JPH0366009B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Application of the Invention] The present invention relates to a vertical reaction device, and particularly relates to a vertical reaction device, and particularly to solid particles having an enzyme immobilized thereon, solid particles having living organisms attached thereto, or solid particles such as bacterial cells, etc. The present invention relates to a vertical reaction device suitable for containing solid particles in a culture solution and culturing using the catalytic action of the solid particles.

[Background of the invention]

Conventional culture techniques using solid particles, for example, in which enzymes are immobilized, were developed in 1983.
This is shown in Publication No. 9112.

This technology involves filling a vertical culture tank with solid particles in an amount smaller than its total volume, and then repeating the operation of passing culture medium or warm water through it for a certain period of time, or leaving it as it is for a certain period of time. By gradually filling small amounts from the top of the culture tank, the activity of solid particles in the culture tank is gradually reduced from top to bottom to form a solid particle packed layer, and then the culture solution is raised. By passing the liquid through the culture tank, a certain amount of reacted solid particles are taken out from the bottom of the culture tank in a pulsating manner at regular intervals, and solid particles corresponding to the amount taken out are filled from the top of the culture tank. In this method, a multilayer solid particle packed bed in which the activity of solid particles is gradually decreased from top to bottom is maintained in a culture tank to cause a reaction between the culture solution and the solid particles.

This conventional technology has the following drawbacks.

(1) Since the flow rate of the culture solution flowing upward is small, one-sided flow occurs in the solid particle packed bed, resulting in poor contact efficiency between the solid particles and the culture solution, and a decrease in culture efficiency.

(2) Bubbles from the supplied air and bubbles generated during culture adhere to solid particles, and these attached bubbles inhibit culture, resulting in poor contact efficiency between solid particles and culture solution. Culture efficiency decreases.

[Purpose of the invention]

An object of the present invention is to provide a vertical reaction device that can improve culture efficiency by preventing one-sided flow of a culture solution in a bed packed with solid particles and removing air bubbles attached to solid particles.

[Summary of the invention]

The present invention provides a vertical reaction device filled with solid particles and into which a culture solution is introduced, including a shaft in which dividing means installed in the main body of the reaction device and through which the culture solution passes are provided in multiple stages in the height direction; The outflow regulating means provided on the inner wall of the main body in correspondence with the dividing means and regulating the downward flow of solid particles, and the dividing means provided on the shaft, or the dividing means and a part of the outflow regulating means are repeatedly driven in the vertical direction. The device is characterized by comprising a driving means, which prevents one-sided flow of the culture solution within the solid particle packed bed and removes air bubbles attached to the solid particles.

[Embodiments of the invention]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, a vertical reaction tank of a vertical reaction apparatus, for example, a culture tank 10, has a nozzle 11a for filling solid particles and a nozzle 11 for discharging the culture solution at the top.
A nozzle 11c for taking out solid particles and a nozzle 11d for introducing a culture solution are provided at the bottom. The culture tank 10 is divided into a plurality of chambers in the height direction, in this case, five chambers 12a to 12e, so that pulsations can be imparted to the culture solution introduced therein. That is, in the culture tank 10, at least one stage, in this case, four stages, of dividing means 20 through which the culture solution passes is installed in the height direction, and an outflow regulating means for regulating the downward outflow of solid particles. 30 is provided internally corresponding to the dividing means 20. Further, the culture tank 10 is provided with a driving means 40 that repeatedly drives the dividing means 20 and a part of the outflow regulating means 30 in the vertical direction.

The dividing means 20 is a perforated plate 22 having a large number of holes 21 through which the culture solution passes, and the outflow regulating means 3
0 is composed of a weir 31 provided at the outer edge of a perforated plate 22 and a ring-shaped perforated plate 33 having a large number of holes 32 through which a culture solution passes. In this case, the weir 31 is provided on the perforated plate 22 with both ends protruding from the upper and lower surfaces of the perforated plate 22, and the perforated plate 33 allows the solid particles to flow downward only when the weir 31 is opposed to the perforated plate 22. Weir between 34 and 31
It is provided on the inner wall of the culture tank 10 so as to be located between the The drive means 40 may be a known reciprocating drive, and in this case is provided at the top of the culture tank 10. In addition, a perforated plate 22 provided with a weir 31
For example, the culture tank 10 is connected to the driving means 40.
The chambers 12a to 12e are provided on a shaft 41 installed in the culture tank 10 so as to be movable up and down about the center line of the chambers 12a to 12e.

Solid particles are filled into the culture tank 10 through the nozzle 11a, and a culture solution is introduced through the nozzle 11d. As a result, the culture solution flows upwardly through the solid particle packed beds of the chambers 12a to 12e, the holes 21 and 32, and the gap 34, and during this time, the culture is carried out by the catalytic action of the solid particles.

In this case, there are two operating methods: (1) an operation in which solid particles are cultured without flowing out from the upper chamber to the lower chamber (hereinafter referred to as culture operation); and (2) an operation in which solid particles are cultured from the upper chamber to the lower chamber. (3) operation in which solid particles are intermittently flowed out to update the activity of solid particles (hereinafter referred to as activity update operation); and (3) solid particles are continuously flowed out from the upper chamber to the lower chamber. There is an operation for taking out solid particles from the culture tank 10 (hereinafter abbreviated as solid particle removal operation). These operations will be explained below.

