JP3391835B2 - Gas dissolving apparatus and reaction apparatus including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To attempt to improve reaction efficiency of a chemical reaction or an enzyme reaction wherein a gas is required in a gas dissolving apparatus with high gas-dissolving efficiency. CONSTITUTION:In a storing tank 21, a pressure frame 23 feeding a gas into a liq. under pressure and a stirring device 25 which stirs the liq. and moves it downward is provided below this pressure frame 23. As gas feeding under pressure is performed thereby at the gas-liq. interface around the opening 23a of the pressure frame 23 and dispersion of the existing dissolved gas is efficiently performed at the liq. face of the storing tank 21, it is possible to dissolve efficiently the gas. In addition, in a bioreactor 40 equipped with a gas dissolving apparatus like this, it is possible to improve reaction efficiency as a liq. culture medium can be fed to an immobilized enzyme 41 in the storing tank under a condition where gas is efficiently dissolved.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a gas dissolving device, and more particularly to a gas dissolving device having improved gas dissolving efficiency by improving a stirring means, a supplying means and the like, and a reactor equipped therewith.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Since gas has various properties, various gas dissolving devices have been considered in order to utilize the properties of gas in the form of a solution. Among gases, oxygen is known as a highly active substance that is harmless to the human body. For example, various oxygen dissolving devices have been conventionally used because it is possible to remove harmful substances in drinking water and sterilize them by utilizing the activity of oxygen. It is considered.

In addition to sterilizing drinking water, the oxygen dissolving device is
For example, it is also used in a wastewater treatment process in which oxygen is supplied to wastewater such as wastewater or waste liquid to activate the wastewater. In such a wastewater treatment step, it is necessary to sufficiently dissolve oxygen in the sludge, and by dissolving oxygen in the wastewater by an oxygen dissolving device, bacteria are effectively activated to treat the wastewater. There is.

FIG. 8 shows the construction of a conventionally used oxygen dissolving apparatus. As shown in FIG. 8, a conventional oxygen dissolving apparatus includes a storage tank 10 for storing a liquid therein, a propeller 11 installed inside the storage tank 10, and a motor 12 for rotating the propeller 11. It consists of and. The storage tank 10 is provided with a suction port 10a for sucking oxygen and a discharge port 10b for discharging excess gas. In such a conventional device, when oxygen is supplied from the suction port 10a, the propeller 11 is rotationally driven to dissolve oxygen in the liquid. This is because the dissolution of oxygen in the liquid is carried out at the gas-liquid interface, so that the propeller 11 is rotated to create new gas-liquid interfaces one after another, so that the oxygen is dissolved.

By the way, the dissolution of gas in a liquid is also carried out when culturing microorganisms. For example, a gas dissolution apparatus as shown in FIG. 8 may be used to supply oxygen to microorganisms in a liquid medium that require oxygen for fermentation. As a culture tank equipped with such a gas dissolving device,
For example, there is an aeration stirring culture tank 14 as shown in FIG. The aeration and agitation culture tank 14 dissolves the gas by rotating and agitating the propeller according to the same principle as that of the gas dissolution apparatus of FIG. 8, thereby culturing aerobic microorganisms. The aeration stirring culture tank 14 supplies oxygen into the tank by forcibly introducing air from the bottom of the tank with a compressor (air compressor) while the stirring blade 11 driven by a motor stirs the medium. By adopting such a supply system, the gas can be dissolved more efficiently than the gas dissolving device shown in FIG. In the aeration and agitation culture tank 14, the microorganisms to be cultured and the liquid medium to be used are supplied into the tank from the inoculation port 14a and the medium inlet 14b, respectively. The culture solution is taken out from the outlet 14c. The gas generated during fermentation and excess oxygen are exhausted from the exhaust port 14d. The stirring culture tank 14 is covered with a jacket 16, and the temperature of the tank 14 is controlled by passing steam or cooling water through the gap between the jackets 16.

