INSTITUTE : University Institute of Engineering

DEPARTMENT : Biotechnology Engineering

Subject Name : Bioreactor and Bioprocess Design

Presented by:
Dr. Abhishek Kr. Singh

TOPIC: Baffles DISCOVER . LEARN . EMPOWER

UIBT, CU
www.cuchd.in Campus: Gharuan, Mohali
 Introduction

 Four baffles are normally incorporated into agitated vessels of all sizes
to prevent a vortex and to improve aeration and agitation efficiency and to
prevent vortexing.
 In vessels over 3-dm3 six or eight baffles may be used (Scragg, 1991).
 Baffles are metal strips roughly one-tenth of the vessel diameter and
attached radially to the wall.

UIBT, CU
www.cuchd.in Campus: Gharuan, Mohali
 The agitation effect is only slightly increased with wider baffles, but
drops sharply with narrower baffles.
Walker and Holdsworth (1958) recommended that baffles should be
installed so that a gap existed between them and the vessel wall, so that
there was a scouring action around and behind the baffles, thus minimizing
microbial growth on the baffles and the fermenter walls.
Extra cooling coils may be attached to baffles to improve the cooling
capacity of a fermenter without unduly affecting the geometry.

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Baffles are obstructing vertical arranged vanes or elongated plates
inside the vessel needed to stop the radial swirl inside the fermenter and
convert the rotational flow to axial mixing.
Without baffles, the tangential velocities coming from any turbine(s)
causes the entire fluid mass to spin creating a central vortex.
Baffles, so to speak, increase the friction to the vessel inner wall
surface.

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Bacto Vessel baffles are straight flat plates vertically and perpendicular
oriented close to the inner side of the vessel attached to and extending from
the bottom up to above liquid surface.

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 UIBT, CU
www.cuchd.in Campus: Gharuan, Mohali
 Baffles

Baffles are metal strips roughly one-tenth of vessel diameter and

attached radially to the wall of bioreactor.
Generally four to eight baffles are incorporated.
They are normally incorporated into agitated vessels of all sizes to
prevent vortex and to improve aeration efficiency.

UIBT, CU
www.cuchd.in Campus: Gharuan, Mohali
 References

Introduction to Biochemical Engineering, D. G. Rao, Tata McGraw-Hill Education, USA.

Fermentation and Biochemical Engineering, Henry C. Vogel, Noyes Publications, NJ, USA.
Bioprocess Engineering : Systems, Equipment and Facilities, Bjorn K. Lydersen, Nancy A. D’Elia
and Kim L. Nelson, Wiley India Pvt. Limited, New Delhi.
Fermentation Microbiology and Biotechnology, E.M.T. El-Mansi, C.F.A. Bryce, A.L. Demain,
A.R. Allman. CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, FL, USA.

UIBT, CU
www.cuchd.in Campus: Gharuan, Mohali