Design, construction and evaluation of an innovative horizontal trickle bed reactor for intensification of pectinase production process

Abstract

An innovative horizontal trickle bed reactor (HTBR) was designed and constructed for pectinase production in solid-state fermentation with provisions of mixing and trickling. The HTBR of horizontal configuration consisted of a newly designed impeller with angled blades that provided efficient mixing in linear and circular motions. The moisture and temperature were controlled with a liquid recirculation system which improved heat and mass transfer and also prevented bed drying and compaction. The HTBR performance was evaluated and compared with packed bed and tray bioreactors. The pectinase yield of 242.9 IU/gds was obtained in HTBR, was 2.7-fold higher than the tray reactor and 1.76-fold higher than the packed bed configuration. The pectinase productivity of HTBR was 2.5 IU/gds/h which was 3.5-fold higher than packed bed and 6.09-fold higher than tray configurations. A mathematical model was developed to describe the kinetics of pectinase production as a function of biomass, substrate, agitation, and trickling rates. © 2025 Elsevier B.V.