexto organizacional, onde a padronização não é só uma questão de facilidade - e sim de necessidade - é preciso se adequar ao Core Business e disseminar uma notação que atenda a comunicação a todos aqueles que participam do processo.

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Drielle Reis

Gerente de Governança Sr - Lean Six Sigma Black Belt na Neobpo & Hypeone
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As tendências no desenvolvimento de fluxogramas para processos de fermentação envolvem a automação e o uso de tecnologias de análise em tempo real, como Process Analytical Technology (PAT) e sistemas SCADA, que otimizam o controle e a tomada de decisões no processo. Os principais desafios incluem a variabilidade de microrganismos e a consistência dos lotes, mitigados por metodologias como Lean Manufacturing e Six Sigma

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3 PFD challenges

Despite the advances in fermentation PFD development, there are still numerous challenges to be addressed for optimal design and operation of the process. Scale-up, the process of transferring a laboratory-scale fermentation to a pilot-scale or industrial-scale system, requires consideration of various factors that affect mass transfer, heat transfer, mixing, and kinetics. Modeling, the process of developing mathematical equations that describe the behavior and dynamics of the fermentation system, can be challenging due to complexity and nonlinearity. Moreover, sustainability must be considered by assessing environmental, economic, and social impacts using various indicators and tools. Strategies such as reducing energy and water consumption, minimizing waste generation and emissions, utilizing renewable and waste-derived feedstocks, and enhancing value-added and co-product potential can improve sustainability.

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4 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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What are the current trends and challenges in fermentation process flow diagram development and improvement?

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1 PFD basics

2 PFD trends

3 PFD challenges

4 Here’s what else to consider

Process Flow

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