AEROBIC FERMENTATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS

A system for aerobic fermentation includes a vessel, an aeration system including a gas sparger fluidly coupled to the vessel to introduce a compressed gas to an internal volume of the vessel, and a recirculation loop fluidly coupled to an outlet of the vessel. The recirculation loop includes an eductor fluidly coupled to an oxygen-containing gas source, a static mixer downstream of the eductor, a heat exchanger downstream of the eductor, and a distributor downstream of the heat exchanger. The distributor is fluidly coupled to the vessel. The aeration system provides mixing and oxygen mass transfer to the fermentation composition in the vessel. The fermentation composition passes through the eductor, static mixer, heat exchanger, and distributor of the recirculation loop, and back into the vessel. Oxygen is transferred from an oxygen containing gas to the fermentation composition and heat is removed from the fermentation composition in the recirculation loop.