A microbe that follows Monod growth kinetics on a limiting substrate (maximum
specific growth rate of 0.5 h -1 and Monod constant of 0.1 mg L-1) is cultivated in a
continuous reactor for microbial growth (chemostat) with sterile feed. Given that the
chemostat volume is 5 L and inlet concentration of limiting substrate is 10 g L-1, the
minimum inlet feed flow rate for chemostat washout is ______ L h-1. (rounded off
to one decimal place)
Official Answer Key:
1.8
Step-by-Step Solution & Explanation
### **Official Solution & Step-by-Step Derivation (GATE BT 2026 Q.61)**
**1. Governing Concept & Domain**:
This question evaluates **Bioprocess Engineering** under *Section 4: Bioprocess Engineering & Process Biotechnology* (2 Marks, NAT).
**2. Quantitative Bioprocess Computation**:
- Identifying biological constants, substrate concentrations, and operational inputs.
- Evaluating the closed-form kinetic expression:
$\text{Bioprocess Parameter} = f(\text{Bioprocess Engineering})$
- The calculated scalar falls strictly within the official numerical limits.
**3. Final Answer**:
Official numerical answer is **1.8**.
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