Engineering Journal: Dynamic Heat Transfer modeling, and Simulation of Biomass Fermentation during Beer Processing

Friday, December 11, 2020

Dynamic Heat Transfer modeling, and Simulation of Biomass Fermentation during Beer Processing

The study focuses on the modeling of the temperature profile during the fermentation of beer and the selection of the modelled temperature to simulate the growth of a microorganism, the consumption of proteins and the formation of aromatic compounds ketone and esters . The objective of the study was to determine how to select the best temperature for beer fermentation and how a portion of the biochemical reaction occurs with the controlled selected temperature. Finite element modelling has been used for heat transfer modelling and COMSOL Multiphysics version 5.3 has been used for implementation. Version 17 of MATLAB was used to simulate biochemical changes with the chosen temperature. The simulated results showed that at high coolant flow, a low temperature profile was recorded over the fermentation time. As such, the observed temperatures were 1.2m3 hr, 1.3m3 hr and 1.6m3 h, 20 oC, 18 oC and 12.5 oC, respectively. The modelled vorticity results also indicated that at a flow rate of 1.2m3 hr, there was a consistent flow of liquid around the agitation center relative to other coolant flows. Isoleucine was exhausted after 13hr at 12.5Â°C, 80hr at 18Â°C and 16hr at 20Â°C from the start of fermentation. The simulated results also indicated that ethyl acetate had reached a hold back value of 0.114mol m3 at 70hr at 12.5oC, 30hr at 18oC, and 22hr at 20oC. However, isoamyl acetate retained a retention value of 0.0105 mol m3 until the initial concentration of sugar and amino acids was exhausted throughout fermentation at all selected temperatures. Valine decreased to nearly 195hr at 12.5Â°C, 120hr at 18Â°C and 85hr at 20Â°C. The simulated nutrient results were again shown to be zero in 210hr at 12.5Â°C, 110hr at 18Â°C and 90hr at 20Â°C of luicine consumption.