NO20150943A1 - Reactor for enzymatic hydrolysis of a feedstock - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a reactor of the type that appears in the preamble to patent claim 1.

Background

For example, in the case of enzymatic treatment of organic material with a view to hydrolysis (decomposition), it is a prerequisite for a successful result that you have control over the temperature in the material and the time the enzymes are in contact with the material (contact time). Too long or too short a contact time will both be negative for the product of the process and can create problems for further processing of the material and/or be negative for the quality of the finished product from a manufacturing process. Correct contact time is therefore the key here.

When using industrial enzymes for hydrolysis or another form of enzymatic process, the relevant enzymes are added to a raw material. After the enzymes have been added and distributed in the raw material, it is important that the mixture is constantly stirred to achieve good contact between the enzymes and the raw material. At the same time, as mentioned, it is important that the enzymes are in contact with the raw material for a given time interval. When this time interval has been reached, it is furthermore very important that enzymatic degradation ceases quickly so that the process does not go too far. This is usually done by heating the mixture of raw material and enzymes to a temperature so that the enzymes are destroyed (inactivated).

A similar challenge also applies to a number of other chemical processes where it is important to have the most homogeneous possible mixture of constituent components and a controlled reaction time which cannot be significantly shorter or significantly longer than the optimum if the desired quality of the end product is to be achieved.

The easiest way to achieve the correct contact time is to use reactors based on the "batch principle". In batch operation, a defined volume (a tank e I) is kept under given conditions for a certain period of time, and then the process is stopped. In enzymatic processes, heating is used to inactivate enzymes. In industrial production, you often have large volumes in process, and if you run a so-called "batch", it will be difficult to heat up a large batch volume quickly enough. An alternative is to have very many small batch volumes, but this will lead to disproportionately high costs in terms of technology.

There are also other disadvantages of batch processes compared to continuous processes, regardless of whether the processes have to do with enzymatic treatment. One such disadvantage is the far more frequent start and stop of the processes. This is labor-intensive and more difficult to automate than continuous processes. At the same time, the operating conditions during start and stop can often vary more than is desirable.

The aim is to have a continuous flow of homogeneously mixed raw material where the process is deactivated after a given time interval. Allowing a continuous stream of raw material to pass through one

a large, completely mixed ("complete mix") container is not a good solution because the contact time between the individual components will then be very difficult to control.

A reactor for enzymatic treatment of raw material is known from Norwegian patent no. 322 996 (WO 2006 126891). The treatment takes place in a mainly vertically arranged reactor with separate reactor chambers where the material in each chamber is mechanically mixed with a stirrer and transferred to an adjacent chamber below by utilizing gravitational forces. The reactor must ensure consistent residence time and consistent conditions for all material that is processed.

For the treatment of marine raw material in particular, it is important that on-board processing takes place as soon as possible after capture. It is therefore important that this can take place in a facility that is compact and has such characteristics that it is little affected by waves that can cause a vessel to capsize.

Purpose.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide a system and/or a reactor for the hydrolysis of raw material which is able to provide consistent reaction conditions for all material supplied, regardless of changes in external conditions.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide a reactor which makes it possible to achieve advantages linked to both batch processes and continuous processes when the contact time between constituent components of a process is a critical parameter for product quality.

It is further an aim to achieve the above mentioned with means which are appropriate and reasonable on an industrial scale.

It is a particular object to provide a reactor for the hydrolysis of marine feedstock on board a capture vessel with limited space, capable of providing consistent reaction conditions under varying wind and wave conditions.

The invention

The above-mentioned purposes are achieved through a reactor as defined in patent claim 1.

Preferred embodiments of the invention appear from the independent patent claims.

The material that is processed in the reactor is partly referred to as "raw material(s)", partly as "the material".

The reactor according to the present invention can be made compact by the fact that the reactor can be given the shape of an upright cylinder from the outside, where the reactor chambers lie with a given inclination in relation to

the horizontal plane, while the reactor overall has a general vertical orientation. The reactor chambers are tubular, and preferably have a circular cross-section with reservations, among other things, which follow from the figures shown and the explanation thereof. The slope of each chamber can vary, but is preferable

at least 1/10 (vertical/horizontal)[5.7 degrees]. For some embodiments, the slope may be 1/5 [11.3 degrees].

