JP2021078443A - Microorganism manufacturing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To suppress alteration or deterioration of microorganisms in a culture tank.SOLUTION: A microorganism manufacturing apparatus 100 comprises: a plurality of culture units 110 which houses suspension of microorganisms and culture solution; a microorganism supply part 120 which supplies new microorganisms to a first culture unit 110A out of the plurality of culture units 110; a culture solution supply part 130 which supplies new culture solution to any culture unit 110 out of the plurality of culture units 110; a concentration part which separates the suspension in the culture units 110 into concentrated liquid having higher concentration of microorganisms than the suspension and culture solution; and a concentrated liquid delivery part which delivers the culture solution which has been separated from the suspension of any culture unit 110 out of the plurality of culture units 110 and the concentrated liquid, which has been separated from the suspension of the culture unit 110 of the previous step, to the culture unit 110 of the next step at a predetermined ratio.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present disclosure relates to a microbial production apparatus.

In recent years, attention has been paid to microorganisms (particularly microalgae) that produce biofuels (hydrocarbons and biodiesels), bioactive substances, or enzymes. It is being studied to cultivate a large amount of such microorganisms and use them as energy instead of petroleum, or to use them for chemicals, beverages, foods, chemical products and the like.

As a technique for culturing algae as a microorganism, a technique for continuously culturing algae in one culture tank has been developed (for example, Patent Document 1). In the technique of Patent Document 1, a suspension of the grown algae and the culture solution is extracted from the culture tank, separated into solid and liquid, irradiated with ultraviolet rays to the culture solution, and then returned to the culture tank.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-228975

However, in the technique of continuously culturing microorganisms as in Patent Document 1, since the microorganisms stay in the culture tank for a long period of time, the microorganisms in the culture tank may be altered or deteriorated.

In view of such problems, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide a microorganism production apparatus capable of suppressing alteration and deterioration of microorganisms in a culture tank.

In order to solve the above problems, the microbial production apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a plurality of culture units accommodating a suspension of a microorganism and a culture solution, and the first culture unit among the plurality of culture units. A microbial supply unit that supplies a new microorganism, a culture solution supply unit that supplies a new culture solution to any one of the culture units among a plurality of culture units, and a suspension of the culture unit are separated from the suspension. The concentrated solution having a high concentration of microorganisms, the concentrated portion separated into the culture solution, the culture solution separated from the suspension of the culture unit of any one of the plurality of culture units, and the culture unit in the previous stage. It is provided with a concentrate delivery unit that delivers the concentrate separated from the suspension to the culture unit in the next stage at a predetermined ratio.

In addition, the concentrate delivery unit is a concentrate so that at least the concentration of microorganisms in the suspension contained in the culture units other than the first culture unit among the plurality of culture units is within a predetermined concentration range. May be sent.

Further, a suspension delivery unit for delivering the suspension from the culture unit to the concentration unit may be provided, and the suspension delivery unit may take out the suspension from the lower part of the culture unit.

Further, the volume of the plurality of culture units may be larger in the latter-stage culture unit than in the first-stage culture unit.

In addition, the concentrate delivery unit transfers the culture solution separated from the suspension of the culture unit in the previous stage and the concentrate separated from the suspension of the culture unit in the previous stage into the culture unit in the next stage at a predetermined ratio. It may be sent.

In addition, a concentrate storage unit for accommodating the concentrate is provided, and the concentrate delivery unit delivers the concentrate separated from the suspension of the last culture unit among the plurality of culture units to the concentrate storage unit. The volume of the concentrate storage unit may be smaller than that of the culture unit.

In addition, at least a part of the culture unit may be open to the atmosphere.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to suppress alteration and deterioration of microorganisms in the culture tank.

It is a figure for demonstrating the microorganism production apparatus of embodiment. It is a figure explaining the sending unit. It is a figure explaining the extraction of a suspension by a delivery unit and the delivery of a concentrate. It is a figure explaining the microorganism production apparatus of the 1st modification. It is a figure explaining the sending unit of the 2nd modification.

The embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The dimensions, materials, and other specific numerical values shown in the embodiments are merely examples for facilitating understanding, and the present disclosure is not limited unless otherwise specified. In the present specification and the drawings, elements having substantially the same function and configuration are designated by the same reference numerals, so that duplicate description will be omitted. In addition, elements not directly related to the present disclosure are not shown.