[0006]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Here, in principle,
When two types of gas are dissolved in the same liquid, the solubilities of the two do not interfere with each other. However, in practice, for example, when trying to dissolve oxygen in water in which nitrogen is dissolved, the solubility of oxygen usually decreases. In addition, there is a fact that the solubility of gas is proportional to the pressure applied to the interface, and it is generally accepted that the solubility and dissolution rate of two or more gases at the gas-liquid interface decrease. Has been.

In reality, however, the gas generated from the liquid due to the dissolution of oxygen stagnates at the gas-liquid interface, so that in the conventional gas dissolving apparatus, two or more kinds of gas coexist at the gas-liquid interface. Therefore, there is a problem that both the solubility and the dissolution rate of oxygen decrease. Further, there is a problem that if the entire apparatus is pressurized to improve the solubility of oxygen, there is always a risk of bursting, and that a structure that can withstand high pressure requires a lot of labor and cost. Furthermore, there is a problem in that a liquid in which only pure oxygen is dissolved cannot be obtained if the liquid is dissolved by applying pressure carelessly.

Up to this point, the oxygen dissolving apparatus has been described because oxygen is the most frequently used gas, but this is not limited to the case of dissolving oxygen in a liquid, and a specific gas may be used as a predetermined gas. This is a problem that always accompanies when you want to dissolve in a liquid.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and a first object thereof is to provide a gas dissolving device capable of efficiently dissolving a specific gas in a liquid.

Further, the above-mentioned problems will cause more delicate problems in a culture tank equipped with a gas dissolving device. That is, in order to improve the culture efficiency in a culture tank equipped with a gas dissolving device, it is necessary to increase the supply efficiency of the required gas to the liquid medium. In order to increase the gas supply efficiency, it is necessary to increase the gas supply pressure or increase the rotation speed of the stirring blade.

However, when the supply pressure of gas is increased, in addition to the above-mentioned problems of safety and the like, there is a new problem that microorganisms may be destroyed by high pressure. This problem is also a problem specific to the culture tank that occurs even when the stirring is intense.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems. A second object of the present invention is to provide a gas dissolving device which can efficiently dissolve a specific gas into a liquid and can be applied to a culture tank. To provide.

[0013]

In order to solve the above problems, a gas dissolving apparatus according to the present invention is an apparatus for dissolving a predetermined gas in a liquid, which is provided with an exhaust port and is internally provided. A storage tank for storing the liquid, a pressure frame installed in the storage tank, which covers a part of the liquid surface of the liquid stored in the storage tank and has an opening under the liquid surface,
Gas supply means for pressurizing and supplying a gas dissolved in the liquid in the storage tank into the pressurizing frame, a stirring means for stirring the liquid below the opening of the pressurizing frame, and the inside of the storage tank
Is buried under the liquid surface of the
An enclosing enclosure wall, and further comprising the pressure frame and the enclosure.
Between the wall and the surrounding wall is a liquid suction port for sucking liquid
By providing only the gas to be dissolved to the liquid surface in the pressurizing frame under pressure, the efficiency of dissolution of the gas is improved, and the flow generated by the stirring means is surrounded by this enclosure.
Guided in a predetermined direction by the wall, so that inside the storage tank
Throughout and wherein Rukoto cause flow.

[0014]

Further, in any one of the above gas dissolving devices, the stirring means is means for moving the liquid in the vicinity of the stirring means downward. In this gas dissolving apparatus, the stirring means is composed of a plate having a hole whose hole diameter becomes smaller toward the lower side, and a vibrating means for vertically vibrating the plate. Is generated.

Furthermore, in any one of the above-mentioned gas dissolving devices, the storage tank is provided with a means for supporting an immobilized enzyme or an immobilized microorganism, and a reaction substrate is prepared by pressurizing and dissolving the gas required for the enzyme reaction on the liquid surface. It is characterized by carrying out the enzyme reaction of.

