Method for controlling the fermentative oxidation of alcohol to acetic acid

Claim 1

A METHOD OF OXIDIZING ALCOHOL TO ACETIC ACID WHICH COMPRISES: (A) FEEDING AN ALCOHOL BEARING AQUEOUS SUBSTRATE TO A FERMENTATION MEDIUM IN A FIRST CONTAINER, WHEREBY A MIXTURE OF SAID MEDIUM AND OF SAID SUBSTRATE IS FORMED, SAID MEDIUM INCLUDING A FIRST BATCH OF MICROORGANISMS ADAPTED GRADUALLY TO OXIDIZE SAID ALCOHOL TO ACETIC ACID IN THE PRESENCE OF OXYGEN; (B) FEEDING EXCESS AIR TO SAID CONTAINER, WHEREBY THE ALCOHO IN SAID MIXTURE IS GRADUALLY OXIDIZED TO ACETIC ACID BY SAID MICROORGANISMS; (C) WITHDRAWING A FIRST WASTE GAS FROM SAID CONTAINER, SAID GAS CONSISTING MAINLY OF AIR SATURATED WITH VAPORS OF WATER AND OF ALCOHOL; (D) GENERATING A FIRST SIGNAL IN RESPONSE TO THE ALCOHOL CONTENT OF SAID WASTE GAS; (E) CONTROLLING THE FEEDING OF SAID SUBSTRATE TO SAID FIRST CONTAINER IN RESPONSE TO SAID FIRST SIGNAL IN SUCH A MANNER AS TO MAINTAIN A FIRST SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT ALCOHOL CONCENTRATION IN THE MIXTURE IN SAID FIRST CONTAINER; (F) TRANSFERRING A PORTION OF SAID MIXTURE FROM SAID FIRST CONTAINER TO A FERMENTATION MEDIUM IN A SECOND CONTAINER, THE LAST-MENTIONED MEDIUM INCLUDING A SECOND BATCH OF SAID MICROORGANISMS, WHEREBY ANOTHER MIXTURE IS FORMED IN SAID SECOND CONTAINER; (G) FEEDING EXCESS AIR TO SAID SECOND CONTAINER, WHEREBY ALCOHOL IN THE SAID SECOND MIXTURE IS GRADUALLY OXIDIZED TO ACETIC ACID BY THE MICROORGANISMS IN SAID SECOND CONTAINER; (H) WITHDRAWING A SECOND WASTE GAS FROM SAID SECOND CONTAINER, SAID SECOND WASTE GAS CONSISTING MAINLY OF AIR SATURATED WITH VAPORS OF WATER AND OF ALCOHOL; (I) GENERATING A SECOND SIGNAL IN RESPONSE TO THE ALCOHOL CONTENT OF SAID SECOND WASTE GAS; AND (J) CONTROLLING THE TRANSFERRING OF SAID PORTION OF A MIXTURE FROM SAID FIRST CONTAINER TO SAID SECOND CONTAINER IN RESPONSE TO SAID SECOND SIGNAL IN SUCH A MANNER AS TO MAINTAIN A SECOND SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT ALCOHOL CONCENTRATION IN THE OTHER MIXTURE IN SAID SECOND CONTAINER, SAID SECOND CONCENTRATION BEING LOWER THAN SAID FIRST CONCENTRATION.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF OXIDIZING ALCOHOL TO ACETIC ACID WHICH COMPRISES: (A) FEEDING AN ALCOHOL BEARING AQUEOUS SUBSTRATE TO A FERMENTATION MEDIUM IN A FIRST CONTAINER, WHEREBY A MIXTURE OF SAID MEDIUM AND OF SAID SUBSTRATE IS FORMED, SAID MEDIUM INCLUDING A FIRST BATCH OF MICROORGANISMS ADAPTED GRADUALLY TO OXIDIZE SAID ALCOHOL TO ACETIC ACID IN THE PRESENCE OF OXYGEN; (B) FEEDING EXCESS AIR TO SAID CONTAINER, WHEREBY THE ALCOHO IN SAID MIXTURE IS GRADUALLY OXIDIZED TO ACETIC ACID BY SAID MICROORGANISMS; (C) WITHDRAWING A FIRST WASTE GAS FROM SAID CONTAINER, SAID GAS CONSISTING MAINLY OF AIR SATURATED WITH VAPORS OF WATER AND OF ALCOHOL; (D) GENERATING A FIRST SIGNAL IN RESPONSE TO THE ALCOHOL CONTENT OF SAID WASTE GAS; (E) CONTROLLING THE FEEDING OF SAID SUBSTRATE TO SAID FIRST CONTAINER IN RESPONSE TO SAID FIRST SIGNAL IN SUCH A MANNER AS TO MAINTAIN A FIRST SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT ALCOHOL CONCENTRATION IN THE MIXTURE IN SAID FIRST CONTAINER; (F) TRANSFERRING A PORTION OF SAID MIXTURE FROM SAID FIRST CONTAINER TO A FERMENTATION MEDIUM IN A SECOND CONTAINER, THE LAST-MENTIONED MEDIUM INCLUDING A SECOND BATCH OF SAID MICROORGANISMS, WHEREBY ANOTHER MIXTURE IS FORMED IN SAID SECOND CONTAINER; (G) FEEDING EXCESS AIR TO SAID SECOND CONTAINER, WHEREBY ALCOHOL IN THE SAID SECOND MIXTURE IS GRADUALLY OXIDIZED TO ACETIC ACID BY THE MICROORGANISMS IN SAID SECOND CONTAINER; (H) WITHDRAWING A SECOND WASTE GAS FROM SAID SECOND CONTAINER, SAID SECOND WASTE GAS CONSISTING MAINLY OF AIR SATURATED WITH VAPORS OF WATER AND OF ALCOHOL; (I) GENERATING A SECOND SIGNAL IN RESPONSE TO THE ALCOHOL CONTENT OF SAID SECOND WASTE GAS; AND (J) CONTROLLING THE TRANSFERRING OF SAID PORTION OF A MIXTURE FROM SAID FIRST CONTAINER TO SAID SECOND CONTAINER IN RESPONSE TO SAID SECOND SIGNAL IN SUCH A MANNER AS TO MAINTAIN A SECOND SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT ALCOHOL CONCENTRATION IN THE OTHER MIXTURE IN SAID SECOND CONTAINER, SAID SECOND CONCENTRATION BEING LOWER THAN SAID FIRST CONCENTRATION.