Dr Lars Puiman

Lars specialises in scaling-up bioprocesses like gas fermentation

Scaling-up fermentation processes is not straightforward due to the emergence of concentration gradients at scale. For gas fermentation processes, with CO2, CO and CH4 and H2, scaling is even more challenging as high mass transfer rates need to be obtained. In his work, Lars is developing a framework to reliably scale-up gas fermentation processes, considering both mass transfer and gradiens. We aim to employ mechanistic models, combined with wet-lab data, to develop relationships and fluid dynamic (CFD) models to estimate the fermentation performance at industrial scale. Lars finished his PhD in Bioprocess Engineering at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands early 2024. He specialised in topics like bioprocess design, bioprocess scale-up/scale-down, mass transfer and transport phenomena, metabolic and kinetic modelling and simulation techniques. During his work, he developed several CFD models for syngas (CO to ethanol) fermentation at industrial scale, amongst others, to: - estimate how high mass transfer rates could be obtained, - scale-down from 500 m3 to 1 L, - predict the influence of the concentration gradient by coupling CFD with a kinetic, metabolic model.

Key Publications

Puiman, L., Benalcázar, E. A., Picioreanu, C., Noorman, H. J., & Haringa, C. (2024). High-resolution computation predicts that low dissolved CO concentrations and CO gradients promote ethanol production at industrial-scale gas fermentation. Biochemical Engineering Journal, 207, 109330.

Puiman, L., Abrahamson, B., van der Lans, R. G., Haringa, C., Noorman, H. J., & Picioreanu, C. (2022). Alleviating mass transfer limitations in industrial external-loop syngas-to-ethanol fermentation. Chemical Engineering Science, 259, 117770.

Puiman, L., Elisiário, M. P., Crasborn, L. M., Wagenaar, L. E., Straathof, A. J., & Haringa, C. (2022). Gas mass transfer in syngas fermentation broths is enhanced by ethanol. Biochemical Engineering Journal, 185, 108505.

Volger, R., Puiman, L., & Haringa, C. (2023). Bubbles and Broth: A review on the impact of broth composition on bubble column bioreactor hydrodynamics. Biochemical Engineering Journal, 109124.

Puiman, L., Almeida Benalcázar, E., Picioreanu, C., Noorman, H. J., & Haringa, C. (2023). Downscaling industrial-scale syngas fermentation to simulate frequent and irregular dissolved gas concentration shocks. Bioengineering, 10(5), 518.