Challenges
1. Limitations in Oxygen Transfer Efficiency and Equipment Load
During the rapid cell growth phase, dissolved oxygen shortage occurred repeatedly.To address this issue, excessive aeration was attempted, but the existing compressor capacity had already reached saturation, making it difficult to add a larger compressor.
2. Seal Wear and Contamination Risk(Existing Issues)
Due to the high-speed operation required in the fermentation process, concerns were continuously raised about foreign material contamination caused by wear of the mechanical seal in the existing top-entry agitator.
3. Instability in the Scale-Up Process
Unlike the pilot stage, the 10 kL large-scale tank experienced dead zones in fluid flow.As a result, amino acids accumulated at the bottom, reducing overall mixing uniformity.
SEDNA Solution
1. Down-Flow-Optimized Impeller Design
Through CFD simulation, SEDNA ENG applied a specialized impeller design that maximizes down-flow performance.
This prevents air bubbles from rising directly to the liquid surface and creates strong circulation toward the bottom of the tank, significantly increasing gas hold-up time.
2. Seal-Free Isolation Structure
By applying magnetic coupling technology, SEDNA ENG achieved a clean process with no wear parts, even during high-speed operation.
This fundamentally eliminates contamination risks caused by mechanical seal wear.
PROBLEM
SOLUTION
- Results
01
Improved Dissolved Oxygen (DO) Transfer Efficiency
By optimizing the impeller design, oxygen transfer efficiency was improved under the same aeration conditions, reducing compressor load.
02
Secured Compressor Capacity Margin
Additional margin was secured in the air injection capacity that had reached its limit, reducing CAPEX for large compressor expansion.
03
Improved Process Stability and Reproducibility
Stable DO control was achieved during the key growth phase of amino acid production, reducing batch-to-batch variation and improving productivity.