Essential mass balances for bioreactor design and analysis

Mass balance equations, which express the principle of mass conservation, are the most widely used relations in bioprocess engineering. This tutorial focuses on instantaneous mass balances and explains how to formulate these equations, as well as when and how to apply them in the analysis and design of bioreactors. Instantaneous mass balances are used in all major tasks involved in bioreactor analysis and design, including: i) kinetic analysis: evaluation of reaction and mass transfer rates; ii) kinetic modeling: prediction of concentration changes over time; iii) bioreactor design: determination and sizing of reactor volumes. They provide the fundamental framework for understanding, modeling, analyzing, and optimizing bioprocess operations.