[Microbial production apparatus 100]
FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the microorganism production apparatus 100 of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the microorganism production apparatus 100 includes a plurality of culture units 110 (indicated by 110A to 110D in FIG. 1), a concentrate storage unit 112, a microorganism supply unit 120, and a culture solution supply unit 130. , The delivery unit 140 (indicated by 140A to 140D in FIG. 1) is included. In FIG. 1, the flow of the liquid containing microorganisms, the culture liquid, and the suspension is indicated by a solid arrow.

In this embodiment, the microorganism production apparatus 100 is installed outdoors. Another example is the case where the microorganism production apparatus 100 cultivates a microorganism that photosynthesizes with sunlight 10.

The microorganism production apparatus 100 includes a plurality of (for example, four) culture units 110 (110A to 110D). The culture unit 110 contains a suspension of the microorganism and the culture solution. In this embodiment, the culture unit 110 includes one or more culture tanks. At least a part (upper part in this embodiment) of the culture unit 110 is open to the atmosphere. The microorganism is algae, yeast, or a fungus. The algae are, for example, microalgae such as Botryococcus, Nannochloropsis, Euglena, and Pseudocolicisticis.

Further, in the present embodiment, the volumes of the culture tanks constituting each culture unit 110 (volume of the suspension contained in the culture tanks) are substantially the same. On the other hand, the plurality of culture units 110 include a large number of culture tanks toward the latter stage. That is, the volume of the culture unit 110 in the latter stage is larger than that in the culture unit 110 in the first stage.

The concentrate storage unit 112 stores the concentrate separated from the last culture unit 110D by the delivery unit 140 described later. The concentrated solution is a solution having a higher concentration of microorganisms than the suspension. The concentrate storage unit 112 includes one or more storage tanks. Further, the volume of the concentrate storage unit 112 is smaller than that of the culture unit 110.

The microorganism supply unit 120 supplies a new microorganism to the first culture unit 110A among the plurality of culture units 110A to 110D. In the present embodiment, the microbial supply unit 120 includes a new microbial storage unit 122, a microbial supply pipe 124, and a pump 126.

The new microorganism storage unit 122 stores a liquid containing a new microorganism (a new individual microorganism). One end of the microorganism supply pipe 124 is connected to the new microorganism storage portion 122. An opening 124a is formed at the other end of the microorganism supply pipe 124. The microorganism supply pipe 124 is provided so that the opening 124a faces the culture unit 110A. The pump 126 sucks the liquid containing the new microorganism and discharges it to the culture unit 110A.

The culture solution supply unit 130 supplies a new culture solution to the first culture unit 110A. The culture solution is a solution containing components necessary for culturing (growing) microorganisms. In the present embodiment, the culture solution supply unit 130 includes a new culture solution storage unit 132, a culture solution supply pipe 134, and a pump 136.

The new culture solution storage unit 132 stores the culture solution. One end of the culture solution supply pipe 134 is connected to the new culture solution storage unit 132. An opening 134a is formed at the other end of the culture solution supply pipe 134. The culture solution supply pipe 134 is provided so that the opening 134a faces the culture unit 110A. The pump 136 sucks the new culture solution and discharges it to the culture unit 110A.

The delivery unit 140 extracts the suspension from the culture unit 110 in the previous stage and separates the suspension into a concentrated solution and a culture solution. Then, the delivery unit 140 sends a part or all of the concentrated solution and a part or all of the culture solution to the culture unit 110 in the next stage.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a transmission unit 140. As shown in FIG. 2, the delivery unit 140 includes a suspension delivery unit 150, a concentration unit 160, a concentrate delivery unit 170, a concentration measurement unit 180, and a delivery control unit 190. In FIG. 2, the flow of the suspension, the culture solution, and the concentrate is indicated by a solid arrow. In FIG. 2, the signal flow is indicated by a broken line arrow. In FIG. 2, a broken line showing the signal flow connecting the transmission control unit 190 and the pump 154, a broken line showing the signal flow connecting the transmission control unit 190 and the pump 176a, and the transmission control unit 190 and the pump The broken line showing the signal flow connecting to the 176b is not shown for the sake of simplification of the drawing.

