Effect of Aeration and Agitation Conditions on the Production of Glucoamylase with Aspergillus niger No. PFST-38

Aspergillus niger No. PFST-38 was grown on complex media in 30L agitated fermentors at various aeration rates and stirrer speeds. We could correlate the mixing time as a function of the Reynolds number and the apparent viscosity, as follows. ${\theta}_M=2.95\;\NRe^{-0.52},\;{\theta}_M=1.88\;{\eta_a}^{0.57}$ Also, the effects of the apparent viscosity (${\theta}_a$), the impeller rotational speed (N), the air flow rate ($V_s$), and the mixing time (${\theta}_M$) on the oxygen transfer coefficient, $K_L a$ were determined experimentally, and equated as follows. $K_La=12.04N^{0.88}Vs^{0.71}{n_a}^{-0.83},\;K_La=30.2N^{0.88}Vs^{0.71}{\theta_M}^{-1.45}$ $K_La$ increased as the agitation speed and the air flow rate increased. The rate of $K_La$ increase was dependent more on the rotational speed of impeller than on the air flow rate. The glucoamylase production increased with the increase of the agitation speed upto at 500 rpm and increased with the increase of air flow rate upto at 1.0 vvm. The values calculated from the above equation confirmed that the experimental maximum production of glucoamylase was achieved when the $K_La$ and the apparent viscosity of the broth were $260\;hr^{-1}$ and 1800 cps, respectively.