The necessary heat exchange can be realized concentrically with and within this vertical coil of reactor chambers. The stirring takes place with the help of supplied inert gas which is bubbled through the reactor chambers. Valves between each reactor chamber ensure uniform residence time in each reactor chamber and therefore uniform residence time overall in the reactor. Moving partially processed material from one reactor chamber to the next can be done by adding an excess of pressure of the same inert gas that is used for stirring while the upstream valve is closed and the downstream valve is open in the relevant reactor chamber.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the attached figures where

Figure 1 shows in perspective a first embodiment of the reactor according to the present invention Figure 2 schematically shows a reactor chamber according to an embodiment of the present invention

Figure 3 schematically shows a section of certain details of the embodiment shown in Figure 1

Figure 4 schematically shows further details of the embodiment shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 schematically shows a flow chart for a process that makes use of the reactor according to the present invention.

Figure 6 shows a schematic and simplified top view of the reactor shown in Figure 1

Figure 7 shows a schematic and simplified top view of a reactor according to the present invention which is a variant compared to that shown in Figure 1. Figure 8 shows a side view of a further embodiment of the reactor according to the present invention. Figure 1 generally shows an embodiment of a reactor according to the present invention. A number

reactor chambers R1-R6 coil helically from top to bottom in the reactor which overall can be said to have a vertical orientation or a vertical axis. An arbitrary reactor chamber can be denoted Ri where / is to be understood as an index. Each reactor chamber Ri forms in the circumferential direction close to 360 degrees, i.e. a full circle. Each reactor chamber Ri is followed by a valve Vi, where;' is to be perceived as an index, which distinguishes it from the next chamber. Reactor chamber RI is thus followed by valve VI. In the embodiment shown, the valves VI-VS which separate the chambers are in line above each other.

This is for practical reasons and is not a prerequisite for the functioning of the reactor. Below the reactor chambers there are three pasteurization chambers P1-P3, in the shown embodiment of essentially the same shape and size as the reactor chambers. These are again separated by valves, numbered as VP1 and VP2. The exact number of reactor chambers and pasteurization chambers may vary.

Figure 1 also shows supply line 01 for raw material, outlet pipe 02 for finished material. Also shown is a pressure vessel 13 for inert gas, a number of pipes 10 for inert gas to each of the reactor chambers and the pasteurization chambers, a manifold 11 for used inert gas and a return line 14 for returning the used inert gas to the container 13, via a compressor 12. The inert gas is discharged from the reactor chambers via valves generally referred to as RVi (where;' is to be understood as an index). Three of these are shown with numbers in Figure 1, RV1-RV3. Figure 1 also shows a supply line 03 for air to at least one heat exchanger as well as outlet 04 for air from a heat exchanger designated HEX2. In practice, two heat exchangers will typically be used, as explained later. Figure 1 also shows a pipeline 17 for treated material from reactor chamber R6 into heat exchanger HEX2. Furthermore, a pipeline 16 is shown from the upper part of heat exchanger HEX2 to the inlet of pasteurization chamber Pl. Figure 1 also shows part of a pipeline 18 which brings heat-exchanged raw material into reactor chamber RI. Figure 2 shows a section of a single reactor chamber, here randomly selected reactor chamber 3. A difference from the embodiment shown in Figure 1 is that this reactor chamber is shown as a straight chamber for simplicity. It is also entirely possible to realize the present reactor with straight chambers. The material inlet to reactor chamber R3 is via the valve V2 on the right of the figure, while the outlet is via the valve V3 on the left of the figure. Through the slope of the reactor chamber, the material flow will be assisted by the force of gravity. In Figure 2, the slope of the reactor chamber is approx. 1/10. This is often also sufficient in practice, but can in some cases be greater, for example 1/5. Inert gas, typically nitrogen, is introduced via supply line 10 near the downstream end of the reactor chamber and discharged via discharge nozzle 21 near the upstream end of the reactor chamber. During processing, both valves V2 and V3 are closed, so that the material is kept stationary in the reactor chamber for a limited period of time. As the arrows indicate, the transport of inert gas through the chamber will lead to a circulation of the material in the chamber. The inert gas is thus used for effective agitation of the mass for treatment. There is an inlet valve IV3 on the supply line 10 into the reactor chamber and there is likewise a return valve RV3 on the outlet nozzle 21 for gas to the manifold 14.