[0017]

In the gas dissolving apparatus according to the present invention having the above-described structure, when the gas to be dissolved is pressurized and supplied into the pressure frame, the liquid surface inside the pressure frame is pressurized. It becomes lower than the liquid level in the storage tank by the amount. As a result, a state is formed in which pressure is being applied to the gas-liquid interface inside the pressure frame and at the same time pressure is not being applied to the gas-liquid interface outside the pressure frame.

In such a state, the gas solubility is high inside the pressure frame, while the gas solubility is low outside the pressure frame. Therefore, the gas supplied into the pressurizing frame is easily dissolved in the liquid, while the gas dissolved in the liquid is easily released outside the pressurizing frame. That is, due to the presence of the pressurizing frame, the gas is easily dissolved inside the pressurizing frame, while the gas is easily released from the liquid outside the pressurizing frame.

When the stirring means operates in such a state, the gas is dissolved inside the pressurizing frame in a state where the solubility is increased, and the gas to be dissolved is efficiently dissolved in the liquid. On the other hand, the liquid in which the gas is melted under pressure is sequentially supplied to the outside of the pressure frame, and in the liquid outside the pressure frame, the other gas that has been dissolved in the liquid from the beginning is expelled. Therefore, the other gas dissolved in the liquid is efficiently released. The other gas discharged is diffused from the liquid surface outside the pressurizing frame and discharged from the discharge port.

Further, in the above-mentioned gas dissolving device, when the surrounding wall is buried below the liquid surface of the liquid in the storage tank, the flow generated by the agitating means is guided in a predetermined direction by the surrounding wall, whereby A flow occurs throughout the reservoir. In this way, since the liquid circulates in the storage tank, the dissolution efficiency is improved. At the same time, excess gas or other gas that has been dissolved in the liquid from the beginning and the gas to be dissolved is dissolved and is expelled from the liquid is likely to be discharged from the exhaust port.

At this time, if the stirring means is a means for moving the liquid in the vicinity of the stirring means downward, the liquid flows out from the lower side of the surrounding wall and at the same time the liquid flows from the upper side thereof. This results in a downward flow inside the enclosure wall, while an upward flow occurs outside the enclosure wall. As described above, the stirring means and the surrounding wall can generate convection in the storage tank and improve the gas dissolution efficiency. In addition, this stirring means,
A plate having a hole whose hole diameter decreases downward, and a vibrating means for vertically vibrating the plate,
With the above configuration, the downward liquid flow can be effectively generated by the vertical vibration of the plate.

Further, in any one of the above-mentioned gas dissolving devices, by equipping the storage tank with means for supporting the immobilized enzyme or the immobilized microorganism, the gas required for the enzyme reaction is dissolved under pressure on the liquid surface. An enzymatic reaction of the reaction substrate can be performed.

Since the reactor (culture tank) equipped with such a gas dissolving device does not involve high pressure or strong stirring,
The enzyme reaction of the reaction substrate can be performed while safely supplying gas to the liquid medium.

[0024]

【Example】

[Gas Dissolving Device] FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a preferred embodiment in which the gas dissolving device according to the present invention is applied to an oxygen dissolving device.

The oxygen dissolving apparatus according to this embodiment has a storage tank 21 for storing a liquid therein, a pressurizing frame 23 for pressurizing and supplying oxygen, and an agitator for agitating the liquid at an opening 23a of the pressurizing frame 23. And means 25.

In the storage tank 21, in the embodiment, 8
The liquid is stored up to around the minute, and a space is formed in the upper part inside the storage tank 21. A discharge port 27 for discharging gas is installed on the upper surface of the storage tank 21.

