Fermentation process
AssigneeNational Distillers and Chemical Corporation
InventorsWerner C. Muller, Franklyn D. Miller
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Abstract
Water soluble oxygenated hydrocarbons produced by microbial fermentation, e.g., ethanol, butanol, acetone, etc., are conveniently and economically recovered with a minimum expenditure of energy by passing heated by-product carbon dioxide gas through at least a portion of the fermentation medium to simultaneously vaporize and carry off oxygenated hydrocarbon fermentation product dissolved therein and reduce the temperature of the fermentation medium to a level conducive to maximum oxygenated hydrocarbon production. The vaporized oxygenated hydrocarbon fermentation product is separated from the carbon dioxide gas in a scrubbing unit and the resulting aqueous solution of product is concentrated, if desired, by distillation.
Claims13
In a process for producing a water soluble oxygenated hydrocarbon and by-product carbon dioxide gas from the exothermic fermentative action of a microorganism upon a substrate, wherein the improvement comprises scrubbing the by-product carbon dioxide gas with water to recover substantially all of the oxygenated hydrocarbon present therein as a dilute aqueous solution, heating the carbon dioxide gas to a temperature above the temperature of the fermentation medium, and passing the heated gas through at least a portion of fermentation medium to simultaneously vaporize and carry off oxygenated hydrocarbon present in said medium and reduce the temperature of the medium by the effect of evaporative cooling.
A process for controlling the temperature of a fermentation medium in which water soluble oxygenated hydrocarbons and by-product carbon dioxide gas are produced by exothermic fermentation action of a microorganism upon a substrate, comprising scrubbing said by-product carbon dioxide gas with water to recover substantially all of the oxygenated hydrocarbon present therein as a dilute aqueous solution, heating the carbon dioxide gas to a temperature above the temperature of the fermentation medium, and passing the heated gas through at least a portion of fermentation medium to simultaneously vaporize and carry off oxygenated hydrocarbon present in said medium and reduce the temperature of the medium by the effect of evaporative cooling.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.