The suspension delivery unit 150 delivers the suspension from the culture unit 110 to the concentration unit 160. The suspension delivery unit 150 takes out the suspension from the lower part of the culture unit 110. In this embodiment, the suspension delivery unit 150 includes a receiving pipe 152 and a pump 154. The receiving pipe 152 connects the discharge side of the pump 154 and the concentrating unit 160. The pump 154 is provided in the culture unit 110 (culture unit 110A in FIG. 2) in the previous stage. The suction side of the pump 154 opens to the lower part of the culture unit 110 in the previous stage. The pump 154 sucks the suspension in the culture unit 110 in the previous stage and discharges it to the concentrating unit 160.

The concentration unit 160 separates the suspension of the culture unit 110 in the previous stage, which is guided by the suspension delivery unit 150, into a concentration solution and a culture solution (solid-liquid separation). Since various existing techniques such as the technique described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-214151 and the centrifuge can be applied to the enrichment unit 160, detailed description thereof will be omitted here. In the present embodiment, the concentration unit 160 is provided for each culture tank constituting the culture unit 110 of the delivery destination. That is, the number of the enrichment units 160 increases from the front stage to the rear stage (from the transmission unit 140A to the transmission unit 140D).

The concentrate delivery unit 170 mixes the culture solution separated from the suspension of the culture unit 110 in the previous stage with the concentrate separated from the suspension of the culture unit 110 in the previous stage in the flow direction of microorganisms in a predetermined ratio. It is sent to the culture unit 110 (culture unit 110B in FIG. 2) in the next stage. Further, the concentrate delivery unit 170 delivers the concentrate separated from the suspension of the last culture unit 110 (culture unit 110D in FIG. 1) among the plurality of culture units 110 to the concentrate storage unit 112. ..

As shown in FIG. 2, in the present embodiment, the concentrated liquid delivery unit 170 includes the concentrated liquid pipes 172a to 172c, the culture liquid pipes 174a to 174c, the pumps 176a and 176b, and the flow rate adjusting valves 178a and 178b. ..

The concentrated liquid pipe 172a connects the concentrated liquid retention portion in the concentrating portion 160 and the suction side of the pump 176a. One end of the concentrate pipe 172b is connected to the discharge side of the pump 176a. An opening 172ba is formed at the other end of the concentrate pipe 172b. The concentrate pipe 172b is provided so that the opening 172ba faces the culture unit 110 in the next stage. One end of the concentrate pipe 172c is connected to the discharge side of the pump 176a. An opening 172ca is formed at the other end of the concentrate pipe 172c. The concentrate pipe 172c is provided so that the opening 172ca faces the culture unit 110 in the previous stage.

The culture solution pipe 174a connects the culture solution retention portion in the concentration portion 160 and the suction side of the pump 176b. The culture solution pipe 174b connects the discharge side of the pump 176b and the concentrated liquid pipe 172b. The culture solution pipe 174c connects the discharge side of the pump 176b and the concentrated liquid pipe 172c.

The pump 176a sucks the concentrated liquid retained in the concentrated liquid retention portion in the concentrating unit 160 and discharges it to the concentrated liquid pipes 172b and 172c. The pump 176b sucks the culture solution retained in the culture solution retention portion in the concentration unit 160 and discharges the culture solution to the culture solution pipes 174b and 174c.

The flow rate adjusting valve 178a is provided in the concentrated liquid pipe 172b. The flow rate adjusting valve 178a adjusts the opening degree of the flow path formed in the concentrated liquid pipe 172b. The flow rate adjusting valve 178a adjusts the flow rate of the concentrated liquid passing through the concentrated liquid pipe 172b. That is, the flow rate adjusting valve 178a adjusts the flow rate of the concentrated liquid guided from the concentrating unit 160 to the culture unit 110 in the next stage.

The flow rate adjusting valve 178b is provided in the culture solution pipe 174b. The flow rate adjusting valve 178b adjusts the opening degree of the flow path formed in the culture solution pipe 174b. The flow rate adjusting valve 178b adjusts the flow rate of the culture solution passing through the culture solution pipe 174b. That is, the flow rate adjusting valve 178b adjusts the flow rate of the culture solution guided from the concentrating unit 160 to the culture unit 110 in the next stage.

The concentration measuring unit 180 measures the concentration of microorganisms contained in the suspension contained in the culture unit 110 of the next stage.

