Operating Mode Effect on Lipids Production from Rhodotorula mucilaginosa: Modelling and Simulation Trends

Abstract

A sustainable alternative for fossil fuels substitution is the production of biodiesel from natural lipids. Mainly, such oil used is in the form of triglycerides and is characterized by being potentially renewable, non-toxic, and biodegradable, thus making it a sustainable product. For producing such biofuel, yeast oil is one of the most viable and currently known options, obtaining theoretically optimal results. In this article, kinetic parameters from the oleaginous yeast Rhodotorula mucilaginosa will simulate lipid accumulation capacity based on different bioreactor operating modes. Likewise, The Matlab software is used to simulate batch and continuous operating modes to establish comparisons between the productions obtained and their respective yields. The results obtained for the batch mode were: 14 g/L for the growth of biomass and an estimate of 0.22 g/g for lipid production. Likewise, for the continuous mode, its results were: 19 g/L for biomass growth and a value of 0.30 g/g in lipid production. The simulated results in continuous mode would demonstrate the effectiveness of its implementation since a more significant lipid accumulation is reached.