Agitation and Cephalosporin C Production in CSTR via Computational Simulation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20983/culcyt.2026.2.2.3Keywords:
cephalosporin C, COPASI, CSTR, fermentation, oxygen transferAbstract
This study aimed to evaluate, through computational simulation, the effect of agitation speed on cephalosporin C (CPC) production in a continuous stirred-tank bioreactor. A COPASI model based on Monod and Luedeking-Piret equations was developed and four operating scenarios were evaluated: 300, 400, 500, and 600 rpm, associated with kLa values of 50, 80, 120, and 160 h¯¹, respectively. The simulated maximum CPC production increased from 31.45 to 36.00 g/L as agitation increased from 300 to 600 rpm. A third-order polynomial regression showed a high fit within the studied interval (R² = 0.9975). Inferential tests were not applied to the 101 time points per run because these points belong to the same deterministic time series and do not constitute independent replicates. The main limitations are the lack of experimental validation and the need to experimentally calibrate the model parameters before applying them to real processes. The simulation is presented as an exploratory tool to guide future experimental studies.
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