# US 2013/0157329 A1 · System and process for correcting constant volume acidity of fermentative media for producing organic acids > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0157329 A1 - Document ID: US20130157329A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/817,751 - Filed: 2011-08-17 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2010-08-19 - Assignees: Companhia Refinadora Da Amazonia - Inventors: Paulo Yoshida - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130157329A1 ## CPC - C12P 7/56: Lactic acid - C12M 23/58: {Reaction vessels connected in series or in parallel (combinations of bioreactors with other apparatus, C12M43/00)} - C12M 29/02: {Percolation} - C12M 29/18: {External loop; Means for reintroduction of fermented biomass or liquid percolate (loop type reactors for chemical or physical processes B01J19/2435)} - C12M 41/26: {of pH} - C12P 7/40: containing a carboxyl group {including Peroxycarboxylic acids} - C12P: FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE {(brewing of beer C12C; producing vinegar C12J; producing specific peptides or proteins C07K; producing enzymes C12N9/00; DNA or RNA concerning genetic engineering, vectors, e.g. plasmids, or their isolation, preparation or purification C12N15/00; measuring or testing processes involving enzymes or microorganisms C12Q; measuring or testing processes involving nucleic acid amplification reactions C12Q1/6844; fermentation processes to form a food composition, A21 or A23; compounds in general, see the relevant compound class, e.g. C01, C07)} - C12M: APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; {APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS} ## Abstract A system (100, 200) is described for correcting constant volume acidity of fermentative media for the production of organic acids, which comprises a fermenter (1) provided with a pH sensor (P1) a filtration module (2) provided with a filtering element, an addition vessel (3) provided with a main metering element (4), and a heat exchanger (5). Operation of the system (100, 200) is controlled by a controller (CT). As soon as the sensor (P1) detects a reduction in pH to below the ideal values for producing organic acid, the controller (CT) calculates the amount of fermentative medium to be withdrawn from the fermenter (1) and said amount is conveyed to the vessel (3) in order to be alkalinized and returned to the system. Arrangements of the system with more than one fermenter are also described. The process for correcting acidity used by the system (100, 200) of the invention is likewise described. ## Claims ### Claim 1 System for correcting constant volume acidity of fermentative media for the production of organic acids characterized by comprising: a) at least one fermenter (1) having a sensor (P1) for determining real time fermentative medium pH; b) a filtration module (2); c) a first pump (B1) for pumping fermentative broth, stream (A), from said fermenter (1) to said filtration module (2); d) a vessel (3) for the addition of a base having a base dosing element (4); e) a second pump (B2) for pumping the basified fermentative broth fraction, stream (D), back to the fermenter (1); and f) a heat exchanger (5), wherein the volumetric ratios of alkaline solution for pH correction to be added to the fraction withdrawn from the fermenter are established by a controller (CT) connected to said at least one sensor (P1), said first pump (B1), said base dosing element (4), said second pump (B2) and said heat exchanger (5) via lines (L1), (L2), (L3), (L4) and (L5), respectively. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) System, according to claim 1, characterized in that the filtration module (2) is provided with a filtering element. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) System, according to claim 2, characterized in that the pore diameter of said filtering element is between 0.5 μm and 5 μm. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) System, according to claim 3, characterized in that the pore diameter of said filtering element is preferably of 1 μm. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) System, according to claim 2, characterized in that the filtering element is of the bag filter type comprising microstructured membranes with tangential filtration system. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) System, according to claim 1, characterized in that an amount up to 12% of the fermentative medium volume contained in the fermenter (1) is removed with the aid of the pump (B1) to be alkalinized. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) System, according to claim 1, characterized by being continuously operated. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) System, according to claim 1, characterized by being used in the production of organic acids. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) System, according to claim 8, characterized in that the organic acid is lactic acid. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) System, according to claim 1, characterized in that a single filtration, alkalinization and temperature adjustment system is used in a set of at least two fermenters continuously or batchwise operated. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) System, according to claim 10, characterized by comprising at least two sets of fermenters (1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4) continuously operating in series, while different batches in different fermenters are carried out alternately. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) System, according to claim 11, characterized by receiving streams A1, A2, A3 and A4 through a flow divider (DV1) connected to the central control element (CT) via a line (L6), in order to control the outflow rates of the fermentative media contained in fermenters (1.1), (1.2), (1.3) and (1.4). ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) System, according to claim 11, characterized by subdividing stream (C) through a flow divider (DV2) connected to the central control element (CT) via a line (L7), in order to control the outflow rates of solid waste in fermenters (1.1), (1.2), (1.3) and (1.4). ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) System, according to claim 11, characterized by subdividing stream (D) through a flow divider (DV3) connected to the central control element (CT) via a line (L8), so as to control the outflow rates of basified broth in fermenters (1.1), (1.2), (1.3) and (1.4) in order to provide the appropriate amount of said broth to each fermenter (1.1), (1.2), (1.3) and (1.4) in a certain process time. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) System, according to claim 11, characterized in that the fermenters (1.1), (1.2), (1.3) and (1.4) are equipped with sensing elements (P1.1), (P1.2) (P1.3) and (P1.4) connected to said control element (CT) via a line (L9), in order to control the reaction medium pH of each of said fermenters in real time. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) System, according to claim 11, characterized by being operated in such a way that while stream (A1) leaving the fermenter (1.1) is directed via (DV1) to the filtration module (2) to be subjected to separation and thus generating stream (C) of the fermentative medium to be returned to the fermenter (1.1) and stream (B) containing organic acid which will have the pH corrected by the basic solution in vessel (3), fermenters (1.2), (1.3) and (1.4) are inactive or at another stage of the process which does not require correction by adding alkaline solution. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) Process for correcting constant volume acidity in fermentative media to be effected with the aid of the system as defined in claim 1, characterized by comprising the steps of: a) determining the fermentation medium pH with the aid of a sensor (P1) installed on the at least one fermenter (1); b) directing, with the aid of a pump (B1) via stream (A), up to 12% of the volume of said fermenter (1) towards a filtration module (2) in order to filter said stream (A), thus obtaining a filtrate stream (B) and a stream (C) of retained solids; c) recirculating the solids retained in the filtering element via stream (C) to said at least one fermenter (1), so as to keep the microorganism concentration constant in the fermentative medium while the filtrate stream (B) is directed into a vessel (3) having a base dosing element (4) to adjust the pH of the fermentative medium fraction withdrawn from said fermenter (1), thus obtaining a fermentative medium stream (D) with adjusted pH; and d) directing, with the aid of a pump (B2), said fermentative medium stream (D) with adjusted pH to a heat exchanger (5) and from this to the at least one fermenter (1), restarting the cycle, wherein the controller (CT) allows that the fermenter (1) outflow rate, the amount of base added to the solution in said addition vessel (3) and the alkaline solution backflow rate, stream (D), to said fermenter (1) are appropriate and in accordance with the adjusting requirement of the medium pH at a given point in the organic acid production process. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) Process, according to claim 17, characterized by using KOH, NaOH, Ca(OH)2, NH4OH in the vessel (3) to adjust the pH of the fermentative broth. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) Process, according to claim 18, characterized by using sodium hydroxide in the vessel (3) for base addition. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) Process, according to claim 17, characterized by being used in the production of organic acids. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) Process, according to claim 20, characterized in that the organic acid is lactic acid.