Used Fermenters

Commercial fermentations are usually performed aseptically in vessels held under pressure that are sterile to resist entry of contamination microorganisms. Creating positive pressure in the vessel also accelerates mass transfer or fermentation process. Fermentors are actually biological reactors versus a chemical reactor.

The workhorse of the fermentation industry is the conventional batch fermenter. A conventional batch fermenter is an agitated jacketed pressure vessel with cooling coils, baffles and a sparger ring to introduce vapor into the fermentation process.

In the fermentation plan, there is a series of small fermentors, or “seed” tanks which actually start the fermentation process. The organisms start to grow in the seed tanks, and then they are fed into the larger production Fermenters.

Physically a fermenter has the same characteristics as a reactor with a few additions like cooling coils and sparger rings. The body of the fermentation vessel is typically narrow in diameter with a long straight side.