Oxygen is supplied under pressure to the pressurizing frame 23 via a valve 29, and the liquid inside the pressurizing frame 23 is discharged by the pressurizing supply of oxygen, and finally oxygen is supplied. The liquid level inside the pressurizing frame 23 is lower than the liquid level outside thereof by L in the figure. And, in such a state, the pressure frame 2 is always
The pressure of oxygen is maintained inside 3 and the normal pressure is maintained outside the pressure frame 23. This point is one of the features of the oxygen dissolving apparatus according to the present embodiment, in which the inside of the pressurizing frame 23 is kept in a state where the gas is easily melted by pressurization, and at the same time, the gas is released outside the pressurizing frame 23. It is designed to be easily maintained. For this reason, oxygen is easily dissolved at the gas-liquid interface inside the pressurizing frame 23, while the gas dissolved in the liquid is easily released at the gas-liquid interface outside the pressurizing frame 23. Therefore, oxygen is dissolved inside the pressurizing frame 23, and at the same time, gas other than oxygen is dissipated outside the pressurizing frame 23, so that a liquid in which only oxygen is dissolved can be efficiently produced. It is possible.

Stirring means 2 of the oxygen dissolving apparatus according to the present embodiment
Reference numeral 5 is composed of a plate 25a and a drive shaft 25b, and the plate 25a is vertically movable by a drive motor 31 connected to the drive shaft 25b. A diaphragm 33 is installed at a contact portion between the drive shaft 25b and the pressure frame 23, whereby the drive shaft 25b can move smoothly in the vertical direction. On the other hand, the plate 25a has a funnel-shaped hole 25.
c is provided, and the plate 25 is provided by this hole 25c.
When a moves upward, the liquid moves downward through the hole 25c, and when plate 25a moves downward, the liquid hardly moves through the hole 25c. That is, since the funnel-shaped hole 25c is provided in the plate 25a, when the plate 25a is driven in the vertical direction, the liquid in the vicinity of the plate 25a is driven downward. A surrounding wall 35 is installed around the plate 25a, and a space (liquid suction port) 37 is formed between the surrounding wall 35 and the pressure frame 23. The surrounding wall 35 is provided in a cylindrical shape along the periphery of the plate 25a and is fixed in the storage tank 21 by a supporting member (not shown). Further, the shape of the pressure frame 23 is such that it spreads in a skirt shape toward the lower opening 23a,
The contact area between the oxygen and the liquid is increased at the opening 23a, so that the dissolution efficiency of oxygen is improved. Incidentally, the shape of the pressure frame 23 need not be a shape that spreads in a skirt shape, and may be an ordinary cylindrical shape.

In the oxygen dissolving apparatus according to this embodiment constructed as described above, when the drive motor 31 is driven to move the plate 25a in the vertical direction, the space between the pressure frame 23 and the surrounding wall 35 is changed. The liquid is sucked from the liquid suction port 37, and the liquid is supplied to the surroundings from below the surrounding wall 35. Here, the liquid sucked from the liquid suction port 37 moves below the storage tank 21 after oxygen is pressurized and supplied at the gas-liquid interface formed inside the pressure frame 23. By the stirring action of the stirring means 25 at this time, oxygen is efficiently dissolved in a high pressure state. Then, the dissolved oxygen has a function of pushing out the other gas that is initially dissolved in the liquid from the liquid, and the pushing action is mainly the liquid level outside the pressure frame 23 under normal pressure. Will be done in. Then, the excess oxygen and the gas other than the oxygen released (extruded) by the dissolution of the oxygen are exhausted from the exhaust port 27.

The adjustment of the oxygen supply amount is performed by the liquid level detection sensor 2 for detecting the height of the liquid level inside the pressurizing frame 23.
By providing 4, it can be easily performed. That is, as the oxygen dissolves in the liquid, the liquid level inside the pressure frame 23 rises. Therefore, the rise in the liquid level is detected by the liquid level detection sensor 24 to detect the insufficient supply of oxygen. Then, oxygen is supplied into the pressurizing frame 23 so as to follow the detected amount of supply shortage.
As the liquid level detection sensor 24, for example, JP-A-4-361
A liquid level detection device such as that described in Japanese Patent No. 123 can be used.

