RU2796437C1 - Liquid-cooled contact condenser with separate design - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: heat engineering.

SUBSTANCE: used in contact heat exchangers (condensers) for laboratory bioreactors of low volume. In a contact condenser for laboratory bioreactors of low volume, containing a body with a lid, a contact cooling element located inside the body, inlet and outlet fittings for a cooling agent and a fitting for removing dried exhaust gases, the lid is made detachable from the body and contains a flow extension, and the cooling element is made in the form of a glass with a cone-shaped bottom located above the housing inlet, hydraulically connecting the condenser to the bioreactor vessel, while the outer surface of the glass and the inner surface of the housing are polished.

EFFECT: creation of a device for condensing water vapor from exhaust gases in a biotechnological process.

1 cl, 4 dwg

Description

Technical field

The scope of the invention relates to bioreactor systems, namely to condensing heat exchangers for small volume laboratory bioreactors.

State of the art

Any biotechnological process involving cell culture (obtaining biomass, metabolites or biotransformation) should be carried out under controlled conditions using specialized bioreactor equipment. These processes are conditionally divided into aerobic and anaerobic. During aerobic cultivation of microorganisms, it is necessary to ensure a constant concentration of dissolved oxygen in the nutrient medium. In turn, anaerobic processes are anoxic and do not require a continuous supply of sterile air to the reaction vessel. It should be noted that both of these processes are characterized by the presence of gaseous emissions. In the case of aerobic cultivation, this is the air supplied in excess to the reactor. For anaerobic cultivation, a significant proportion of emissions are gaseous waste products of cultivated microorganisms (carbon dioxide, methane, etc.). Exhaust gas streams may contain moisture, which may result in significant carryover of the liquid phase from the bioreactor. This process leads to a change in cultivation conditions (concentration of the nutrient medium) and the formation of condensate in the working lines and on the membrane of the exhaust gas filter.

Small volume laboratory bioreactors use liquid-cooled condensing heat exchangers (condensers) to prevent liquid entrainment. The return of condensate to them is carried out under the influence of gravity. Most condensing heat exchangers are of the coil type shown in FIG. 1. The simplest design of this heat exchanger includes a cylindrical body 1 and a spiral chiller 2. Wet gas enters the condenser through the inlet fitting 3. Cooling liquid is supplied to the chiller 2 through the inlet fitting 4. Passing through the interior of the housing 1 and interacting with the cooled surface of the chiller 2 moisture in the gas exhaust condenses and flows back into the container. The dried gas is discharged through the outlet fitting 5, and the coolant is discharged through the fitting 6. The disadvantages of this design are the non-detachable connections of the parts, as well as the shape of the chiller, due to which condensate drops can linger in the branches of the spiral due to the inclination of the cooling surface relative to the horizon, which may reduce the rate at which condensate returns to the tank. This approach to drying bioreactor exhaust gases increases the risk of biofilm formation on the inner surface of the condenser. Therefore, changing the shape of the chiller, which would not contain narrow and hard-to-reach places, is an urgent task.

Known capacitor for bioreactor systems (CN107921327B). This capacitor is shown schematically in Fig. 2 and consists of a cooling channel 7, cooling chambers 8, a filter device consisting of a filter 9 and a heating element 10. The cooling channel 7 has the possibility of hydraulic connection with the bioreactor vessel through the inlet 11. The cooling chambers 8 are in direct contact with the wall of the cooling channel 7 and can be secured with a latch. The coolant enters through the inlet fitting 12 located in the upper part of the cooling chamber 8. As a result, vapors condense on the walls of the cooling chamber 8. The dried gas passes through the filter 9 and can be removed using the outlet fitting 13. The coolant is removed through the outlet fitting 14. The filter 9 is sterilized using the heating element 10. The main disadvantage of this design is the interaction of the wet gas with the cooling agent through two walls, which reduces the heat transfer efficiency. The manufacturing technology of this capacitor involves the use of a welded one-piece connection, which in conditions of high humidity can lead to the appearance of corrosion centers. In addition, in the case of treatment of equipment with running live steam for sterilizing working surfaces, in particular the cooling channel 7, the filter device cannot be temporarily disconnected, as a result of which there is a risk of wetting the filter 9 and reducing its throughput. At the same time, this condenser cannot be connected to the bioreactor after such a procedure, as the tightness will be broken.

The design of the contact capacitor proposed in this application is devoid of these disadvantages and at the same time has similar functional characteristics.

The essence of the invention

The problem to which the invention is directed is the effective prevention of significant entrainment of liquid from the reaction vessel of a small volume laboratory bioreactor. The technical result achieved through the use of the proposed invention is to reduce the content of water vapor in the exhaust gases of the bioreactor during the biotechnological process.

Brief description of the drawings

Fig. 1 - design of a coil-type contact capacitor;

Fig. 2 is a simplified diagram of a condenser for bioreactor systems with a smooth cooling channel (CN 07921327 B);

Fig. 3 is an isometric sectional view of a contact condenser for small volume laboratory bioreactors;

Fig. 4 is a diagram of the operation of the contact capacitor shown in Fig.3.

Description of the invention

As shown in the accompanying drawings, which are presented to illustrate the present invention and in which structural elements are indicated by like reference numbers, in particular in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 shows a cross-section of an isometric projection and a diagram of operation, respectively, a contact condenser for laboratory bioreactors of small volume is an assembly unit with a detachable connection with the possibility of washing parts separately, and consists of a body 15 and a cover 16. The condenser is hydraulically connected to the bioreactor vessel through the inlet 17 The cover 16 has threaded holes for connecting the inlet and outlet fittings 18 and 19, respectively, for pumping the coolant and the fitting 20 for draining dried exhaust gases. Cup 21 is an internal contact cooling element that interacts directly with the cooled medium. The cone-shaped bottom of the glass 21, being a condensate droplet concentrator, is located above the inlet 17, which ensures efficient return of the condensate to the reaction vessel of the bioreactor. Cover 16 contains a flow extension 22, which maintains the most efficient condensation temperature at the site of primary contact of the wet gas from the reaction vessel with the cooling surface.

The task of the invention is solved due to the fact that all elements of the contact capacitor are made of stainless steel of round section by machining methods. To reduce the wettability of the surface, which prevents the return of condensate to the reaction vessel, and using the phenomenon of surface tension of the liquid, the outer surface of the cup 21 and the inner surface of the body 15 are polished. .

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the present invention is not intended to be limited in any way other than by the appended claims.

Claims (1)

A contact condenser for laboratory bioreactors of small volume, including a housing with a lid, a contact cooling element located inside the housing, inlet and outlet fittings for a cooling agent and a fitting for removing dried exhaust gases, characterized in that the lid is made detachable from the housing and contains a flow extension, and the cooling element is made in the form of a cup with a cone-shaped bottom located above the housing inlet, hydraulically connecting the condenser to the bioreactor vessel, while the outer surface of the glass and the inner surface of the housing are polished.

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