Mixing is one of the most commonly used processes in the laboratory. Excellent mixing performance can only be achieved if the right mixing system is configured for the desired application. Scitek has been a leader in the design and development of laboratory technology for nearly 40 years and offers a full line of overhead stirrers for a wide range of viscosity, torque and sample volume challenges. Scitek overhead stirrers are a true guarantee of high performance and reliability for a wide range of applications.
The role of the overhead stirrer in the fermentation process
In the process of fermentation, overhead stirrer plays a vital role, which is mainly reflected in the following aspects:
1. Promote the homogeneous mixing of substances: The overhead stirrer can fully mix the nutrients, microorganisms and gases in the fermentation tank by rotating the paddles to ensure that the composition of the entire fermentation liquid is uniformly distributed to improve the fermentation efficiency and product quality.
2. Improve the reaction rate: The rotation of the stirrer accelerates the molecular movement within the liquid, thus speeding up the fermentation reaction rate, making the fermentation process more rapid.
3. Maintaining the stable state of the substance: Through stirring, the overhead stirrer can prevent the stratification or precipitation of the substance in the fermentation liquid and maintain the stable state of the fermentation liquid, which is conducive to the growth and metabolism of microorganisms.
4. Accelerating gas transmission: The rotation of the stirrer helps the uniform distribution of gas in the fermenter, improves the concentration of oxygen, promotes the respiration of microorganisms, and accelerates the speed of fermentation.
5. Maintaining a uniform environment: In the continuous fermentation process, the overhead stirrer can ensure uniform temperature and nutrient concentration, providing an ideal environment for microorganisms to grow.
6. Preventing fermentation dead space: In biogas fermentation, the stirrer can break the inherent hierarchical structure of the fermented raw materials, reduce the fermentation dead space, and make the microorganisms and raw materials fully contact with each other, so as to improve the efficiency of gas production.
The overhead stirrer plays a key role in the fermentation process by promoting the mixing of substances, increasing the reaction rate, maintaining the stability of substances and gas transmission, etc., which is crucial to the smooth progress of the fermentation process and the improvement of the fermentation efficiency.
Variables to consider when choosing an overhead stirrer
Viscosity is one of the main parameters to consider when evaluating different overhead mixers.
Viscosity is a measure of a fluid’s resistance to flow or change in shape due to internal friction between molecules, and it is expressed in centipoise mPa*s. It changes after the addition of solvent or during mixing. The torque we require depends on how much force must be used to mix the medium. Important factors to consider when choosing torque are the volume of the sample and any changes in the mixing process. As the volume and viscosity of the sample increases, so does the torque required for mixing. The selection of both the overhead stirrer and the stirring shaft depends on these variables.
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