Project Context & Problem Statement

The project is located in a large-scale fermentation production facility where yeast fermentation tanks are used in continuous industrial processing.

The medium inside the tank includes:

• Fermentation broth
• Yeast culture
• High-density biological foam layer

The customer has been facing severe foam overflow problems for over 10 years. During fermentation, excessive foam generation frequently leads to:

• False high-level readings
• Uncontrolled tank overflow
• Loss of valuable yeast and fermentation material
• Frequent shutdowns for cleaning and maintenance
• Contamination risks in production lines

Despite multiple investments in automation upgrades and various level measurement technologies, the foam layer continued to interfere with accurate level detection. Annual losses were estimated at several million USD due to product waste and production downtime.

Implemented Solution

To solve this long-standing issue, a combined level measurement system was implemented:

Combined strategy:

• Radar = continuous level measurement
• Tuning fork switch = foam overflow protection alarm

Installation & Dual Protection

The radar level transmitter was installed on the top of fermentation tanks for non-contact continuous level monitoring.

The tuning fork level switch was installed at a critical overflow warning height inside the tank to detect abnormal foam rise conditions.

This dual-point installation ensures both:

• Accurate process control
• Safety overflow protection

Achieved Results & Benefits

After system implementation, the fermentation process achieved significant improvements:

• Foam interference eliminated in level measurement
• Overflow incidents reduced to near zero
• Yeast recovery rate significantly improved
• Cleaning and shutdown frequency greatly reduced
• Production efficiency increased by over 70%
• Annual operational losses reduced by millions of USD
• Stable and continuous automated fermentation control achieved

The system successfully solved a long-term production bottleneck that had persisted for more than a decade.

Wide Applicability

This solution is widely applicable in:

• Fermentation tanks in biotech and brewing industries
• Yeast and enzyme production systems
• Food and beverage processing tanks
• Chemical reactors with foam generation
• Wastewater treatment aeration tanks
• High-foam liquid storage applications

Technical Advantages

Foam interference is one of the most challenging problems in level measurement applications, especially in fermentation and biological processes.

Traditional level sensors often fail due to:

• Signal reflection distortion
• False level readings caused by foam
• Unstable process conditions

The combination of 80GHz radar technology and tuning fork switch provides:

• High reliability in foam-rich environments
• Accurate separation between foam and liquid surface
• Dual safety protection for overflow prevention
• Reduced maintenance and operational costs

This makes it an ideal solution for critical fermentation process control systems.