FIG. 2 shows a second oxygen dissolution apparatus according to the present invention.
It is sectional drawing which showed the Example. The same components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

The characteristic feature of this second embodiment is that
The surrounding wall 35 not only surrounds the stirring means 25 but also surrounds the periphery of the pressure frame 23. The surrounding wall 35 is fixed to the storage tank 21 by a supporting member (not shown), as in the first embodiment. Further, also in the oxygen dissolving apparatus according to the second embodiment,
The support member is configured so as not to obstruct the flow of liquid inside the storage tank 21.

When the surrounding wall 35 is also provided around the pressurizing frame 23 as in the oxygen dissolving apparatus according to the second embodiment, the liquid near the liquid surface of the storage tank 21 is below the pressurizing frame 23. To move to. Here, the liquid near the liquid surface inside the storage tank 21 is the liquid after the gas is released near the liquid surface. The reason why the gas is released from the vicinity of the liquid surface is that the liquid surface has no water pressure and only the atmospheric pressure is applied, so that the gas dissolving ability of the liquid itself is lowered. Therefore, the liquid near the liquid surface of the storage tank 21 is the liquid in which the amount of dissolved gas is the smallest in the storage tank 21. Therefore, by providing the surrounding wall 35 around the pressurizing frame 23 to suck the liquid near the liquid surface, oxygen is pressurized and dissolved in the liquid having the smallest dissolved amount of gas. With such a configuration, oxygen is pressurized and supplied to the liquid in which the oxygen is most easily dissolved in the storage tank 21, whereby the oxygen can be efficiently dissolved.

Here, in both the first and second embodiments, the stirring device 25 is composed of the plate 25a, the drive shaft 25b and the drive motor 31, but the structure of the stirring device 25 is not limited to this. Instead, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, a drive shaft 25b provided with a spiral plate 25d may be used. Drive shaft 25b with spiral plate 25d installed
Can move up and down, rotate, or operate as long as it operates to move the liquid downward. Further, as shown in FIG. 3A or 3B, the spiral plate 2 is attached to the drive shaft 25b.
5d and the plate 25a, regardless of their vertical relationship,
They may be arranged side by side. Further, as shown in FIG. 3C, a stirring means for moving the liquid below the storage tank 21 by a propeller may be used. That is, any configuration can be adopted as long as the liquid having a small pressure and a small amount of dissolved gas near the upper portion of the storage tank 21 is moved to the lower side of the pressurizing frame 23.

Since oxygen is most commonly dissolved, this embodiment shows an example in which the gas dissolving apparatus according to the present invention is applied to an oxygen dissolving apparatus. The oxygen dissolving device can also be used when a gas other than oxygen is dissolved in a liquid.

[Reactor (Culture tank)] A liquid medium means a nutrient source necessary for the growth of microorganisms dissolved in water. In a liquid culture method using a liquid medium, microbial cells are generated by stirring the medium. Since it is evenly dispersed, and at the same time, nutrients and oxygen are evenly dispersed, providing a good environment for the growth of microorganisms. It is easy to control the culture temperature. The culturing method using a liquid medium is suitable for large-scale culturing, and is the culturing method which is the mainstream of the present fermentation industry. Therefore, it is important to supply a predetermined gas to the liquid medium in a stable, safe and efficient manner. However, the gas dissolving apparatus according to the first embodiment or the second embodiment described above can efficiently supply gas under such mild conditions.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing the construction of a bioreactor 40 equipped with a gas dissolving device according to the second embodiment. The same components as those in the first and second embodiments are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

The bioreactor 40 shown in FIG.
An immobilized enzyme 41 is provided in the unit 1. The reason why the bioreactor is constructed by using the immobilized enzyme 41 in carrying out the enzyme reaction is that the enzyme can be reused, which is economically advantageous. In the bioreactor 40 shown in FIG. 4, the enzymatic reaction is performed in a state where the gas is efficiently dissolved by the gas dissolving device according to the second embodiment. It is also possible to use an immobilized microorganism instead of the immobilized enzyme 41.

