Method of increasing the gas-liquid interface in a fermentation process
OwnerEino Elias Hakalehtoinventor
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Abstract
When using the equipment and method in accordance with this invention, it is possible to implement biotechnological production e.g. in biorefineries in such a way that it is possible to make use of the phenomena of the gas-liquid interface and interfaces between other phases by means of a moving process solution and gas led into it. This way, production and post-treatment methods can also be integrated, and desired acceleration of reactions and cost reductions can be achieved.
Claims20
A method to improve product yield from a biotechnical microbial process said method comprising the steps of:
- a) adding a culture medium that is a process fluid to a production fermentor, said production fermentor being divided into sections by inclined partitions, in which said process fluid moves obliquely upwards and obliquely downwards;
- b) inoculating a microbial culture in said process fluid into said production fermentor;
- c) moving said process fluid in a predetermined direction;
- d) feeding a gas mixture into said process fluid;
- e) measuring data from a portion of said process fluid moving through said sections of said production fermentor, said data being obtained by at least one sensor placed in at least one of said sections of said production fermentor;
- wherein said gas mixture is anaerobic and is determined on the basis of said data;
- and
- f) isolating the product made in at least step (e), wherein said oblique upward and downward movements of said process fluid on said partitions improve said product yield.
A method to improve product yield from a biotechnical microbial process, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) feeding a process solution into a first fermentor;
- b) adding an inoculum from a second fermentor to said process solution in said first fermentor to produce a microbial culture in said process solution;
- c) transferring said process solution into said first fermentor in a predetermined direction, wherein said first fermentor is divided into sections by inclined partitions, in which said process solution moves substantially downwards by moving in at least one obliquely upwards direction and then in at least one obliquely downwards direction;
- d) feeding a gas into said first fermentor at one or more points where said downwardly moving direction of said moving process solution changes to said upwardly moving direction, said gas being anaerobic;
- and
- e) recovering gaseous fractions derived from said process solution where said moving direction of said process solution changes from said obliquely upwards direction to said obliquely downward direction, said gaseous fractions being recovered through discharge outlets;
- wherein said partitions include at least one sensor for spectrophotometric and calorimetric measurements of said process solution;
- and
- f) isolating the product made in at least step (d), wherein said oblique upward and downward movements of said process fluid on said partitions improve said product yield.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.