Industrial process and apparatus for cultivating microorganisms

Abstract

Abstract FOR AERATING AND CULTIVATING MICROORGANISMS, THERE IS PROVIDED AN ENCLOSURE HAVING A PLURALITY OF VERTICAL PARTITIONS SUB-DIVIDING THE ENCLOSURE INTO VERTICAL ELONGATED ZONES COMMUNICATING WITH ONE ANOTHER AT THEIR TIP AND AT THEIR BASE. ONE GROUP OF THE ZONES IS FED WITH AIR AT THE BASE SO AS TTO CARRY THE LIQUID PHASE OF CULTURE UPWARDLY INTO A ZONE COMMMON TO SAID GROUP AT THE TOP WHERE THE AIR IS AT LEAST PARTIALLY SEPARATED FROM THE LIQUID PHASE. ANOTHER GROUP OF THE ZONES IS NOT FED WITH AIR, BUT INSTEAD IS USED FOR THE DOWNWARD FLOW OF THE LIQUID PHASE, THEREBY OBTAINING CONTINUAL CIRCULATION OF THE CULTURE. AT LEAST SOME OF THE VERTICAL PARTITIONS ARE HOLLOW AND PROVIDED WITH MEANS FOR PASSING COOLING LIQUID THERETHROUGH, THE RATIO BETWEEN THE TOTAL SURFACE OF THE HOLLOW PARTITIONS AND THE TOTAL VOLUME OF THE VERTICAL ELONGATED ZONES DELIMITED THEREBY BEING BETWEEN 0.1 AND 10 SQ. METERS PER CUBIC METER, PREFERABLY BETWEEN 0.5 AND 2 SQ. METERS PER CUBIC METER.

Inventors

• 👤 S Franckowiak
• 👤 P Trambouze
• 👤 Landeghem H Van

Bibliographic Details