Fermenter vs. Bioreactor

Difference Between Fermenter and Bioreactor

Comparison Chart

Definition of Fermenter

Fermentation is a process in which sugar is converted into other substances such as acids, alcohol, and other gasses. It also occurs in organisms such as yeast and bacteria which do not require oxygen for their processes while in more general terms it is the growth of microorganisms to produce a specific product. The device which is used to obtain this product is known as a fermenter. It is basically a chamber in which microorganisms are placed in a controlled atmosphere to get the desired product. It is a cheaper process which does not require many costly materials and use substances such as ethanol and lactic acid. It controls the temperature and keeps the chamber free from oxygen so that the surroundings can be in such a manner that all the processes can be performed properly. Creating this device is not as hard as it may sound and requires a basic understanding of the process and the substances involved which can be used according to the requirement to get the product. There are different prototypes that are used for designing such as product and they depend on the type of material that is required along with the microorganisms which are being used for obtaining the product.

Definition of Bioreactor

It is the type of device which is used in manufacturing engineering or systems which need a reaction to support the environment. In simple words it is a process in which different biological organisms are used to obtain another product which is used for human purposes, this is done with the help of a chemical reaction and the process carried out in a bioreactor does not involve oxygen in specific circumstances while it can use it in other processes. Therefore, it can be said that bioreactor can make use of aerobic and anaerobic organisms according to the requirement. There are different types of bioreactor that are available in the manufacturing industry and have been classified based on their structure. Some of them are called batch, fed-batch, and continuous reactors. The organisms which are being used for the process can be attached to the surface of a solid medium or can be immersed in a liquid medium. They are free to move because the movement produces motion of the reactor and ends up evolving the whole process from which a new substance is produced. This plant is usually larger in size as compared to other similar reactors.

Conclusion

There are many types of devices and instruments which have been confusing people for long and there are the terms related to it that can be helpful for people who are interested in managing all the things that are helpful for them. This article, has explained those terms in a proper manner to make things clearer.