When the gas dissolving device is used as the oxygen dissolving device, for example, oxidoreductase which uses oxygen as an acceptor, such as glucose oxidase, is adopted as the immobilized enzyme to carry out the redox reaction.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing the structure of an improved bioreactor 50 equipped with the gas dissolving apparatus according to the present invention.

The bioreactor 50 according to this embodiment has a storage tank 51 for storing a liquid therein, a pressurizing frame 53 for pressurizing and supplying gas, and an opening 53a of the pressurizing frame 53.
The stirring means 55 that stirs the liquid, the cylindrical body 56 that surrounds the stirring means 55, and the immobilization carrier 58 that is provided in the gap between the cylindrical body 56 and the storage tank 51. Immobilization carrier 5
An immobilized enzyme 58a is immobilized on the surface 8.

Briefly described in comparison with the first embodiment of the gas dissolving apparatus, the bioreactor 50 comprises the pressurizing frame 2
3 and a cylindrical surrounding wall 35 are integrally formed to form a cylindrical body 5.
6 is provided, and the immobilization carrier 58 is provided therein.

Gas is pressurized and supplied to the pressurizing frame 53 from the gas supply port 59, whereby the liquid level inside the cylindrical body 56 becomes lower than the liquid level inside the storage tank 51. In such a state, the pressurized state of the gas is always maintained inside the pressure frame 53, and the normal pressure state is maintained outside the pressure frame 53. As a result, the gas is easily dissolved at the gas-liquid interface inside the pressurizing frame 53, while the gas dissolved in the liquid is easily released at the gas-liquid interface outside the pressurizing frame 53. This is as described above regarding the gas dissolving device.

In the storage tank 51, in the embodiment, 8
The liquid is stored up to around the minute, and a space is formed in the upper part inside the storage tank 51. A discharge port 57 for discharging gas is installed on the upper surface of the storage tank 51.

Stirring means 5 of the gas dissolving apparatus according to this embodiment
Reference numeral 5 includes a plate 55a and a drive shaft 55b, and the drive motor 61 moves the plate 55a in the vertical direction. Drive shaft 55b and pressure frame 53
A diaphragm 63 is installed at the contact portion of the drive shaft 55, and the drive shaft 55b moves smoothly in the vertical direction. On the other hand, the plate 55a has a funnel-shaped hole 55 as in the first embodiment.
c is provided, and for this funnel-shaped hole 55c,
When the plate 55a is driven in the vertical direction, the liquid inside the tubular body 56 moves downward.

Here, below the cylindrical body 56, the storage tank 51
A predetermined gap is provided between the cylindrical body 56 and
An inflow port 56a is provided in the upper part of the. Inlet 56
a is provided at a position slightly higher than the maximum height when the plate 55a is raised. Therefore, the plate 55
When a is driven in the vertical direction, the liquid inside the tubular body 56 moves downward, passes under the tubular body 56 and rises outside the tubular body 56, and flows into the inside of the tubular body 56 from the inflow port 56a. To do.
During the circulation process, the liquid in the storage tank 51 is
It passes over the immobilized enzyme fixed in the gap between the storage tank 51 and the cylinder 56.

In the example, the bioreactor 50 comprises:
As shown in FIG. 5, a pipe 65 that surrounds the storage tank 51 and controls the temperature of the storage tank 51, and a frame 67 that surrounds the pipe 65.
And a liquid injection port 69 for injecting a reaction substrate or a solution thereof into the storage tank 51, and an immobilized enzyme injection pipe 71 for injecting an immobilized enzyme or an immobilized microorganism. Further, the bioreactor 50 has a product extraction pipe 73 for extracting the product of the bioreactor 50 and a pH, as shown in FIG. 6 (this is a cross-sectional view in a direction different from FIG. 5).
And a pH adjusting agent injection port 75 for injecting an adjusting agent. The product take-out pipe 73 has two take-in ports for taking in the product.
Each of them has an intake port 73a, an intake port 73b, and a three-way cock is installed in the upper intake port 73a. By controlling the three-way cock, the upper intake port 73a or the lower intake port 73a is controlled. The intake port 73b is appropriately selected according to the purpose.
Further, the pH sensor 73 is provided at the tip of the product take-out pipe 73.
c and a temperature sensor 73d are installed so that the pH and temperature in the reactor 50 can be tracked. In the embodiment, since the pH sensor 73c and the temperature sensor 73d are installed at the tip of the product extraction pipe 73, the pH and temperature of the liquid medium supplied to the immobilized enzyme or the immobilized microorganisms are optimized. be able to.

