FERMENTATION TECHNOLOGY

CBB 20203

ASSIGNMENT 2: The functions and specification of agitation

system

NAME MUHAMMAD FARIS BIN MUSTAKIM

ID 55217116198
INTRODUCTION

Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic

substrates through the action of enzymes. Fermentation is one of the oldest
biotechnologies for the production of food products with desirable properties such as
prolonged shelf-life and excellent organoleptic properties. Finished fermented foods
commonly have an extended microbial stability and protection and some can be stored
even at ambient temperatures. Furthermore, there are a number of examples of
fermentation procedures which lead to an extend in nutritional value or of food raw
materials. Finally, food fermentation approaches also deliver merchandise with
increased palatability for consumers. All these arguments have boosted the interest to
explore natural food fermentation processes and more precisely to link the range of
the community of fermenting microbes and their residences to the energetics of the
technique and to product satisfaction.
Fermentation can be carried out by using the bioreactor. The bioreactor is the
type of reactor that support biological activities. These biological activities involve
organisms or biochemically active substances derived from the organisms. This
process can be aerobic or anaerobic process. The bioreactor usually have a cylindrical
shape and volume in litres or cubic metres. The bioreactor that was used in the
industries was usually made up of stainless steel. However, bioreactor in the lab scale
was made up of glass. The smaller bioreactor usually made up of glass because it is
easy to maintain. Glass was not suitable for larger bioreactor because it consume huge
cost.
Each components of the bioreactor have its own role to make the fermentation
process become successful. Basically, bioreactor consists of feeding pump, sensor
probe, system monitor, submerged aerator, reactor tank and agitation system. Some of
the bioreactor have thermal jacket to maintain the temperature of the reactor. This
component was essential in order to make the anaerobic or aerobic process of the
microorganisms successful.
Bioreactor was widely used in the industries to make various products. This is
because by using the bioreactor, the production yield of the product will increased
rapidly compared to the conventional method. It is much easier to run the process
with a minimal cost.
What is agitation system?

Agitation system is a system required in the bioreactor to well- mix the

microorganisms and the medium. This process was important to ensure the growth in the
bioreactor was balanced. Agitation system requires an agitator, drive motor, speed reducer,
mechanical seal, impeller and impeller blade. All this component play a big role in the
agitation system. Agitator consists of the motor, impeller and impeller blade.

Motor

Impeller

Impeller blade

Figure 1: agitator

Why use agitation system?

The usage of agitation system was to disperse the air and oxygen inside the fermentation
broth. Agitator provide the uniform dispersion of gas bubbles. It also provide small gas
bubbles by shearing the inlet gas with fluid velocity gradient. The dispersion of gas bubbles
also can maximize the retention time of the gas in the broth by driving the gas bubbles to the
bottom of the tank. From this process, it will produce a good bulk velocity. This process also
enable to enhance the heat transfer of the medium broth. It also can reincorporate the
nutrients from the surface froth back to the medium broth.
 Figure 2: agitation process.

Impeller have 2 function which is to provide mixing by pumping the liquid round the vessel
and to disperse the injected gas steam as small bubbles and re-disperse the coalesced bubbles.
Both of this functions requires a certain criteria of the impeller. The agitators have 2 types,
radial flow and axial flow. This impeller have its own functions. Radial flow impeller was
initially directed towards the wall of the reactor while axial flow impeller was directing the
liquid flow downwards towards the base of the reactor.

Figure 3: Flow pattern of radial and axial impeller

 Baffles act as an enhancer to enhance the agitation of the medium broth. Baffles is an
obstructing vertical arranged elongated plates inside the vessel to stop the radial swirl inside
the fermenter. Baffles was able to convert the rotational flow from the radial flow to the axial
flow. In the presence of baffles, the tangential velocities coming from any turbine causes the
entire fluid mass to spin creating a central vortex. It also increases the friction to the vessel
inner wall surface. Thus, baffles actually play a big role in the fermentation process.

Figure 4: baffles

CONCLUSION

The agitation system plays a big role in the fermentation process. This process was crucial
because it can prevent a massive foaming and circulate the gas bubbles throughout the vessel.
This helps the aerobic process to be implemented successfully.
REFERENCES

 Agitation and Mixing of fluid (n.d), retrieved March 17, 2019, from
http://users.fsid.cvut.cz/~jiroutom/huo_soubory/huo8a.pdf
 Jordan K.F., Hiltunen P. (2007), Agitation Handbook , 57-58
http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:544860/FULLTEXT01.pdf
 James B. (2016), Dynamix Agitator : Flow Patterns and Impellers , retrieved march
17, 2019, from https://www.dynamixinc.com/mixing-101-the-basic-principles-of-
mixing-and-impellers
 Singh J., Kaushik N., Biswas S.(2014), Bioreactors- Technology and Design
Analysis, file:///C:/Users/user/Downloads/Bioreactor.pdf