When reactor chamber 3 is to be emptied, return valve RV3 is closed and the reactor chamber is supplied with a selected excess pressure. It is a prerequisite that both valves V2 and V3 are also closed. It is now assumed that the adjacent downstream reactor chamber R4 has previously been emptied of material and is without excess pressure. Valve V3 is then opened and a rapid pressure relief occurs as gas and material are blown down into reactor chamber R4, also assisted by the force of gravity. While the gas will distribute itself between the two chambers, so to speak, all solid material and liquid material will end up in reactor chamber 4 for further treatment there.

It should be understood that reactor chamber R3 has only been chosen as a random example, essentially the same type of treatment takes place in all reactor chambers, and a main reason for using so many separate chambers is to ensure the same residence time for the entire mass to be treated, as the material flow seen from the outside is approximated as an ideal plug flow from inlet to reactor chamber RI to outlet from reactor chamber R6. The draining from reactor chamber R6 is slightly different because the material flow there does not go directly to a chamber located below, but to a heat exchanger for further heating to thereby interrupt the hydrolysis reaction. The temperature in the mass after this heat exchange can typically be 90 °C or more.

The person skilled in the art will understand that from a situation where all reactor chambers are full of material to be processed, the material in reactor chamber R6 must be emptied before any other chamber, then reactor chamber R5 before reactor chamber R4, etc. However, in order to make room for the material evacuated from reactor chamber R6, space is provided through a corresponding procedure for the pasteurization chambers P1-P3 in a similar way, that is through emptying the chambers P3, P2 and Pl in this order.

The heat exchange according to the present invention is basically classical, and can be carried out in the same way and in the same type of equipment as in previously known processes. However, it is advantageous, both from the point of view of space and other considerations, that it is carried out in a heat exchanger which is coaxial with the reactor chambers when these are arranged so that they together form a helix.

Figure 3 shows a vertical section of a system for heat exchange which can be included as an integrated part of the present invention. The reactor chambers R1-R6 are shown in the figure, as are the pasteurization chambers P1-P3. Coaxial with these and with the vertical axis of the reactor, two heat exchangers HEX1 and HEX2 are arranged above each other, which can possibly be perceived as one two-stage heat exchanger. The purpose of the lower heat exchanger HEX1 (or lower stage of the heat exchanger) is to heat the material for treatment to a temperature that supports enzymatic hydrolysis, typically a temperature of about 50 °C. This happens with the material flow that is supplied to the reactor through supply pipe 01 (fig. 1) before the material enters reactor chamber RI. The material flow which is supplied to heat exchanger HEX1 via supply pipe 01 passes in the embodiment shown upwards through heat exchanger HEX1 in a helically arranged tube loop 33 near the outer wall of the heat exchanger. Heat is supplied to the heat exchanger of the heat exchanger unit 31. The heat exchanger HEX1 is generally filled with a liquid, preferably an aqueous liquid. In the embodiment shown, air is also supplied to the heat exchanger from air supply 03 via a distributor 35. The air helps to circulate water up near the center of the heat exchanger while the water draws down again along the periphery of the heat exchanger where the helical tube loop 33 is located, so that the heat exchange in relation to the pipe loop 33 essentially has the character of counter-current heat exchange.

In the following, reference is made to figure 4 as well as to figure 3. The outlet of pipe loop 33 is connected to pipeline 18 (fig. 4) which brings the heated raw material to reactor RI. Typical temperature for the material mixture into RI is 50 °C, but can vary a few degrees up or down. The actual measured real-time temperature of the material entering the reactor RI or exiting the pipe loop 33 can be used to control the load on the heat exchanger unit 31.

Heat exchanger (or heat exchanger stage) HEX2 has the same general design as heat exchanger HEX1. Material processed in the reactors R1-R6 is supplied to a helical upward pipe loop 34 in the heat exchanger HEX2 which is located close to the wall of the heat exchanger, via a pipeline 17. A heat exchanger unit 32 supplies the necessary heat to the heat exchanger HEX2 so that the material passing through the pipe loop 34 is heated to a temperature sufficiently high for enzymatic hydrolysis to be terminated. A suitable temperature can be approx. 90 °C or more. The actual measured real-time temperature of the material out of the pipe loop 34 can be used to control the load on the heat exchanger unit 32. Material leaving the heat exchanger HEX2 is led to the first pasteurization chamber Pl via a pipeline 16.

