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Effects of Bioreactor Retention Time on Aerobic Microbial Decomposition of CELSS Crop ResiduesThe focus of resource recovery research at the KSC-CELSS Breadboard Project has been the evaluation of microbiologically mediated biodegradation of crop residues by manipulation of bioreactor process and environmental variables. We will present results from over 3 years of studies that used laboratory- and breadboard-scale (8 and 120 L working volumes, respectively) aerobic, fed-batch, continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTR) for recovery of carbon and minerals from breadboard grown wheat and white potato residues. The paper will focus on the effects of a key process variable, bioreactor retention time, on response variables indicative of bioreactor performance. The goal is to determine the shortest retention time that is feasible for processing CELSS crop residues, thereby reducing bioreactor volume and weight requirements. Pushing the lower limits of bioreactor retention times will provide useful data for engineers who need to compare biological and physicochemical components. Bioreactor retention times were manipulated to range between 0.25 and 48 days. Results indicate that increases in retention time lead to a 4-fold increase in crop residue biodegradation, as measured by both dry weight losses and CO2 production. A similar overall trend was also observed for crop residue fiber (cellulose and hemicellulose), with a noticeable jump in cellulose degradation between the 5.3 day and 10.7 day retention times. Water-soluble organic compounds (measured as soluble TOC) were appreciably reduced by more than 4-fold at all retention times tested. Results from a study of even shorter retention times (down to 0.25 days), in progress, will also be presented.
Document ID
19990014244
Acquisition Source
Kennedy Space Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Strayer, R. F.
(Dynamac Corp. Cocoa Beach, FL United States)
Finger, B. W.
(Dynamac Corp. Cocoa Beach, FL United States)
Alazraki, M. P.
(Dynamac Corp. Cocoa Beach, FL United States)
Date Acquired
August 19, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1997
Publication Information
Publication: Advances in Space Research
Publisher: Elsevier Science Publishers Ltd.
Volume: 20
Issue: 10
ISSN: 0273-1177
Subject Category
Life Sciences (General)
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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