Fermentation processes and apparatus

Abstract

Abstract A CONTINUOUS FERMENTATION PROCESS FOR THE CULTIVATION OF LIVING CELLS WHICH CONSISTS OF THE STEPS OF CONTINUOUSLY SUPPLYING A STREAM OF GAS AND A SUPPLY OF FERMENTABLE LIQUID TO THE FIRST OF A PLURALITY OF INTERCONNECTED FERMENTATION ZONES CONTAINING LIVING CELLS CAPABLE OF FERMENTING SAID FERMENTABLE LIQUID, SAID PLURALITY OF FERMENTATION ZONES BEING INTERCONNECTED THROUGH PARTITION MEMBERS DEFINING INTERCONNECTIONS WHICH ALLOW ONLY A RESTRICTED FLOW OF SAID GAS THERETHROUGH, FLOWING SAID STREAM OF GAS UPWARDS THROUGH EACH OF SAID PLURALITY OF FERMENTATION ZONES IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE FLOW OF SAID FERMENTABLE LIQUID AND THEREAFTER TO THE BOTTOM OF THE NEXT ADJACENT FERMENTATION ZONE, WHEREBY PRODUCTS OF FERMENTATION ARE FORMED IN SAID PLURALITY OF FERMENTATION ZONES, WITHDRAWING SAID STREAM OF GAS AND SAID FERMENTABLE LIQUID CONTAINING SAID PRODUCTS OF FERMENTATION FROM THE LAST OF SAID PLURALITY OF FERMENTATION ZONES, SAID RESTRICTED FLOW OF GAS BETWEEN SAID INTERCONNECTED FERMENTATION ZONES FORMING A GAS POCKET IN THE UPPER PART OF EACH OF SAID FERMENTATION ZONES THUS CAUSING THE LIQUID PHASE IN SAID INTERCONNECTED FERMENTATION ZONES TO BE DISCONTINUOUS FROM ONE ZONE TO THE NEXT, SAID RESTRICTED FLOW OF SAID GAS BEING SUFFICIENT TO TRANSFER SAID FERMENTABLE LIQUID AND PRODUCTS OF FERMENTATION BY ENTRAINMENT FROM THE TOP OF EACH OF SAID FERMENTATION ZONES TO BOTTOM OF THE NEXT ADJACENT FERMENTATION ZONE.

Inventors

• 👤 Melvyn Lumb
• 👤 Peter Edward Macey
• 👤 Richard Donald Wright
• 👤 Roy Kenneth Petchell

Bibliographic Details