Figure 4 shows parts of reactor 1 stripped of the reactor chambers and pasteurization chambers, to more clearly show the external pipe connections. It concerns pipeline 01 for material supply, pipeline 02 for finished material, pipeline 03 and 04 for air to, respectively. from heat exchanger, pipeline 17 for transferring material from reactor chamber R6 (fig. 1) to second heat exchanger HEX2, pipeline 18 for transferring material from first heat exchanger HEX1 to first reactor chamber RI (fig. 1) as well as pipeline 16 for transferring material from other heat exchanger HEX2 to first pasteurization chamber Pl (fig. 1).

It should be emphasized that the heat exchangers described here are only an example of a suitable set-up of heat exchangers and that any heat exchanger that makes it possible to heat the raw material to a temperature that supports enzymatic hydrolysis and any heat exchanger that makes it possible to heat the treated material to a higher temperature to stop the enzymatic hydrolysis of the material can be used. However, it is preferred to use the available volume along the axis of the vertical reactor for the heat exchange, and the shown principle with a helical material loop and bubbling of air through the heat exchangers is appropriate because it provides a good temperature distribution in the heat exchangers and in practice an almost counter-current heat exchange since the air pulls the liquid upwards near the vertical axis of the heat exchangers, while the liquid pulls down again near the periphery of the heat exchangers.

Figure 5 schematically shows the process flow in a process that uses the apparatus according to the present invention as shown in the embodiment of Figures 1-5. On the far left is shown a supply of raw material 51 to a feed tank 52, further a grinder 53 for appropriate division of the raw material and a pump 54 to feed the material into the reactor. The pump 54 also draws a desired amount of enzyme from the enzyme container 55, where the enzyme can be suitably diluted. The components 52 to 55 do not form part of the reactor according to the present invention and may comprise any suitable tanks, grinders and pumps. In addition to the material flow, Figure 6 also shows how inert gas circulates from container 13, via the various reactor chambers and back to container 13 via header 11 and compressor 12. A container 56 for finished material is also shown.

Figure 5 also schematically shows the flow of inert gas l(g) from a container 13 through the reactor and back to the container 13 via a header 11, possibly a return line 14 not shown, and a compressor 12. Figure 6 schematically shows a simplified top view of the reactor as shown in Figure 1, with reactor chamber RI coiled around heat exchanger HEX2, valve VI (and below this, valves V2, V3 etc). Pipeline 18 for supply of raw material is indicated, while flow of inert gas in the system is omitted. Figure 7 shows a top view of an alternative embodiment compared to that shown in Figure 1. Here, the reactor chambers RI' to R4' are straight. It does not appear from figure 8 that in this case too the reactor chambers are arranged with a slope. Additional reactor chambers can be arranged below those shown, for example a reactor chamber R5' below reactor chamber RI', reactor chamber R6' below reactor chamber R2' etc. Figure 8 shows an alternative embodiment of the one illustrated in the previous figures.

Details shown in figure 8 are numbered in the same series as in figure 1, with an addition of 100.

There are two main differences between these embodiments, one consists in the fact that the reactor chambers R101 - R107 and the pasteurization chambers P101-P103 are not tubular, but have the form of more regular tanks, preferably without sharp corners where material can accumulate undesirably. The other difference is that the reactor system is arranged so that it takes up less space in height and more space in terms of floor area, specifically that the heat exchangers HEX101 and HEX102 are placed next to each other, not above each other and that the pasteurization chambers are not placed below the reactor chambers, but next to the reactor chambers.

The local space conditions are thus an important factor with regard to which embodiment is most favorable; if you have more space in terms of floor area than ceiling height, the variant according to Figure 8 is preferable. Otherwise, the system as illustrated always includes a first heat exchanger HEX101 designed to heat supplied material to a temperature that supports enzymatic hydrolysis, while heat exchanger HEX102 is designed to heat the material mixture received to a higher temperature than temperatures that support enzymatic hydrolysis.

There are also 7 reactor chambers R101 - R107 which are all stirred using inert gas and where the material transport from reactor chamber R101 to R107 takes place step by step (in five stages) to lower vertical levels so that the transfer is supported by the force of gravity. Emptying the system can also take place in the same way as described above by means of supplying gas with elevated pressure.

The system according to Figure 8 further comprises three pasteurization tanks which can have the same regular shape as the reactor chambers R101 - R107. In this embodiment, it is less important than in the embodiment shown in Figure 1 that the pasteurization chambers have the same shape and the same size as the reactor chambers, but it is nevertheless a natural choice that they are essentially the same, specifically because it is simpler and more rational to produce chambers with one's size and shape.