In the bioreactor 50 according to this embodiment configured as described above, for example, in the case of producing vinegar, acetic acid bacteria are injected from the immobilized enzyme injection pipe 71 to the immobilized carrier 58. It is fixed. A liquid medium containing ethanol as a reaction substrate is injected from the liquid injection port 69. Oxygen is supplied as a predetermined gas from the gas supply port 59. When the drive motor 61 is driven in this state to move the plate 55a in the vertical direction, the gas is agitated while being pressurized and supplied at the gas-liquid interface formed inside the pressurizing frame 53. Oxygen is dissolved efficiently. The liquid medium in which oxygen is dissolved is the plate 55a.
Is moved inside the tubular body 56 by the vertical movement of the storage tank 51,
It is supplied to the immobilized acetic acid bacteria through the lower part of. Then, gases other than oxygen dissolved in the liquid medium after the reaction are diffused under normal pressure and exhausted from the exhaust port 57. The liquid medium in which the gas other than oxygen has been diffused flows into the inside of the cylindrical body 56 from the inflow port 56a.

At this time, in order to bring the temperature to the optimum temperature for the enzymatic reaction in the initial stage of the reaction, steam is passed through the pipe 65 to warm the inside of the storage tank 51, while the temperature inside the storage tank 51 rises too much. In some cases, cooling water is passed through for cooling. Further, in order to keep the liquid medium supplied to the acetic acid bacteria at the optimum pH, the pH adjusting agent is injected from the pH adjusting agent injection port 75 according to the information from the pH sensor 73c. If necessary, ethanol, which is a reaction substrate, is added to the storage tank 51. The pressurized state of oxygen is always maintained in the pressurizing frame 53. The condition of the liquid medium supplied to the immobilized acetic acid bacterium is the inlet 73 at the bottom of the product outlet pipe 73.
It is also possible to take out the liquid medium from b and inspect it. At this time, the three-way cock attached to the intake port 73a is brought into a state B. When the product after the reaction is taken out, the three-way cock is brought into a state like A, the product is taken in from the upper intake port 73a, and the product is taken out from the take-out pipe 73.

By the way, it is also necessary that the culture tank has a performance capable of preventing contamination of various bacteria. Therefore, it is necessary that cleaning and sterilization of the inside of the tank be easy and strict. Bioreactor 50 according to the present embodiment
Is made of stainless steel or fluororesin,
The internal structure is also designed so that there are no blind spots for cleaning or sterilization, such as bends. Further, by removing the screw 80, the whole reactor can be easily disassembled, so that cleaning or sterilization can be easily performed.

The enzymes or microorganisms are shown in FIG.
However, the method is not limited to these methods, and any method may be used to fix the enzyme or the microorganism.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, since acetic acid bacteria are used, oxygen is supplied under pressure. However, the gas supplied under pressure is
The oxygen is not limited to oxygen, and may be appropriately selected depending on the enzyme or microorganism used. For example, nitrogen is supplied under pressure when nitrogen-fixing bacteria are used, hydrogen is supplied for hydrogen bacteria in the case of sulfur bacteria, and oxygen or carbon dioxide gas is supplied under pressure in the case of sulfur bacteria. In the case of anaerobic bacteria, an inert gas such as argon is supplied.

