In order to identify an optimal aeration strategy for intensifying bio-fuel ethanol production in fermentation processes where growth and production have to be managed simultaneously, we quantified the effect of aeration conditions--oxygen limited vs non limited culture (micro-aerobic vs aerobic culture)--on the dynamic behaviour of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cultivated in very high ethanol performance fed-batch cultures. Fermentation parameters and kinetics were established within a range of ethanol concentrations (up to 147 g l(-1)), which very few studies have addressed. Higher ethanol titres (147 vs 131 g l(-1) in 45 h) and average productivity (3.3 vs 2.6 g l(-1) h(-1)) were obtained in cultures without oxygen limitation. Compared to micro-aerobic culture, full aeration led to a 23% increase in the viable cell mass as a result of the concomitant increase in growth rate and yield, with lower ethanol inhibition. The second beneficial effect of aeration was better management of by-product production, with production of glycerol, the main by-product, being strongly reduced from 12 to 4 g l(-1). We demonstrate that aeration strategy is as much a determining factor as vitamin feeding (Alfenore et al. 2002) in very high ethanol performance (147 g l(-1) in 45 h) in order to achieve a highly competitive dynamic process.

The impact of ethanol and temperature on the dynamic behaviour of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in ethanol biofuel production was studied using an isothermal fed-batch process at five different temperatures. Fermentation parameters and kinetics were quantified. The best performances were found at 30 and 33 degrees C around 120 g l(-1) ethanol produced in 30 h with a slight benefit for growth at 30 degrees C and for ethanol production at 33 degrees C. Glycerol formation, enhanced with increasing temperatures, was coupled with growth for all fermentations; whereas, a decoupling phenomenon occurred at 36 and 39 degrees C pointing out a possible role of glycerol in yeast thermal protection.

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