A process and apparatus is provided which are effective for improving CO mass transfer. The process includes introducing syngas into a reactor vessel through a gas sparger located below a liquid level in the reactor vessel. The syngas being introduced at a flow rate effective for maintaining a pressure inside of the reactor vessel of at least about 1 psig. An agitation energy of about 0.01 to about 12 kWatts/m.sup.3 medium is provided. The process is effective for providing a volumetric CO mass transfer coefficient of about 100 to about 1500 per hour.

A container system includes a collapsible bag having an interior surface at least partially bounding a chamber, the chamber being adapted to hold a fluid. A sparger is disposed within the chamber of the bag, the sparger bounding a compartment and having an inside edge that encircles an opening passing through the sparger. At least a portion of the sparger is gas permeable. A tubular member is coupled to the sparger and is in communication with the compartment. A shaft passes into the chamber of the bag and through the opening of the sparger. A mixing element is secured to the shaft and is disposed within the chamber of the bag.

A container assembly includes a flexible bag having an interior surface bounding a chamber and an opposing exterior surface, the bag having a bottom end wall being comprised of a first sheet overlying a second sheet, the first sheet and the second sheet of the bottom end wall being welded together so as to form a first sparging area and a separated second sparging area that are both bounded between the first sheet and the second sheet, at least a portion of the first sheet overlying the first and second sparging areas being gas permeable.

A container system includes a bag comprised of one or more sheets of flexible polymeric material, the bag having an interior surface at least partially bounding a chamber, the chamber being adapted to hold a fluid. A flexible sparging sheet is secured to the interior surface of the bag so that a compartment is formed between the interior surface of the bag and the sparging sheet, at least a portion of the sparging sheet allowing gas to pass therethrough. A tubular port or tube is secured to the bag so that a passage bounded by the tubular port or tube communicates with the compartment. A mixing element is disposed within the chamber of the bag, the mixing element being spaced apart from the flexible sparging sheet.

A container assembly includes a flexible bag having an interior surface bounding a chamber and an opposing exterior surface, the bag having a top end wall, a bottom end wall, and an encircling sidewall extending therebetween, the bottom end wall including a first polymeric sheet overlying a second polymeric sheet. A first weld line welds the first polymeric sheet to the second polymeric sheet, the first weld line bounding a first sparging area formed between the first polymeric sheet and the second polymeric sheet. A plurality of first perforations are formed through a portion of the first polymeric sheet that overlies the first sparging area so that gas can pass from the first sparging area, through the first perforations and into the chamber of the bag.

The present invention is a composting bioreactor system that can be continually fed with biodegradable solid wastes, waste waters and exhaust gases, that can automatically recycle the biodegradable wastes into liquid nutrients and heat energy, and that automatically supplies the nutritious liquid and heat into the integrated hydroponics system or aquaponics system. The invention together with the integrated food growing system can be installed onsite in places such as household balconies, household backyards and premises of restaurants and food factories etc. therefore can lead to zero mileage targets both for recycling the wastes and for growing the foods consumed in the same location. It can fully recover and reuse all the nutrients and heat energy from the treated wastes. It can also reach the target of nearly zero pollution to the environment during all processes. For better operational efficiency, an oblique cone agitator, a fish plow agitator and a vortex flower turbine are specially designed for the bioreactor system.

A container system includes a bag comprised of one or more sheets of flexible polymeric material, the bag having an interior surface at least partially bounding a chamber, the chamber being adapted to hold a fluid. A flexible sparging sheet is secured to the interior surface of the bag so that a compartment is formed between the interior surface of the bag and the sparging sheet, at least a portion of the sparging sheet allowing gas to pass therethrough. A tubular port or tube is secured to the bag so that a passage bounded by the tubular port or tube communicates with the compartment. A mixing element is disposed within the chamber of the bag, the mixing element being spaced apart from the flexible sparging sheet.

A sparger assembly (700) for a bioprocessing system includes a base plate (710) and at least one aeration manifold (712, 714) removably connected to tire base plate. Each aeration manifold includes at least one inlet for receiving a gas and a plurality of gas outlet openings for delivering tire gas to a fluid within the bioprocessing system. An impeller assembly (740) fora bioprocessing system includes a hub and at least one blade (742) operatively connected to the hub. The at least one blade includes a first portion connected to the hub and extending generally vertically, and a second portion extending at an upward angle from tire first portion.