The bioreactor according to this example can produce amino acids, antibiotics, alcohols, enzymes and the like, and can be widely adopted from a laboratory scale to an industrial scale.

[0054]

As described above, in the gas dissolving apparatus according to the present invention, the gas is separated from the outside and supplied under pressure, and no pressure is applied to other places, so that the gas is dissolved in the liquid from the beginning. It is possible to improve the dissolution efficiency of the gas into the liquid while aiming to dissipate the generated liquid.
In addition to this, since the liquid inside the storage tank is moved from the upper side to the lower side by the stirring means, it is possible to further improve the dissolution efficiency.

Further, since the gas dissolving apparatus according to the present invention has a relatively simple structure, the strength can be easily improved, and at the same time, the apparatus can be easily disassembled to facilitate cleaning and parts replacement. It can be carried out. Therefore, it is suitable for maintenance.

Further, in the reactor equipped with the gas dissolving apparatus of the present invention, the gas is efficiently supplied to the reaction system, so that the reaction efficiency of the reaction requiring the gas can be improved.

In particular, not only the reaction efficiency can be improved, but also washing and replacement of parts can be easily carried out. Therefore, a bioreactor can be easily prepared by using an immobilized enzyme or immobilized microorganism.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of an oxygen dissolving apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the configuration of an oxygen dissolving apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing some examples of stirring means.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a bioreactor including a gas dissolving device according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an improved bioreactor equipped with the gas dissolving device according to the present invention.

6 is a cross-sectional view in another direction showing the configuration of the bioreactor shown in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining immobilization of an enzyme.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration of a conventional oxygen dissolving device.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a conventional aeration stirring culture tank.

[Explanation of symbols]

21 Storage tank 23 Pressure frame 25 Stirring means (stirring device) 27 Exhaust port 23a opening 35 Surrounding wall 40 bioreactor 41 Immobilized enzyme 50 bioreactors 51 storage tank 53 pressure frame 53a opening 55 stirring means 56 cylinder 58 Immobilization carrier 58a immobilized enzyme 67 frame 69 Liquid inlet 71 Immobilized enzyme injection tube 73 Product removal tube 73a, 73b inlet 80 screw

Continuation of front page (58) Fields surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B01F 1/00 B01F 3/04

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A device for dissolving Jo Tokoro of gas to a liquid, provided with an exhaust port, a reservoir for storing the liquid therein, is installed in the storage tank, liquid stored in the reservoir A pressurizing frame that covers a part of the liquid surface of the liquid tank and has an opening under the liquid surface, and a gas supply unit that pressurizes and supplies a gas to be dissolved in the liquid in the storage tank into the pressurizing frame, a stirring means for stirring the liquid below the mouth opening of the pressure frame, is embedded below the liquid surface of liquid in the reservoir, at least prior to
An enclosing wall enclosing the stirring means , and further, in the enclosing wall between the pressure frame and the enclosing wall.
Is provided with a liquid suction port for sucking a liquid, and by supplying only the gas to be dissolved to the liquid surface in the pressure frame under pressure, the dissolution efficiency of the gas is improved ,
The flow generated by the stirring means is collected by this surrounding wall.
In a fixed direction, so that
Gas dissolution apparatus according to claim Rukoto cause flow that. 2. A gas dissolving apparatus 請 Motomeko 1, wherein said stirring means moves the liquid of the stirring means near the lower
A gas dissolving device, characterized in that it is a means for causing the gas to dissolve. 3. A gas dissolving apparatus 請 Motomeko 2, wherein said agitation means comprises a plate having a pore diameter decreases downward hole
And a vibrating means for vibrating the plate in the vertical direction, and a downward liquid flow is generated by the vibration of the plate . 4. The gas dissolving apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3, further comprising means for supporting an immobilized enzyme or an immobilized microorganism.
There the reservoir includes et al is in, while the gas necessary for the enzymatic reaction was dissolved under pressure in the liquid surface
Reactor and performing the enzymatic reaction of the reactive substrate.