The transmission control unit 190 is composed of a semiconductor integrated circuit including a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The transmission control unit 190 reads out a program, parameters, and the like for operating the CPU itself from the ROM. The transmission control unit 190 manages and controls the entire transmission unit 140 in cooperation with the RAM as a work area and other electronic circuits.

In the present embodiment, the delivery control unit 190 drives the pumps 154, 176a, and 176b so that the concentration of microorganisms in the suspension contained in the culture units 110A to 110D is within a predetermined concentration range. Control and adjust the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valves 178a and 178b. The predetermined concentration range is, for example, 0.1 g / L or more and 1 g / L or less.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating extraction of the suspension by the delivery unit 140 and delivery of the concentrated liquid. 3 (a) to 3 (c) are diagrams for explaining the time course of the amount of microorganisms in the suspension contained in the plurality of culture units 110A to 110D. 3 (d) to 3 (e) are diagrams for explaining the time course of the amount of the culture solution in the suspension contained in the plurality of culture units 110A to 110D.

As shown in FIG. 3A, it is assumed that n microorganisms are contained in all the culture units 110A to 110D at time t0. Then, with the passage of time, microorganisms grow in the culture units 110A to 110D. Therefore, at time ta after time t0, as shown in FIG. 3B, the microorganisms housed in the culture units 110A to 110D become (n + 1) bodies.

Therefore, the delivery control unit 190 controls the pump 154 so that the number of microorganisms contained in the culture units 110A to 110D is n, and extracts the suspension from the culture unit 110 in the previous stage. Then, the delivery control unit 190 controls the pump 176a and the flow rate adjusting valve 178a so that the number of microorganisms contained in the culture units 110A to 110D is n, and sends the concentrated solution to the culture unit 110 in the next stage. ..

For example, at time ta, when one new microorganism is supplied to the culture unit 110A, the delivery control unit 190 transmits two microorganisms from the culture unit 110A to the culture unit 110B as shown in FIG. 3C. The pump 176a and the flow control valve 178a are controlled so as to be delivered. Similarly, the delivery control unit 190 controls the pump 176a and the flow rate adjusting valve 178a so that three microorganisms are sent from the culture unit 110B to the culture unit 110C. Further, the delivery control unit 190 controls the pump 176a and the flow rate adjusting valve 178a so that four microorganisms are sent from the culture unit 110C to the culture unit 110D. Further, the delivery control unit 190 controls the pump 176a and the flow rate adjusting valve 178a so that five microorganisms are sent from the culture unit 110D to the concentrate storage unit 112.

As a result, the amount of microorganisms contained in the culture units 110A to 110D is maintained in n bodies (returning to FIG. 3A). Further, the concentrated liquid delivered to the concentrated liquid containing unit 112 is guided to a microbial treatment apparatus (not shown). The microbial treatment apparatus, for example, dries the concentrate to remove the microorganism, and then extracts the biofuel, the bioactive substance, or the enzyme from the microorganism.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3D, it is assumed that the culture solution is contained in mL in all of the culture units 110A to 110D at time t0. Then, with the passage of time, a part of the culture solution evaporates from the culture units 110A to 110D. Therefore, at time ta, as shown in FIG. 3 (e), the culture broth contained in the culture units 110A to 110D becomes (m-1) L.

Therefore, the delivery control unit 190 controls the pump 154 so that the culture solution contained in the culture units 110A to 110D becomes mL, and extracts the suspension from the culture unit 110 in the previous stage. Then, the delivery control unit 190 controls the pump 176b and the flow rate adjusting valve 178b so that the culture solution contained in the culture units 110A to 110D becomes mL, and sends the culture solution to the culture unit 110 in the next stage. ..

For example, at time tb, when 6 L of a new culture solution is supplied to the culture unit 110A, the delivery control unit 190 sends 5 L of the culture solution from the culture unit 110A to the culture unit 110B as shown in FIG. 3 (f). The pump 176b and the flow control valve 178b are controlled so as to be delivered. Similarly, the delivery control unit 190 controls the pump 176b and the flow rate adjusting valve 178b so that 4 L of the culture solution is delivered from the culture unit 110B to the culture unit 110C. Further, the delivery control unit 190 controls the pump 176b and the flow rate adjusting valve 178b so that 3 L of the culture solution is delivered from the culture unit 110C to the culture unit 110D. Further, the delivery control unit 190 controls the pump 176b and the flow rate adjusting valve 178b so that 2 L of the culture solution is discarded from the culture unit 110D to the outside.