(1) Culture operation In this operation, the perforated plate 2 is driven by the driving means 40.
2. The amplitude of the vertical drive of the weir 31 is restricted to within the width of the weir 31. Such a perforated plate 22,
By driving the weir 31 up and down, a pulsation is imparted to the culture solution flowing upward through the solid particle packed beds of the chambers 12a to 12e. As a result, one-sided flow of the culture solution within the solid particle packed bed can be prevented, the contact efficiency between the solid particles and the culture solution is improved, and the culture efficiency is improved. In addition, air bubbles attached to the solid particles can be removed by the shear force caused by the pulsation of the culture solution, improving the efficiency of contact between the solid particles and the culture solution and improving the culture efficiency. Furthermore, in this case there is no flow of solid particles from the upper chamber to the lower chamber, and chambers 12a-
Since the packing density of the solid particles of 12e can be maintained at a constant density, the contact efficiency between the solid particles and the culture solution can be maintained at an optimum state, and the culture efficiency is further improved.

(2) Activity update operation In this operation, the perforated plate 2 is driven by the driving means 40.
2. The amplitude of the vertical drive of the weir 31 is made larger than the width of the weir 31 at predetermined time intervals. By vertically driving the perforated plate 22 and the weir 31, the gap between the weir 31 and the porous plate 33 becomes larger than the gap 34 at predetermined time intervals, and the solid particles can flow out.
At this time, the solid particles in the upper chamber flow out into the lower chamber. The amount of solid particles that flow out is transferred to nozzle 1.
Solid particles are taken out of the culture tank 10 through the nozzle 11a, and an amount of solid particles corresponding to the amount taken out is introduced into the culture tank 10 through the nozzle 11a. As a result, solid particles that have lost their activity can be taken out semi-continuously from the culture tank 10.
The inside of the cell can be kept filled with active solid particles at all times, improving culture efficiency.

(3) Solid particle extraction operation In this operation, the porous plate 2 is driven by the driving means 40.
2. The amplitude of the vertical drive of the weir 31 is always made larger than the width of the weir 31. By vertically driving the perforated plate 22 and the weir 31, the solid particles in the upper chamber continuously flow out into the lower chamber, and are finally continuously taken out of the culture tank 10 through the nozzle 11c. As a result, the solid particles in the culture tank 10 can be easily taken out of the culture tank 10.
Inspection work inside the culture tank 10 becomes easier.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of how to provide a weir 31 constituting the outflow regulating means 30 to the perforated plate 22 which is the dividing means 20. In this case, the weir 31
is provided at the outer edge of the perforated plate 22 with its lower end protruding only from the lower surface of the perforated plate 22.

If the weir is provided on the perforated plate in this way, the amount of solid particles staying on the perforated plate will be smaller when the solid particles are taken out of the culture tank, so compared to the above example, the solid particles will be removed from the culture tank. It becomes even easier to take out.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment in which the dividing means 20 has a perforated plate shape, and in this case, the perforated plate 2
2' has a conical shape, and this perforated plate 2
2' is provided on the shaft 41 at the apex side of the cone. Further, the weir 31 constituting the outflow regulating means 30 is provided at the outer edge of the perforated plate 22' with its lower end protruding only from the lower surface of the perforated plate 22'.

In such a case, when the solid particles are taken out of the culture tank, the solid particles do not stay on the porous plate, so it is easier to take out the solid particles out of the culture tank compared to the other examples mentioned above. .

In addition to the above-mentioned embodiments, the protrusions constituting the outflow regulating means together with the weir are not particularly limited to a perforated plate, and may be, for example, ones without holes. Furthermore, it is not necessary that the dividing means and a part of the outflow regulating means are provided on one shaft, but the driving means may be used repeatedly to divide the culture tank into a plurality of chambers in the height direction. The dividing means and a part of the outflow adjusting means may be provided so as to be movable up and down. For example, in order to suppress deformation of the dividing means due to vertical driving and to equalize the flow caused by vertical driving, a plurality of shafts may be connected to the driving means and the dividing means may be provided on these shafts. . Furthermore, the protrusion may also have the function of a dam without providing a dam in the dividing means.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention divides a vertical reaction tank filled with solid particles and into which a culture solution is introduced into a plurality of chambers in the height direction so that pulsations can be imparted to the culture solution introduced into the reaction tank. By repeatedly driving the dividing section in the vertical direction, it is possible to prevent one-sided flow of the culture solution within the solid particle packed bed, and also to remove air bubbles attached to the solid particles, which has the effect of improving culture efficiency. .

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of a vertical reactor according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow A--A in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a perforated plate serving as a dividing means. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a main part showing another example of a perforated plate serving as a dividing means. 10... Culture tank, 11a to 11d... Nozzle, 12a to 12e... Chamber, 20... Division means, 30... Outflow regulating means, 40... Drive means.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a vertical reaction device filled with solid particles and into which a culture solution is introduced, dividing means installed in the main body of the reaction device and through which the culture solution passes are provided in multiple stages in the height direction. a shaft, an outflow regulating means provided on the inner wall of the main body in correspondence with the dividing means and regulating the downward flow of solid particles, and a dividing means provided on the shaft, or a part of the dividing means and the outflow regulating means. A vertical reaction device characterized by comprising a drive means for repeatedly driving the vertical direction. 2. The dividing means is a perforated plate having a large number of holes through which the culture solution passes, and the outflow regulating means has a gap between the weir and the weir provided at the outer edge of the perforated plate. The vertical reactor according to claim 1, characterized in that the vertical reactor comprises a protrusion provided on the inner wall of the main body. 3. The dividing means is a perforated plate having a large number of holes through which the culture solution passes, and the outflow regulating means is a protrusion, and the protrusion is provided on the inner wall of the main body with a space between the protrusion and the outflow regulating means. A vertical reaction apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that it is constructed of: