Oxygen enrichment of fermenters
Many processes used in the pharmaceutical and biotechnological industries require a supply of oxygen to the apparatus in which they are carried out: typically aerobic fermentation, in which the inoculated microorganisms are enabled to produce an active principle, are fed with suitably treated and sterilised air to supply the oxygen needed to keep the reaction going.
The consumption of oxygen varies during the process and reaches a maximum when the maximum density of microbe population compatible with the operating conditions and the presence of nitrogen, using air, imposes a limit both in the amount of oxygen that can be transferred and so in the maximum quantity of microorganisms present, affecting the productivity of the process. In addition the production of foam, which depends on the amount of air used, further reduces the useful volume of the apparatus.
These problems can be tackled and resolved using SOL technologies for pure oxygen usage; since the saturation concentration in water of pure oxygen is about five times greater than that of oxygen in air, using it to hyper oxygenate the air current using technologies and plant in the Ecojet® range, makes it possible to increase fermenter productivity.