As a result, the amount of the culture solution contained in the culture units 110A to 110D is maintained in mL (returning to FIG. 3D).

As described above, the microorganism production apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of culture units 110, a concentration unit 160, and a concentrate delivery unit 170. As a result, the microorganism production apparatus 100 can sequentially move the microorganisms from the first culture unit 110A to the last culture unit 110D. Therefore, the microorganism production apparatus 100 can suppress the retention of the same microorganism in the culture units 110A to 110D for a long period of time. Therefore, the microorganism production apparatus 100 can suppress deterioration and deterioration of the microorganisms contained in the culture units 110A to 110D. Therefore, the microorganism production apparatus 100 can efficiently cultivate (proliferate) microorganisms in the culture units 110A to 110D.

Similarly, the microorganism production apparatus 100 can sequentially move the culture broth from the first culture unit 110A toward the last culture unit 110D. Therefore, the microorganism production apparatus 100 can suppress the retention of the same culture solution in the culture units 110A to 110D for a long period of time. Therefore, the microorganism production apparatus 100 can suppress deterioration and deterioration of the culture broth contained in the culture units 110A to 110D. Therefore, the microorganism production apparatus 100 can efficiently cultivate the microorganisms in the culture units 110A to 110D.

Further, as described above, the concentrate delivery unit 170 delivers the concentrate so that the concentration of the microorganisms in the suspension contained in the culture units 110A to 110D is within a predetermined concentration range. As a result, the microorganism production apparatus 100 can bring the inside of the culture units 110A to 110D into a state suitable for the culture environment of the microorganism.

Further, as described above, the suspension delivery unit 150 takes out the suspension from the lower part of the culture unit 110. When some microorganisms deteriorate, their specific densities increase (for example, algae). Therefore, when the suspension delivery unit 150 takes out the suspension from the lower part of the culture unit 110, the concentrate delivery unit 170 can selectively deliver the deteriorated microorganisms to the culture unit 110 in the next stage. This makes it possible for the microorganism production apparatus 100 to avoid a situation in which deteriorated microorganisms stay in the culture units 110A to 110D for a long period of time. That is, the microorganism production apparatus 100 can quickly harvest (recover) deteriorated microorganisms.

Further, as described above, in the microorganism production apparatus 100, the amount of the microorganisms to be transferred increases from the first culture unit 110A to the last culture unit 110D, while the amount of the culture solution to be transferred decreases. Therefore, in the microorganism production apparatus 100, the processing load of the entire concentrating unit 160 is larger in the concentrating unit 160 in the subsequent stage than in the concentrating unit 160 in the first stage. Therefore, as described above, a plurality of the microorganism production apparatus 100 are provided so that the culture unit 110 in the latter stage has a larger volume than the culture unit 110 in the first stage, and the number of the enrichment portions 160 increases from the front stage to the rear stage. Consists of the culture unit 110 and a plurality of concentration units 160. This makes it possible to average the processing load of the concentration unit 160 of 1. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the concentration capacity of the concentration unit 160 exceeds the limit.

Further, as described above, the volume of the concentrate storage unit 112 is smaller than that of the culture unit 110. Thereby, the microorganisms can be easily recovered from the concentrated liquid storage unit 112.

Further, as described above, at least a part of the culture unit 110 is open to the atmosphere. As a result, the microorganisms housed in the culture unit 110 can take in carbon dioxide and the like from the atmosphere and release oxygen into the atmosphere.

[First modification]
In the above embodiment, the culture solution supply unit 130 supplies a new culture solution to the first culture unit 110A, and the concentrate delivery unit 170 supplies the culture solution separated from the suspension of the culture unit 110 in the previous stage. The case of sending to the culture unit 110 in the next stage was taken as an example. However, there is no limitation on the supply destination and the delivery destination of the culture solution.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the microorganism production apparatus 200 of the first modification. As shown in FIG. 4, the microorganism production apparatus 200 includes a plurality of culture units 110 (indicated by 110A to 110D in FIG. 4), a concentrate storage unit 112, a microorganism supply unit 120, and a culture solution supply unit 230. , The delivery unit 140 (indicated by 140A to 140D in FIG. 4) is included. In FIG. 4, the flow of the liquid containing microorganisms, the culture liquid, and the suspension is indicated by a solid arrow. The components substantially the same as those of the above-mentioned microorganism production apparatus 100 are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

The culture solution supply unit 230 includes a new culture solution storage unit 132, a culture solution supply pipe 234, and a pump 136. One end of the culture solution supply pipe 234 is connected to the new culture solution storage unit 132. An opening 234a is formed at the other end of the culture solution supply tube 234. The culture solution supply tube 234 is provided so that the opening 234a faces the final culture unit 110D. That is, the culture solution supply unit 230 supplies a new culture solution to the final culture unit 110D.