Figure 8 shows supply of raw material 101, withdrawal of finished material 102, pipeline 118 for material transport from the first heat exchanger to the first reactor chamber, pipeline 117 from the last reactor chamber to the second heat exchanger, pipeline 116 from the second heat exchanger to the first pasteurization chamber, Supply pipe 110 for inert gas and manifold 111 for used inert gas for reuse.

It should be emphasized that Figure 8 does not show details such as a compressor for inert gas, a pressure vessel for the same, or supply and output of heating medium to the heat exchangers, as the expert will not have problems choosing appropriate equipment for such elements.

In what follows, a practical example of using the reactor in a typical usage situation will be given.

Additional preferred details

An inner wall can separate the pipe loops 33 and 34 from the central water mass in each of the heat exchangers HEX1 and HEX2. Thereby, the fact that the heat exchange takes place as a counter-current heat exchange is further reinforced.

There should be a "light opening" between the coils, the pipe loop and between the pipe loops and the outer wall, as well as between the pipe loops and the inner wall when one is present. This is to achieve the best possible heat transfer. With a pipe diameter of, for example, 60 mm, a light opening of, for example, 20 mm can be used. When an inner wall is used, this must naturally end at a distance from both the top and bottom of the heat exchangers to give the water the opportunity to turn down at the top and turn up again at the bottom.

Heat supplied to the heat exchanger units 31 and 32 can typically be in the form of hot water, steam or a combination.

The product temperature is determined in practice primarily by the following variable factors:

a- The speed of the product up through the pipe loop. The speed will vary over time in general transitions, regulated with a pump which can typically be a double-acting piston pump.

b- The speed of the hot water upstream of the pipe loop can be varied in step with

the product flow by regulating the rate of supplied air to distributors 35.

c- Temperature of the hot water. Apply steam/hot water to the heat exchanger unit 31 can is regulated according to the temperature of the residual raw material as it leaves heat exchanger HEX1.

Heat exchanger HEX2 is used to pasteurize the product after hydrolysis to "kill" the enzyme activity and prevent bacterial growth.

The temperature of the raw material may have dropped approx. 3°C during the time it takes to hydrolyse the raw material. It must then be heated in heat exchanger HEX2 to, for example, 95 °C. The ratio between the height of the lower (HEX1) and upper HEX2) heat exchanger can be adjusted according to the temperature differences: 5-48 °C and 45-95 °C. The air flows out into the open air after setting the water masses in motion in both chambers.

The dimensions of the reactor chambers R1-R6 can vary, but a typical size can be 600 mm pipe diameter, whether the pipes are helical or straight. The passage between the individual chambers where valves are arranged can be of the order of 150 mm. All valves in the reactor, be it for mass or for inert gas etc., can advantageously be arranged to be controlled automatically. However, the way to control this is not part of the present invention and therefore not described in more detail here.

The treatment time in each chamber can vary, and can typically be in the range from 5 to 15 minutes. The number of chambers in the reactor will naturally affect this, as well as the type of raw material used.

The reactor according to the present invention is well suited for use on board fishing vessels and does not need to stand vertically to function. A slope on the reactor chambers of 1:10 (vertical/horizontal) is normally enough for use even at sea. If you want to take account of a larger impact side, the slope can be increased further, for example to 1:5.

Although it is not a central part of the present invention, it should be noted that the embodiment of the reactor shown in Figure 1 with relevant dimensions of the reactor chamber and heat exchanger can be built into a standard 20-foot container erected on a high side, that is with a total height of approx. 6 meters. The reactor shown in figure 8 manages with a significantly lower construction height, but cannot be built into a container in the same way.

However, the principles for the present reactor can also be realized if such a height is not available. For example, reactor chambers can be arranged in a column while the pasteurization chambers can be arranged in a separate column arranged next to it, so that the reactor is built less in height and more in width than that shown in the attached figures.

In the patent claims below, references corresponding to the embodiment shown in figures 1-5 have been inserted, with the exception of patent claims 14-18 which refer to figure 8, and patent claim 20 which refers to both figure 1 and figure 8.

