Continuous fermentation apparatus for the production of a chemical product

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR CARRYING OUT A CONTINUOUS FERMENTATION PROCESS FOR THE FORMATION OF A GIVEN CHEMICAL PRODUCT FROM A SUBSTRATE BY THE ACTION OF A MICRO-ORGANISM AND COMPRISING A FIRST CULTURE VESSEL ADAPTED TO CONTAIN A FIRST CONTINUOUS FERMENTING CULTURE MEDIUM, A FIRST CONTINUOUS FEED DEVICE FOR SUPPLYING AT A STEADY PREDETERMINED RATE THE FIRST CULTURE VESSEL WITH A GROWTH MEDIUM FOR THE MICRO-ORGANISM, A SECOND CULTURE VESSEL ADAPTED TO CONTAIN A SECOND CONTINUOUSLY FERMENTING CULTURE MEDIUM FERMENTING SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE FIRST CULTURE MEDIUM, A SECOND CONTINUOUS FEED DEVICE FOR SUPPLYING FERMENTING MEDIUM CONTINUOUSLY AT SAID PREDETERMINED RATE FROM THE FIRST VESSEL TO THE SECOND VESSEL, A THIRD CONTINUOUS FEED DEVICE FOR SUPPLYING A MEDIUM CONTAINING SAID SUBSTRATE DIRECT TO THE SECOND CULTURE VESSEL CONTINUOUSLY AT A STEADY RATE, AND AN OUTPUT DEVICE FOR WITHDRAWING MEDIUM FROM THE SECOND CULTURE VESSEL AT THE RATE MEDIUM IS SUPPLIED TO THIS VESSEL, A FIRST CONTROL SYSTEM FOR MAINTAINING CONSTANT AND HOMOGENEOUS CONTINUOUS CULTURE CONDITIONS IN THE FIRST VESSEL WHICH ARE MORE FAVOURABLE TO THE GROWTH OF THE MICRO-ORGANISMS THAN TO THE FORMATION OF THE CHEMICAL PRODUCT, AND A SECOND CONTROL SYSTEM FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY MAINTAINING CONSTANT AND HOMOGENEOUS CULTURE CONDITIONS IN THE SECOND VESSEL WHICH ARE MORE FAVOURABLE TO THE FORMATION OF THE CHEMICAL PRODUCT THAN TO THE GROWTH OF THE MICRO-ORGANISMS.