JPS6010394Y2 - Aerobic microbial culture tank - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention is a container for culturing aerobic microorganisms through air-liquid contact, that is, a container generally called a microbial culture tank or fermenter (hereinafter referred to as a microbial culture tank).

). SC was said to be the food of the future
P (Single Ce11Protein) has not received much attention in the past, but has recently attracted attention as its safety has been confirmed.

It has also been considered to use SCP as livestock feed, and for this purpose, it has become necessary to develop an aerobic microbial culture tank with a simple structure and efficient microbial growth.

Conventionally, there are various types of microorganism culture containers: an aeration stirring type having a stirring means, a perforated plate type having a perforated plate, an air lift type having an air lift, and a special type having a special device.

However, each of the above-mentioned conventional microorganism culture vessels has advantages and disadvantages.

Generally, aerobic microorganisms have a high rate of dissolved oxygen uptake, and the rate of growth in a culture tank is determined by the rate of oxygen dissolution.

In order to increase the rate of dissolution, it is possible to increase the oxygen partial pressure in the gas phase in the aerobic microbial culture tank, decrease the operating temperature, and increase the gas-liquid contact area from a physicochemical perspective.

One method for increasing the oxygen partial pressure in the gas phase in the first aerobic microbial culture tank is to use pure oxygen or a gas with a high oxygen concentration, but this method requires high running costs. becomes.

Another option is to increase the height of the culture tank and increase the pressure at the bottom of the tank, but like the previous method, this increases running costs, and the more fatal drawback is that if the pressure is increased too much, the microorganisms will no longer survive. I don't get it.

Regarding the second method of lowering the operating temperature, when the temperature is lowered, the proliferation decreases rapidly, and the dissolution rate of oxygen is no longer rate-limiting, so there is no point in increasing the dissolution rate.

Furthermore, the temperature range in which microorganisms can survive (or grow) is limited, and the temperature cannot be lowered unnecessarily.

Regarding the third method of increasing the gas-liquid contact area, various structures of the bubble generating section have been developed or are under development.

The present invention provides an aerobic microorganism culture tank in which an aeration device connected to an oxygen-containing supply source is disposed at the bottom and a liquid containing aerobic microorganisms is stored, and the upper opening cross-sectional area is wider than the lower opening cross-sectional area. It is characterized in that a plurality of containers are immersed in the liquid and suspended from the top of the culture tank, and its purpose is to produce aerobic microorganisms that have a simple structure and can grow microorganisms extremely efficiently. The aim is to provide a culture tank.

Hereinafter, the most preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the examples illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5.

Reference numeral 1 denotes the culture tank body, and 2a, 2b, and 2c indicate air bubble separation/liquid agitators (hereinafter abbreviated as containers) that are immersed in a liquid 6 containing aerobic microorganisms in the culture tank.

) As shown enlarged in Figures 2 to 4, it is sufficient that the cross-sectional area of the upper end opening is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the lower opening, and the cross-sectional shape is limited to a circle, triangular, square, or any other shape. But that's fine.

Further, the direction in which the liquid is discharged from the lower part is not limited to the downward direction, but may be horizontal as in the case of the container 2b, or may be upward, diagonal, or any other direction.

3a, 3b and 3c are containers 2a, 2b and 2c respectively
The ropes, strings, and chains (hereinafter abbreviated as ropes) that suspend the

) 4a*4b and 4c are supports for the ropes 3a, 3b and 3C, respectively, and may be hook-like.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a diffuser plate disposed in the E section of the tank body 1 and communicating with the oxygen-containing supply source 8. Instead of the diffuser plate 5, a rotary atomizer or the like may be used.

6 is a liquid containing aerobic microorganisms stored in the culture tank body 1; 6a is the liquid level; 7a, 7b, and 7c are the liquid levels in the containers 2a, 2b, and 2c, respectively; 8a, 8b, and 8c
are the upper end openings of containers 2a, 2b and 2C, 9a,
9b and 9c are lower end openings of containers 2a, 2b and 2c, respectively.