Further, in the first modification, the culture solution pipe 174c constituting the delivery unit 140D is connected to the first culture unit 110A.

As a result, the microorganism production apparatus 200 of the first modification can wash the microorganisms contained in the final culture unit 110D with a new culture solution. Therefore, the microorganism production apparatus 200 can wash the concentrated liquid guided to the concentrated liquid containing unit 112, that is, the microorganisms to be harvested. As a result, the microorganism production apparatus 200 can reduce the processing load such as the drying treatment and the extraction treatment in the subsequent microorganism treatment apparatus.

[Second variant]
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a delivery unit 300 of the second modification. The delivery unit 300 includes a suspension delivery unit 150, a concentration unit 160, a concentrate delivery unit 170, a concentration measurement unit 180, a delivery control unit 190, a nutrient supply unit 310, and a disinfectant supply unit 320. , A nutrient measuring unit 330, and a nutrition control unit 340. In FIG. 5, the flow of suspension, culture solution, concentrate, nutrient salt, and fungicide is indicated by solid arrows. In FIG. 5, the signal flow is indicated by a broken line arrow. In FIG. 5, a broken line showing a signal flow connecting the concentration measuring unit 180, the transmission control unit 190, the nutrition control unit 340 and the nutrient salt delivery mechanism 316a and 316b, and the nutrition control unit 340 and the disinfectant delivery mechanism The broken line showing the signal flow connecting the 326a and 326b is not shown for the sake of simplification of the drawing. Further, the components substantially the same as those of the above-mentioned microorganism production apparatus 100 are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 5, the nutrient supply unit 310 supplies nutrients to the concentrate. In the present embodiment, the nutrient supply unit 310 includes a nutrient storage unit 312, a nutrient supply pipe 314a and 314b, and a nutrient delivery mechanism 316a and 316b. The nutrient storage unit 312 stores nutrients. The nutrient salt may be a solid (powder) or a liquid. Nutrient salts are, for example, divalent iron (eg, iron (II) sulfate, iron citrate), urea, glucose, acetic acid.

The nutrient supply pipe 314a connects the nutrient storage unit 312 and the concentrate pipe 172b. The nutrient supply pipe 314b connects the nutrient storage unit 312 and the concentrate pipe 172c. The nutrient delivery mechanism 316a is provided in the nutrient supply pipe 314a. The nutrient delivery mechanism 316b is provided in the nutrient supply pipe 314b. When the nutrient is solid, the nutrient delivery mechanisms 316a and 316b are composed of screw feeders. When the nutrients are liquid, the nutrient delivery mechanisms 316a and 316b are composed of pumps.

The fungicide supply unit 320 supplies the fungicide to the culture solution. In the present embodiment, the disinfectant supply unit 320 includes a disinfectant storage unit 322, a disinfectant supply pipe 324a and 324b, and a disinfectant delivery mechanism 326a and 326b. The disinfectant storage unit 322 stores the disinfectant. The disinfectant may be a solid (powder), a liquid, or a gas. The bactericidal agent is, for example, a strong acid such as manganese, nitric acid or sulfuric acid (algae can be used as a part of the culture solution when diluted), and a strong alkali such as potassium hydroxide (algae can be used as a part of the culture solution when diluted). Things), free chlorine, ozone.

The disinfectant supply pipe 324a connects the disinfectant storage unit 322 and the culture solution pipe 174b. The disinfectant supply pipe 324b connects the disinfectant storage unit 322 and the culture solution pipe 174c. The disinfectant delivery mechanism 326a is provided in the disinfectant supply pipe 324a. The disinfectant delivery mechanism 326b is provided in the disinfectant supply pipe 324b. When the disinfectant is solid, the disinfectant delivery mechanisms 326a and 326b are composed of screw feeders. When the disinfectant is a liquid or gas, the disinfectant delivery mechanisms 326a and 326b are composed of pumps.

