Mixing studies in bioreactors

Blend times and power consumptions were determined for different arrangements of two equal diameter impellers, a high efficiency A310 and a Dumbo Ear impeller with three large, elephant ear blades designed for low shear agitation. A 9 l round-bottomed, unbaffled bioreactor was used in these studies. Blend times were taken as the time for the disappearance of the pink color of a basic solution of phenolphthalein on neutralization by excess acid, and the power consumption was obtained from torque measurements. The mixing results show that the Dumbo Ear impeller gives shorter blend times than the A310 at equal rotational speeds for most of the conditions studied. As expected, the Dumbo Ear impeller consumes more power than the A310 at the same rotational speed, due to its large area blades. However, the Dumbo Ear impeller also gives shorter blend times than the A310 at equal power consumptions.