Fluidized-bed fermenter

Details Fluidized-bed fermenter Fluidized-bed fermenter

1995-02-03

1997-04-08

Upton, Christopher

Liquid purification or separation

With gas-liquid surface contact means

210617, C02F 308

Patent

active

056184115

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a fluidized-bed fermenter, which is characterized by an inverted cone-shaped fermentation space (1) with two feed pipes (2 and 3) optionally provided with control valves (4 and 5), of which one (2) is placed vertically aligned to the cone vertex and the second (3) is nonvertically aligned to the shell of the cone in 0.02 to 0.3 times the height of the fermentation space and a sedimentation space (6) above fermentation space (1), which has one or two drainpipes (7 and 8) optionally provided with control valves, (9 and 10).
The special design of the fluidized-bed fermenter according to the invention results in that a turbulent flow prevails in its fermentation space (1), if the liquid to be fermented is fed simultaneously by vertical and horizontal feed pipes (2 and 3). This flow then merges in sedimentation space (6) in a quasi-laminar flow. If such a continuously-fed fermenter is inoculated with a microorganism culture, the latter forms pelletlike agglomerates after a growth phase because of the turbulent flow, agglomerates which are suspended in the fluidized bed of fermentation space (1) and sink again in sedimentation space (6). Because of these circumstances, the fluidized-bed fermenter according to the invention is substantially better suited for continuous fermentation of large amounts of liquid over a long period than is the case in previously known fluidized-bed fermenters, such as, for example, the device described in European Patent Specification EP-B-0258611. Consequently, the fluidized-bed fermenter according to the invention is especially suitable, for example, for biological waste-water or ground-water treatment.
The design of the fluidized-bed fermenter according to the invention is determined essentially by the type of microorganism cultures, which are to be used in it. If these are microorganism cultures which sediment relatively quickly, such as, for example, microorganism-immobilizates, as they are described in International Patent Application WO 88/08825, or fungi cultures, fluidized-bed fermenters with a fermentation space (1) and sedimentation space (6) of relatively small height are preferably used. In relatively poorly sedimenting microorganism cultures, as bacteria cultures generally are, fluidized-bed fermenters with relatively large fermentation space (1) and sedimentation space (6) are preferred. But it is not necessary that for every microorganism culture used, a specially configured fermenter be used; a continuous fermentation generally can also be achieved in fluidized-bed fermenters according to the invention not optimally configured for the special case by a corresponding adjustment of the intake rates of the liquids to be fermented by vertical and nonvertical feed pipes (2 and 3).
Generally, the fluidized-bed fermenter according to the invention is to be configured so that the upper diameter of fermentation space (1) is 0.1 to 0.8 times as large as its height. These numerical values do not take into consideration that the fermentation space normally has a truncated cone frustum, which is suitable for the reason alone that the fermenter can be more easily cleaned.
It has already been mentioned that nonvertically-aligned feed pipe (3) is arranged in the shell of the cone in 0.02 to 0.3--especially 0.05 to 0.15--times the height of fermentation space, in which two feed pipes are aligned so that in putting the fermenter in operation, a fluidized bed is produced in the fermentation space. Nonvertically-aligned feed pipe (3) can be arranged horizontally, so that the straight horizontal line pointing from the intake opening of this pipe to the axis of the fermentation space crosses this axis. But to produce a readily reproducible turbulent flow, it is suitable that the longitudinal axis of the nonvertically-aligned pipe and the straight horizontal lines pointing from the intake opening of this pipe to the axis of the fermentation space form an angle in the vertical line and/or the horizontal line, which does not exceed the value of 70.degree. in the verti

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