The nutrient salt measuring unit 330 measures the concentration of nutrients contained in the suspension (culture solution) contained in the culture unit 110.

The nutrition control unit 340 is composed of a semiconductor integrated circuit including a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The nutrition control unit 340 reads out a program, parameters, and the like for operating the CPU itself from the ROM. The nutrition control unit 340 manages and controls the nutrient delivery mechanism 316a and 316b and the fungicide delivery mechanism 326a and 326b in cooperation with the RAM as a work area and other electronic circuits.

In the present embodiment, the nutrition control unit 340 drives and controls the nutrient delivery mechanisms 316a and 316b so that the concentration of the nutrient in the suspension contained in the culture unit 110 is within a predetermined concentration range. Further, the nutrition control unit 340 sterilizes so that an amount of a bactericidal agent suitable for sterilizing microorganisms (contamination) other than the microorganism to be cultured contained in the culture solution passing through the culture solution pipes 174b and 174c is supplied. The agent delivery mechanism 326a and 326b are driven and controlled.

As described above, the delivery unit 300 includes a nutrient supply unit 310. As a result, the nutrient salt supply unit 310 can efficiently supply the nutrient salt to the microorganism to be cultured. Therefore, the nutrient supply unit 310 can avoid the situation where the nutrients are consumed due to contamination. Therefore, the microorganism production apparatus provided with the delivery unit 300 can efficiently cultivate the target microorganism. In addition, the nutrient supply unit 310 can supply a high concentration of nutrients to the microorganism. Therefore, the nutrient salt supply unit 310 can efficiently absorb the nutrient salt by the microorganism.

Further, when divalent iron is added to the culture broth, the divalent iron is oxidized to trivalent iron over time. In this case, the microorganism consumes energy to reduce trivalent iron. In addition, trivalent iron becomes iron oxide hydroxide in the culture solution and precipitates. Therefore, when divalent iron is added to the culture broth, there is a problem that the growth efficiency of microorganisms is lowered. On the other hand, the nutrient salt supply unit 310 can directly absorb divalent iron as a nutrient salt by microorganisms. Therefore, the microorganism production apparatus provided with the delivery unit 300 can efficiently grow the microorganism.

In addition, when urea is added to the culture solution, urea changes to ammonia, nitrite, or nitric acid over time. In this case, the microorganism consumes energy to reduce nitric acid. Nitrite is also toxic to microorganisms. In addition, ammonia, nitrite, or nitric acid changes the pH of the culture solution. Therefore, when urea is added to the culture broth, there is a problem that the growth efficiency of microorganisms is lowered. On the other hand, the nutrient salt supply unit 310 can directly absorb urea as a nutrient salt by the microorganism. Therefore, the microorganism production apparatus provided with the delivery unit 300 can efficiently grow the microorganism.

The delivery unit 300 includes a disinfectant supply unit 320. As a result, the fungicide supply unit 320 can concentrate and sterilize the contamination contained in the culture solution without damaging the microorganisms to be cultured.

Although the embodiments have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it goes without saying that the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments. It is clear to those skilled in the art that various modifications or modifications can be conceived within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that they also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present disclosure. Will be done.

For example, in the above embodiment, the configuration in which the concentrate delivery unit 170 delivers the culture solution separated from the suspension of the culture unit 110 in the previous stage to the culture unit 110 in the next stage is given as an example. However, the concentrate delivery unit 170 concentrates the culture solution separated from the suspension of the culture unit 110 of any one of the plurality of culture units 110 from the suspension of the culture unit 110 in the previous stage. The liquid may be sent to the culture unit 110 in the next stage at a predetermined ratio. In addition, the culture solution supply unit 130 may supply a new culture solution to the culture unit 110 of any one of the plurality of culture units 110.

Further, in the above embodiment and the first modification, the concentrated liquid delivery unit 170 concentrates the concentrated liquid so that the concentration of microorganisms in the suspension contained in all the culture units 110 is within a predetermined concentration range. Was given as an example. However, in the concentrate delivery unit 170, among the plurality of culture units 110, at least the concentration of microorganisms in the suspension contained in the culture units 110B to 110D other than the first culture unit 110A is within a predetermined concentration range. You may send the concentrate so that it becomes.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the first modification, and the second modification, the case where the suspension delivery unit 150 takes out the suspension from the lower part of the culture unit 110 has been given as an example. However, there is no limitation on the place where the suspension is taken out by the suspension delivery unit 150. For example, when culturing a microorganism whose specific gravity decreases as it deteriorates, the suspension delivery unit 150 may take out the suspension from the upper part of the culture unit 110.

