Cooling aspects of solid-state cultures of mesophilic and thermophilic fungi

Cooling air requirements in solid-state cultures of filamentous fungi were studied. The growth conditions of Trichonderma viride TS, Thermoascus aurantiacus and Sporotrichum (Chrysosporium) thermophile in sugar-beet pulp medium were estimated. Heat generation and heat removal in relation to water activity of the medium are discussed. Heat removal from the culture media was due to enthalpy changes and water vapourization. Changes in the water sorption properties in the solid media during the fermentation process are presented. It was estimated that in real solid-state conditions the requirement for cooling air in a mesophilic culture is 2-fold higher than that under thermophilic conditions.