Question

Larger foam is produced in bioreactors with increased headspace and small workspace?

(a) True

(b) False

This question was addressed to me in quiz.

I'm obligated to ask this question of Role of Shear in Stirred Fermenters in division Fluid Flow and Mixing of Bioprocess Engineering

Answer 1

Right option is (a) True

To elaborate: A bioreactor is divided in a working volume and a headspace volume. The working volume is the fraction of the total volume taken up by the medium, microbes, and gas bubbles. The remaining volume is called the headspace. Typically, the working volume will be 70-80% of the total fermenter volume. This value will however depend on the rate of foam formation during the reactor. If the medium or the fermentation has a tendency to foam, then a larger headspace and smaller working volume will need to be used.