ANZIAM J. 46(E) pp.C1188--C1204, 2005.

Numerical simulation of microbial depolymerization process of exogenous type

M. Watanabe

F. Kawai
(Received 31 October 2004, revised 20 October 2005)

Abstract

A microbial depolymerization process of exogenous type is studied with experimental data introduced into the analysis. A mathematical model for exogenous depolymerization processes is described together with the numerical techniques to analyze it. Given an initial weight distribution of polyethylene glycol with respect to the molecular weight and its final weight distribution obtained after cultivation of a microbial consortium E1, an inverse problem of an initial value problem determines an oxidation rate. Given the oxidation rate, the initial value problem was solved to simulate the transition of weight distribution. A numerical simulation shows that the mathematical method of analysis of an exogenous depolymerization process is practically acceptable. The numerical techniques illustrated here are applicable to the analyses of other exogenous depolymerization processes.

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Authors

M. Watanabe
Faculty of Environmental Science and Technology, Okayama University, 1-1, Naka 3-chome, Tsushima, Okayama 700-8530, Japan. mailto:watanabe@ems.okayama-u.ac.jp
F. Kawai
Research Institute for Bioresources, Okayama University

Published November 8, 2005. ISSN 1446-8735

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Copyright Austral. Mathematical Soc.; prepared November 8, 2005, from Wata.tex with anziamje.sty (v2.3k)