Further, in the above-described embodiment and the first modification, the case where the volume of the plurality of culture units 110 is larger in the latter-stage culture unit 110 than in the first-stage culture unit 110 has been described as an example. However, the volume of the plurality of culture units 110 is not limited. For example, the volumes of all the culture units 110 may be the same, or the volumes of the plurality of culture units 110 may be smaller in the latter-stage culture unit 110 than in the first-stage culture unit 110. Further, in the above-described embodiment and modified example, the case where the culture unit 110 is composed of one or a plurality of culture tanks is given as an example. However, the culture unit 110 may be composed of one culture tank.

Further, in the above embodiment and the first modification, the case where the volume of the concentrate storage unit 112 is smaller than that of the culture unit 110 is given as an example. However, the volume of the concentrate storage unit 112 is not limited. For example, the volume of the concentrate storage unit 112 may be larger than that of the culture unit 110, or may be substantially equal to that of the culture unit 110.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the first modification, and the second modification, a case where a part of the culture unit 110 is open to the atmosphere is given as an example. However, the culture unit 110 does not have to be open to the atmosphere.

Further, in the second modification, the case where the nutrient salt supply unit 310 supplies the nutrient salt to the concentrate pipe 172b is taken as an example. However, the microorganism production apparatus 100 includes a tank that temporarily holds the concentrate separated by the concentration unit 160, and the nutrient salt supply unit 310 may supply nutrients to the tank. This allows the microorganisms to reliably absorb the nutrients.

Further, the nutrient salt supply unit 310 may intermittently supply the nutrient salt to the concentrated liquid. This allows a period of low concentration of nutrients in the suspension contained in the culture unit 110. Therefore, in the culture unit 110, it is possible to suppress the absorption of nutrients into contamination.

The present disclosure can be used for microorganism production equipment.

100 Microbial production equipment 110 Culture unit 110A Culture unit (first culture unit)
110D culture unit (last culture unit)
112 Concentrate storage unit 120 Microorganism supply unit 130 Culture solution supply unit 160 Concentration unit 170 Concentrate delivery unit 200 Microorganism production equipment 230 Culture solution supply unit

Claims (7)

A plurality of culture units containing a suspension of microorganisms and a culture solution,
Among the plurality of culture units, a microorganism supply unit that supplies a new microorganism to the first culture unit, and a microorganism supply unit.
A culture solution supply unit that supplies a new culture solution to any one of the plurality of culture units, and a culture solution supply unit.
A concentrate that separates the suspension of the culture unit into a concentrate having a higher concentration of the microorganism than the suspension and the culture solution,
The culture solution separated from the suspension of the culture unit of any one of the plurality of culture units and the concentrate separated from the suspension of the culture unit in the previous stage are mixed in a predetermined ratio in the next stage. Concentrate delivery unit to be delivered to the culture unit of
Microbial production equipment. In the concentrate delivery unit, at least the concentration of the microorganism in the suspension contained in the culture unit other than the first culture unit among the plurality of culture units is within a predetermined concentration range. The microorganism production apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the concentrated solution is delivered to the plant. A suspension delivery unit for delivering the suspension from the culture unit to the concentration unit is provided.
The microorganism production apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the suspension delivery unit takes out the suspension from the lower part of the culture unit. The microorganism production apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the volume of the plurality of culture units is larger in the latter culture unit than in the first culture unit. The concentrate delivery unit is the culture of the next stage in a predetermined ratio of the culture solution separated from the suspension of the culture unit in the previous stage and the concentrate separated from the suspension of the culture unit in the previous stage. The microorganism production apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is sent to the unit. A concentrate accommodating unit for accommodating the concentrate is provided.
The concentrate delivery unit delivers the concentrate separated from the last suspension of the culture unit among the plurality of culture units to the concentrate storage unit.
The microorganism production apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the volume of the concentrate storage unit is smaller than that of the culture unit. The microorganism production apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the culture unit is at least partially open to the atmosphere.

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