Claims (22)

1. Reactor for enzymatic hydrolysis of a raw material, comprising in order: - a first heat exchanger (HEX1) arranged to heat raw material to be supplied to the reactor to a temperature within a range that favors enzymatic hydrolysis, - a reactor comprising several connected in series reactor chambers (R1-R6) separated by closable valves (VI-V5) -a second heat exchanger (HEX2) arranged to heat the reaction mixture to a temperature higher than the temperature range favoring enzymatic hydrolysis, characterized in that the reactor is designed with reactor chambers at different vertical levels with the first reactor chamber (RI) at the highest and the last reactor chamber (R6) at the bottom, at least one reactor chamber being arranged to be stirred with a flowing inert gas. 2. Reactor in accordance with patent claim 1, in that each reactor chamber is of the same size and shape and lies symmetrically about a vertical line. 3. Reactor in accordance with patent claim 1, in that the reactor chambers are tubular and inclined and connected together so that the assembly is symmetrical about a vertical axis. 4. Reactor in accordance with any of the preceding patent claims, in that all reactor chambers are (R1-R6) arranged to be stirred with flowing inert gas which is supplied near the downstream end of the reactor chambers and discharged near the upstream end of the reactor chambers. 5. Reactor in accordance with any of the preceding patent claims, the reactor chambers (R1-R6) being curved and assembled forming a helix. 6. Reactor in accordance with any one of patent claims 3-5, wherein at least one of the first (HEX1) and second heat exchanger (HEX2) is arranged along the vertical axis of the reactor. 7. Reactor according to any one of patent claims 3-6, the first (HEX1) and second heat exchanger (HEX2) being arranged one above the other along the vertical axis of the reactor. 8. Reactor in accordance with patent claim 6 or 7, in that the first (HEX1) and second heat exchanger (HEX2) are arranged above each other, concentrically within the helix that the reactor chambers form. 9. Reactor in accordance with any one of the preceding patent claims, wherein at least one pasteurization chamber (P1-P3) is arranged downstream of the second heat exchanger (HEX2). 10. Reactor in accordance with patent claim 9, wherein the at least one pasteurization chamber (P1-P3) is arranged as a tubular chamber of essentially the same shape as the reaction chambers (R1-R6). 11. Reactor in accordance with any one of patent claims 3 or 5-8, the reactor further comprising an outer casing which encloses the reactor chambers and both heat exchangers. 12. Reactor in accordance with any one of the preceding patent claims, the inert gas being arranged for recirculation and reuse. 13. Reactor in accordance with any one of patent claims 3, 5-8 or 11, the reactor chambers (R1-R6) having an inclination, vertically/horizontally of at least approx. 1/10. 14. Reactor according to any one of patent claims 1, 2, 4, 9 or 12, in that each reactor chamber (R101-R107) has the form of a container of simple, regular shape and that the reactor chambers are arranged vertically above each other with first reactor chamber (R101) at the top and last reactor chamber (R107) at the bottom. 15. Reactor in accordance with patent claims 14, in that each reactor chamber (R101-R107) has a lowest point at a drainage point for material in the reactor chamber. 16. Reactor in accordance with patent claims 14 or 15, in that each pasteurization chamber (P101-P103) has the form of a container with a regular shape and is arranged vertically one above the other with the first pasteurization chamber (P101) at the top and the last pasteurization chamber (P103) at the bottom. 17. Reactor in accordance with one of the patent claims 14 or 15, in that a first heat exchanger (HEX101) is connected upstream of the reactor chamber (R101) and in that a second heat exchanger (HEX102) is connected downstream of the last reactor chamber (R107) and upstream of the first pasteurization chamber (P101). 18. Reactor in accordance with one of the patent claims 14 -16, the reactor being grouped into four groups which are arranged independently of each other, preferably laterally next to each other, the first heat exchanger (HEX101) constituting the first group, the reactor chambers (R101-R107 ) form a second group, other heat exchangers (HEX102) form the third group while the pasteurization chambers (P101-P103) form the fourth group. 19. Reactor in accordance with any of the preceding patent claims, each reactor chamber (Ri) being arranged for periodic emptying through the supply of overpressure inert gas to each reactor chamber (Ri) and opening of the downstream closable valve (Vi). 20. Reactor according to any one of the preceding patent claims, in that the first heat exchanger (HEX1, HEX101) is arranged to heat the material mixture to a temperature of approximately 50 °C and that the second heat exchanger (HEX2, HEX102) is arranged to heat the material mixture to a temperature of at least approx. 90 °C. 21. Reactor in accordance with any one of the preceding patent claims, in that the reactor comprises or is arranged to be connected to a feeding device (54) which is arranged to dose a given, adjustable amount of enzyme with a given amount of raw material for hydrolysis. 22. Reactor in accordance with any one of the preceding patent claims, the reactor being arranged to be stirred with nitrogen as an inert gas.