Vent Gas Analysis

The monitoring of exhaust gas provides a universal method for fermentation characterization as most biological processes involve exchange or consumption of gases and volatile compounds. The monitoring of gas concentrations, such as carbon dioxide and oxygen, in the entry inlet and outlet gas streams and incorporation into liquid and gas balances makes it possible to quantify rates of gas utilization on production and respiratory quotient. This allows online real time monitoring of the physiological state of the fermentation, including growth kinetics and substrate consumption. A range of measuring methods for vent gas analysis are described including industrial application examples. Keywords: vent gas; fermentation profiling; online monitoring; sampling system; mass spectrometry; bioprocess; sensors