A fluid transfer assembly for single use bioreactors includes a fluid transfer housing that can be mounted to the impeller shaft using a bearing that places the fluid transfer assembly directly below the lowest impeller but allows the impeller shaft to spin inside independently of the fluid transfer assembly. A fluid conduit connects the fluid transfer housing to a port in the single use bag wall which allows fluids to be introduced into the sparger and which also helps prevent the fluid transfer assembly from rotating with the impeller shaft.

A radial impeller includes a hub, a disk, and a plurality of blades. The disk is affixed to the hub. The disk has a disk plane defined by the disk. Each blade of the plurality of blades is affixed to the disk. Each blade includes a “C” shaped body portion and an upper and lower horizontal extension. The upper horizontal extension extends along an upper plane parallel to the disk plane. The lower horizontal extension extends along a lower plane parallel to the disk plane.

The stirring device, in particular for a fluid-mixing bioreactor, comprises a drive shaft including a rod, an agitating element and a sleeve of tubular shape. The sleeve forms a coupling sleeve receiving the shaft therethrough and is directly rotationally coupled to the rod. The agitating element, which has a hub with an annular side wall delimiting an inner space and an impeller assembly comprising blades, is indirectly rotationally coupled to the rod via the sleeve that is engaged in the inner space. One of an inner surface of the wall and an outer surface of the sleeve is a guiding surface with progressively reduced cross section. Axial movement between the hub and the sleeve is prevented in a locked configuration of a sleeve fastening arrangement. Hub-sleeve contact areas can be axially distributed.

The stirring device, in particular for a fluid-mixing bioreactor, comprises a drive shaft including a rod, an agitating element and a sleeve of tubular shape. The sleeve forms a coupling sleeve receiving the shaft therethrough and is directly rotationally coupled to the rod. The agitating element, which has a hub with an annular side wall delimiting an inner space and an impeller assembly comprising blades, is indirectly rotationally coupled to the rod via the sleeve that is engaged in the inner space. One of an inner surface of the wall and an outer surface of the sleeve is a guiding surface with progressively reduced cross section. Axial movement between the hub and the sleeve is prevented in a locked configuration of a sleeve fastening arrangement. Hub-sleeve contact areas can be axially distributed.

A mixing method, a controller and a mixing device for mixing components in a mixing vessel are provided. The mixing method includes providing a mixing impeller in the mixing vessel; accelerating the mixing impeller from an inactive state to a rotating state in which the mixing impeller rotates at a first desired speed in a first rotation direction; rotating the mixing impeller at the first desired speed for a first time t.sub.steady,1 in the first rotation direction; changing the rotation direction of the mixing impeller, so that the mixing impeller rotates in a second rotation direction at a second desired speed; and rotating the mixing impeller at the second desired speed for a second time t.sub.steady,2.

A sparger assembly for a bioprocessing system includes a first layer having a plurality of pores of a first size, and a second layer disposed above the first layer and having a plurality of holes of a second size, the second size being greater than the first size. The pores of the first layer and the holes of the second layer allow for the passage of a sparge gas through the first layer and the second layer.

A mixing agitator, for industrial use in mixing processes, that overcomes disadvantages associated with glass coated mixing agitators in the prior art. In particular, the mixing agitator includes a glass coated metal hub radially symmetrical about a central axis. The hub is at least partially embedded within a fluorinated polymer. The fluorinated polymer extends beyond the hub and forms agitator blades that may be reinforced. The hub has a centrally located receiving portion for receiving a drive shaft for rotating the agitator. The agitator is lighter weight than prior art glass coated steel agitators yet still has excellent chemical resistance and good temperature resistance. The agitator of the invention reduces likelihood of glass damage and permits agitator blade shapes not useable by glass coated agitators in the prior art. The invention also includes a mixing apparatus incorporating the hub and a method for mixing using the agitator.

A chemical reaction device that supplies a raw material liquid into a solution and causes particles to precipitate in the solution is provided. The chemical reaction device includes an agitation tank configured to accommodate the solution, an impeller configured to agitate the solution, and a plurality of discharge parts configured to discharge the raw material liquid into the solution.

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.

Hydrophobic particles such as coal and hydrophobized mineral fines can be readily separated from hydrophilic impurities by forming agglomerates in water using a hydrophobic liquids such as oil. The agglomerates of hydrophobic particles usually entrap large amounts of water, causing the moisture of the recovered hydrophobic particles to be excessively high. This problem can be overcome by dispersing the hydrophobic agglomerates in a hydrophobic liquid that can be readily recycled. The dispersion can be achieved using specially designed apparatus and methods that can create a turbulence that can help destabilize the agglomerates in a recyclable hydrophobic liquid and facilitate the dispersion.