BAFFLES

Table des matières

 1-Definition..................................................................................................................................................2

2- Use of baffles:...........................................................................................................................................3

3- Types of baffles.........................................................................................................................................3

3-1Traditional Baffle.................................................................................................................................3

3-2 Longitudinal Flow Baffles....................................................................................................................4

3-3 Orifice Baffles.....................................................................................................................................4

3-4 segmental baffle.................................................................................................................................5

3-6 Rod baffle...........................................................................................................................................6

4-The importance of baffles in a bioreactor.................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION

Bioreactor is a vessel in which a biological reaction or change takes place.

The biological systems involved include enzymes, microorganisms, animal
cells, plant cells, and tissues. The bioreactor is a place where an optimum
external environment is provided to meet the needs of the biological reaction
system so that a high yield of the bioprocess is achieved. To design an
appropriate bioreactor for a particular bioprocess, intensive studies on the
biological system, such as cell growth, metabolism, genetic manipulation, and
protein or other product expression, are needed to understand the cells’
requirement on their physical and chemical environment. Various bioreactor
types and configurations have thus been exploited and developed along with
the advances in the understanding of biological systems. In addition, it is
necessary to control the bioreactor operating parameters in order to favor the
desired functions of the living cells or enzymes. Dissolved oxygen (DO)
concentration, pH, temperature, mixing, and supplementation of nutrients
need to be controlled and optimized. Because two distinct bodies of
knowledge, that is, molecular biology and process engineering, are involved
and bioreactor is the core of bioprocess, a systematic science-based
approach to studying bioreactor is needed and the term ‘bioreactor
engineering’ becomes more appropriate than ‘bioreactor’ or ‘fermentor’.

 1-Definition
Baffles are flow-directing or obstructing vanes or panels used to direct a flow
of liquid or gas. It is used in some household stoves and in some industrial
process vessels (tanks), such as shell and tube heat exchangers, chemical
reactors, and static mixers.
Baffles are an integral part of the shell and tube heat exchanger design. A
baffle is designed to support tube bundles and direct the flow of fluids for
maximum efficiency. Baffle design and tolerances for heat exchangers are
discussed in the standards of the Tubular Exchanger Manufacturers
Association (TEMA).
2- Use of baffles:
The main roles of a baffle in a shell and tube heat exchanger are to:

 Hold tubes in position (preventing sagging), both in production and

operation
 Prevent the effects of steam starvation, which is increased with both
fluid velocity and the length of the exchanger
 Direct shell-side fluid flow along the tube field. This increases fluid
velocity and the effective heat transfer co-efficient of the exchanger
In a static mixer, baffles are used to minimize the tangential component of
velocity which causes vortex formation, and thus promotes mixing.
In a chemical reactor, baffles are often attached to the interior walls to
promote mixing and thus increase heat transfer and possibly chemical
reaction rates.

 The baffles prevent the rotational flow without affecting radial or

longitudinal flow. The tank is provided with baffles which prevent
swirling and vortex formation. Except in very large tanks, four baffles
are placed.

3- Types of baffles

Implementation of baffles is decided on the basis of size, cost and their ability
to lend support to the tube.

3-1Traditional Baffle
The various types of traditional baffles used in glass-lined vessels are
depicted in the diagram below (Figure 1). Depending on your process
objectives and the characteristics of your product, one baffle type may be
more suitable than another for your application. 
The most commonly used design that offers effective performance for the
majority of processes is the beavertail baffle . It can be conveniently installed
through one of the standard nozzles on a reactor head, enabling easy, no-
entry installation and removal . Additionally, the beavertail baffle encases a
temperature sensing system and has proven to offer high performance even
at low liquid levels.
Beavertail baffles and other traditional units are specifically designed to hang
from flanges in the vessel’s top head to ensure the integrity of the vessel
lining. While this offers effective mixing, there are limitations and inefficiencies
created by this arrangement. Traditional glass-lined reactors have employed
a single baffle over multiple baffles mainly due to the challenge of attaching
baffles to the reactor wall and encapsulating them with glass. Additionally,
since mounting flanges are needed for process monitoring, insertion of
cleaning devices, and the introduction of reactants, no more than two baffles
are typically used due to the limited space in the head. 

3-2 Longitudinal Flow Baffles (used in a two-pass shell)

Longitudinal baffles force the shell-side fluid to make more than one pass
through an exchanger. With no longitudinal baffle, the shell-side fluid makes
one pass from inlet to outlet. With a longitudinal baffle, and with the nozzles
placed 180° around the shell, the shell-side fluid would be forced to enter at
the left, flow to the right to get around the baffle, and flow to the left to reach
the exit nozzle. This would be required to approximate true counter-current
flow, which was assumed in the heat transfer equations of Heat Transfer
Theory.

3-3 Orifice Baffles

In this type of baffle, shell side fluid flows through the clearance between the
tube outside and the baffle hole. These baffles are rarely used because they
are the least efficient. These baffles cannot be cleaned when plugged with
dirt and scale. This type of baffle should not be used for fluids that rapidly fall
the outer surface, where corrosion and erosion can damage the tubes.

3-4 segmental baffle

The most commonly used Plate baffles may be single-segmental, double-
segmental, or triple-segmental, as shown in Figure

3-5 Disk and Doughnut baffles

Has alternating outer rings and inner disks which directs the flow radially
across the tube field. They all very effective in pressure drop to heat transfer
conversion.
 3-6 Rod baffle

This type is metal rods rather than plate metal baffles. The type is use
wherever a very low-pressure drop is required. Rod baffles also eliminates
the tube vibrations which occur with plate baffles when fluid velocities are
high.

The flow in the shell side is mainly parallel to tube axis. Tubes are arranged
with square pitch. Rods, with a diameter equal to the clearance between the
tube rows, are attached to ring supports and placed between alternate tubes
in both horizontal and vertical directions.

4-The importance of baffles in a bioreactor

There are several reasons for using baffles in heat exchangers, below is a list
of functions that baffles are often used for.

 To support tubes in heat exchangers.

Tubes must be supported at intervals not more than 1.5 m (5 ft), this mainly
depends on the diameter of the tube and material of construction. The
support intervals can be shorter where flow-induced vibrations occur in
certain operations.
 Supporting the tubes using baffles also prevents mechanical vibrations that
can result in tubes touching each other and giving rise to leakages and
failures mainly near tube sheets

 To enhance heat transfer by directing the flow through the shell in a desired
pattern.

This also increases the turbulence and reduces the stagnant pockets in the
heat exchanger. We can also maintain a desired velocity by introducing
baffles.