ABSTRACT This work presents the geometric optimization of an axial–radial impeller (ARI) hybrid to maximize gas–liquid mass transfer using response surface methodology. A Box–Behnken design was applied to evaluate the effects of blade number, inclination angle, and aspect ratio on the volumetric mass transfer coefficient ( K L a ). The optimized configuration was experimentally validated and compared with the original ARI and a Rushton turbine under fermentation‐relevant conditions. Results showed an 8% increase in K L a , and a 25% reduction in power consumption relative to the original design. The optimized ARI demonstrated superior performance at medium‐to‐high aeration and agitation, confirming the effectiveness of systematic geometric optimization.
Ascanio et al. (Sun,) studied this question.