Theory 35/Weber Number/Fermentation
Foam Stability Is a Weber Problem
The claim
Foam stability in fermentation is set by the Weber number of the sparged bubbles, so changing aeration rate changes foaming without changing the broth chemistry.
01Mechanism
Bubbles rupture or coalesce depending on the balance of inertia and surface tension at the film; the ratio sets the bubble size distribution.
02Prediction
Foaming should track Weber number.
03Refutation
Foaming tracking protein content alone would remove the flow term.