ABSTRACT
Considering that the models dsigned for (i) chemical kinetics and (ii) cost analysis of industrial processes developed through scale up, have time, t, as a common independent variable, we have developed a methodological framework under the form of an algorithmic procedure for decreasing the cost (per unit mass or volume produced/treated) due to depreciation. The objective function to be minimized is the difference Δt = (t 1 - to ), where t 1 is the time required to obtain a certain quantity of a product or to treat a certain quantity of waste and is the time required to obtain/treat the same quantities according to the prediction made by means of the kinetic model developed during either scale up or scale down, which are bottom-up / bottom-up open-end and bottom-up / top down closed-end R&D procedures, respectively. This procedure has been implemented satisfactorily in the case of wastewater treatment within a completely mixed batch bioreactor (BB). It was also proved that this implementation can be extended to cover the continuous-flow stirred tank bioreactor (CFSTB) and the plug-flow bioreactor (PFB).
