Abstract 1. A RECYCLE PROCESS FOR GROWING AN AEROBIC, HYDROCARBON-UTILIZING MICROORGANSM COMPRISING: (A) INCUBATING SAID MICROORGANISM IN A CULTURE MEDIUM COMPRISING AN AQUEOUS MINERAL NUTRIENT SOLUTION AND A LIQUID HYDROCARBON AS A SOURCE OF CARBON FOR ENERGY AND GROWTH OF SAID MICROORGANISM, THE AMOUNT OF SAID LIQUID HYDROOCARBON COMPRISING BETWEEN 35 AND 90 PERCENT BY VOLUME OF SAID CULTURE MEDIUM, (B) AGITATING SAID CULTURE MEDIUM AND PROVIDING OXYGEN FOR THE GROWTH OF SAID MICROORGANISMS BY INJECTING A MINOR PORTION OF AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS INTO SAID CULTURE MEDIUM AT A LOWER PORTION THEREOF AT A PRESSURE AT LEAST SUFFICIENT TO OVERCOME THE HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE OF SAID CULTURE MEDIUM AT SAID POINT OF INJECTION AND EVAPORATIVELY COOLING SAID CULTURE MEDIUM BY INJECTING A MAJOR PORTION OF AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS INTO THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID CULTURE MEDIUM AT A PRESSURE SUFFICIENT TO OVERCOME THE HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE OF SAID CULTURE MEDIUM AT SAID POINT OF INJECTION, (C) GROWING CELLS OF SAID MICROORGANISM OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, (D) REMOVING OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS AND GASES FORMED IN STEP (B), (E) CONTACTING SAID OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS AND GASES FORMED STEP (D) COUNTERCURRENTLY TO WATER AT A SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER TEMPERATURE THAN SAID GAS AND GASES, AND (F) RECYCLING SAID OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS TO STEP (B).
A RECYCLE PROCESS FOR GROWING AN AEROBIC, HYDROCARBON-UTILIZING MICROORGANSM COMPRISING: (A) INCUBATING SAID MICROORGANISM IN A CULTURE MEDIUM COMPRISING AN AQUEOUS MINERAL NUTRIENT SOLUTION AND A LIQUID HYDROCARBON AS A SOURCE OF CARBON FOR ENERGY AND GROWTH OF SAID MICROORGANISM, THE AMOUNT OF SAID LIQUID HYDROOCARBON COMPRISING BETWEEN 35 AND 90 PERCENT BY VOLUME OF SAID CULTURE MEDIUM, (B) AGITATING SAID CULTURE MEDIUM AND PROVIDING OXYGEN FOR THE GROWTH OF SAID MICROORGANISMS BY INJECTING A MINOR PORTION OF AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS INTO SAID CULTURE MEDIUM AT A LOWER PORTION THEREOF AT A PRESSURE AT LEAST SUFFICIENT TO OVERCOME THE HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE OF SAID CULTURE MEDIUM AT SAID POINT OF INJECTION AND EVAPORATIVELY COOLING SAID CULTURE MEDIUM BY INJECTING A MAJOR PORTION OF AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS INTO THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID CULTURE MEDIUM AT A PRESSURE SUFFICIENT TO OVERCOME THE HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE OF SAID CULTURE MEDIUM AT SAID POINT OF INJECTION, (C) GROWING CELLS OF SAID MICROORGANISM OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, (D) REMOVING OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS AND GASES FORMED IN STEP (B), (E) CONTACTING SAID OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS AND GASES FORMED STEP (D) COUNTERCURRENTLY TO WATER AT A SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER TEMPERATURE THAN SAID GAS AND GASES, AND (F) RECYCLING SAID OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS TO STEP (B).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
204 words
A RECYCLE PROCESS FOR GROWING AN AEROBIC, HYDROCARBON-UTILIZING MICROORGANSM COMPRISING: (A) INCUBATING SAID MICROORGANISM IN A CULTURE MEDIUM COMPRISING AN AQUEOUS MINERAL NUTRIENT SOLUTION AND A LIQUID HYDROCARBON AS A SOURCE OF CARBON FOR ENERGY AND GROWTH OF SAID MICROORGANISM, THE AMOUNT OF SAID LIQUID HYDROOCARBON COMPRISING BETWEEN 35 AND 90 PERCENT BY VOLUME OF SAID CULTURE MEDIUM, (B) AGITATING SAID CULTURE MEDIUM AND PROVIDING OXYGEN FOR THE GROWTH OF SAID MICROORGANISMS BY INJECTING A MINOR PORTION OF AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS INTO SAID CULTURE MEDIUM AT A LOWER PORTION THEREOF AT A PRESSURE AT LEAST SUFFICIENT TO OVERCOME THE HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE OF SAID CULTURE MEDIUM AT SAID POINT OF INJECTION AND EVAPORATIVELY COOLING SAID CULTURE MEDIUM BY INJECTING A MAJOR PORTION OF AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS INTO THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID CULTURE MEDIUM AT A PRESSURE SUFFICIENT TO OVERCOME THE HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE OF SAID CULTURE MEDIUM AT SAID POINT OF INJECTION, (C) GROWING CELLS OF SAID MICROORGANISM OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, (D) REMOVING OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS AND GASES FORMED IN STEP (B), (E) CONTACTING SAID OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS AND GASES FORMED STEP (D) COUNTERCURRENTLY TO WATER AT A SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER TEMPERATURE THAN SAID GAS AND GASES, AND (F) RECYCLING SAID OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS TO STEP (B).