Process development of starch hydrolysis using mixing characteristics of Taylor vortices

• Published in: Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry Vol. 81; no. 4; pp. 755 - 761
• Main Authors: Masuda, Hayato, Horie, Takafumi, Hubacz, Robert, Ohmura, Naoto, Shimoyamada, Makoto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 03.04.2017; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Food Analysis; food process design; Hydrolysis; Starch - chemistry; starch hydrolysis process; Taylor-Couette flow reactor; Water - chemistry; starch hydrolysis process; food process design; Taylor–Couette flow reactor
• ISSN: 0916-8451; 1347-6947
• DOI: 10.1080/09168451.2017.1282806

In food industries, enzymatic starch hydrolysis is an important process that consists of two steps: gelatinization and saccharification. One of the major difficulties in designing the starch hydrolysis process is the sharp change in its rheological properties. In this study, Taylor-Couette flow reactor was applied to continuous starch hydrolysis process. The concentration of reducing sugar produced via enzymatic hydrolysis was evaluated by varying operational variables: rotational speed of the inner cylinder, axial velocity (reaction time), amount of enzyme, and initial starch content in the slurry. When Taylor vortices were formed in the annular space, efficient hydrolysis occurred because Taylor vortices improved the mixing of gelatinized starch with enzyme. Furthermore, a modified inner cylinder was proposed, and its mixing performance was numerically investigated. The modified inner cylinder showed higher potential for enhanced mixing of gelatinized starch and the enzyme than the conventional cylinder. Even the high starch content of the slurry was effectively and continuously hydrolyzed in Taylor vortex flow region (high effective Reynolds number region).