The role of fundamental parameters in the conduction of penicillin semicontinuous fermentations is analyzed. Biomass concentration, penicillin production, and main nutrient consumption are particularly studied. Furthermore, the conduction of the operation is simulated with regard to conditions of constant specific rate of growth and of constant oxygen concentration in the broth. An intermediate condition is also considered.

The relationships between the specific rate of nutrient consumption and biomass growth and between the specific rate of penicillin production and oxygen concentration in the broth are analyzed. The functional dependencies which have been obtained from the experimental data of industrial fermenters are used with the mass balances to develop a model of the behavior of semicontinous operations. The proposed model allows one to study the influence of some operational parameters. The obtained results agree with the data of industrial processes.

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