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US 10,538,730 B2Granted
Gas-fed fermentation reactors, systems and processes
AssigneeCalysta, Inc.
InventorsLuan Thanh Nguyen, Arild Johannessen, Graham Ian Aylen, Joshua A. Silverman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Reactors, systems and processes for the production of biomass by culturing microorganisms in aqueous liquid culture medium circulating inner loop reactor which utilize nonvertical pressure reduction zones are described. Recovery and processing of the culture microorganisms to obtain products, such as proteins or hydrocarbons is described.
Claims21
A system for stimulating production of biomass comprising:
- a loop reactor, the loop reactor including:
- a gas/liquid separation vessel for separating a multi-phase mixture of a gas and a liquid culture medium into a gas phase and a liquid phase, the gas/liquid separation vessel including an outlet and an inlet;
- a loop section including an inlet in fluid communication with the outlet of the gas/liquid separation vessel and an outlet in fluid communication with the inlet of the gas/liquid separation vessel, the loop section including a loop section centerline and sloped upward between the inlet of the loop section and the outlet of the loop section;
- and
- a first non-vertical pressure reduction zone including a first pressure reduction device, the first non-vertical pressure reduction zone located between the inlet of the loop section and the outlet of the loop section, wherein a vertical distance between the loop section centerline at the inlet of the gas/liquid separation vessel and the loop section centerline at the inlet of the loop section is less than 8 meters.
2 more elements
A system for stimulating production of biomass comprising:
- a loop reactor, the loop reactor including:
- a gas/liquid separation vessel for separating a multi-phase mixture of a gas and a liquid culture medium into a gas phase and a liquid phase, the gas/liquid separation vessel including an outlet and an inlet;
- a loop section including an inlet in fluid communication with the outlet of the gas/liquid separation vessel and an outlet in fluid communication with the inlet of the gas/liquid separation vessel, the loop section including a loop section centerline;
- and
- a first non-vertical pressure reduction zone including a first pressure reduction device including an eccentric reducer, the first non-vertical pressure reduction zone located between the inlet of the loop section and the outlet of the loop section, wherein a vertical distance between the loop section centerline at the inlet of the gas/liquid separation vessel and the loop section centerline at the inlet of the loop section is less than 8 meters.
2 more elements
A system for stimulating production of biomass comprising:
- a loop reactor, the loop reactor including:
- a gas/liquid separation vessel for separating a multi-phase mixture of a gas and a liquid culture medium into a gas phase and a liquid phase, the gas/liquid separation vessel including an outlet and an inlet;
- a loop section including an inlet in fluid communication with the outlet of the gas/liquid separation vessel and an outlet in fluid communication with the inlet of the gas/liquid separation vessel, the inlet of the gas separation vessel spaced above the outlet of the gas/liquid separation vessel, the loop section including a loop section centerline and a portion that slopes upward in a direction extending from the loop section inlet to the loop section outlet;
- and
- a first non-vertical pressure reduction zone including a control valve and an eccentric expander, the first non-vertical pressure reduction zone located between the inlet of the loop section and the outlet of the loop section, wherein a vertical distance between the loop section centerline at the inlet of the gas/liquid separation vessel and the loop section centerline at the inlet of the loop section is less than 8 meters.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.