10 is a supply line for gas necessary for microbial growth such as air or oxygen; 11 is an exhaust line for gas in the tank body 1; 12.1
3 is a culture solution supply line, 14 and 15 are culture solution discharge lines for aerobic microorganisms cultured in the tank body 1, and if necessary, one of the culture solution supply lines 12, 13 or any of the culture solution supply lines 12 and 13. Kato, culture treatment liquid discharge line 1
Any combination of 4°15.

In the embodiment configured in this way, the air 10 becomes bubbles and rises in the culture medium 6 due to the air diffuser plate 5, but the air 10 rises in the culture medium 6.
Since the cross-sectional area of the lower end openings 9a, 9b, 9c of at 2b, 2c is small, the amount of air bubbles entering from below into the containers 2a, 2b, 2c is small, and the apparent density of the liquid in the containers 2a, 2b, 2c is Compared to the liquid outside the container 2 at 2 by 2 c, the liquid inside the containers 2a, 2b, and 2c, which is larger and contains microbubbles, flows downward.

The flow direction of this flow can be freely determined by orienting the lower opening of the container 2at 2bt 2C in an arbitrary direction.

This flow allows the liquid 8 in the culture tank to be completely mixed.

In the upper part of the container 2 at 2 be 2 c, the liquid goes downward, while the air bubbles rise, so the container 2a,
Large bubbles and liquid are separated on circles 2b and 2c, and microbubbles contained in the liquid are recirculated together with the liquid.

Therefore, microbubbles having a large gas-liquid interface per unit volume can be reused, which is efficient.

In this way, an air layer is formed at the upper liquid level 7a, 7b, and 7c in the container, and in this way, the container 2a.

It is not necessarily a necessary condition that an air layer be formed within 2b and 2c.

That is, as shown in FIG. 5 in detail by exaggerating the flow of gas and liquid, the liquid 8 in the culture tank containing air bubbles flows from above the container 2b as shown by arrow A, but the air bubbles are buoyant and therefore flow in the direction indicated by arrow A. Only the liquid facing upward as shown in B and containing small bubbles flows out from the lower end opening 9b as shown in arrow C, facing downward.

As described above, in the aerobic microorganism culture tank according to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) The bubble-separated liquid agitator, which is one of the components of this invention, has a simple structure and is a hanging type, so it can be installed in a conventional culture tank and is very easy to replace. This method is easy to use, and since it vibrates due to the turbulence of the flow in the culture tank, complete mixing of the liquid can be achieved even more easily.

(2) In the large bubble separation/liquid agitator, only large bubbles are separated and raised, and fine bubbles are circulated and reused, making it very efficient.

(3) Air bubble separation/liquid agitator can be discharged in any direction, so the flow inside the culture tank can be freely controlled (e
, g, swirling flow).

(4) By changing the length of air bubble separation/liquid stirrer, the concentration in the culture tank can be made uniform.

Therefore, the oxygen in the bubbles is efficiently and uniformly supplied to the liquid containing aerobic microorganisms, so that the efficiency of culturing the microorganisms is sufficiently increased.

Furthermore, (5) the structure of the air bubble separation/liquid agitator is very simple.

(6) Since the air bubble separation/liquid agitation device performs air bubble separation/liquid agitation functions using gravity, other auxiliary equipment is unnecessary.

Therefore, microorganisms can be efficiently cultured using a simple and inexpensive culture tank.

The present invention is applicable not only to an aerobic microorganism culture tank but also to other bubble tanks.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is an explanatory cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention, Figs. 2 to 4 are enlarged perspective views of an air bubble separated liquid stirrer according to an embodiment of the invention, and Fig. 5 is an embodiment of the invention. It is a detailed explanatory diagram of the operation of the bubble separation/liquid agitator of the example. 1...Aerobic microorganism culture tank, 2a, 2b, 2c
@1166116 Container, 3a, 3b, 3c... Rope, 4a, 4b, 4c... Hook, 5...
・Air diffuser plate, 6...Liquid containing aerobic microorganisms,
10... Gas supply line.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] An aerobic microorganism culture tank is provided with an aeration device communicating with an oxygen-containing oxygen supply source at the bottom and stores a liquid containing aerobic microorganisms, and includes a plurality of containers whose upper opening cross-sectional area is wider than the lower opening cross-sectional area. An aerobic microorganism culture tank, characterized in that the microorganisms are immersed in the liquid and suspended from the top of the culture tank.