Claims
- 1. In a fermentation apparatus comprising
- (a) a housing
- (b) at least one feed conduit for the introduction of materials into said housing,
- (c) at least one product conduit for the removal of product from said housing,
- (d) a foam breaker in the upper portion of said housing
- (e) a gas outlet operatively connected to said foam breaker for allowing the removal of gas from said fermenter,
- the improvement comprising
- (f) a fluid collector operatively associated with respect to said foam breaker and at a small distance from said foam breaker, allowing the collection of at least a portion of the fluid leaving said foam breaker and
- (g) conduit means operatively associated with said collecting unit allowing the withdrawal of at least a portion of the fluid so collected from said housing.
- 2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said fluid collector comprises a solid/liquid centrifuge arranged within said housing and operatively connected to said foam breaker for receiving fluid from said foam breaker.
- 3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein
- (a) said foam breaker comprises a first solid surface rotatably arranged in said upper portion of said housing,
- (b) drive means are operatively connected to said first solid surface for allowing the rapid rotation of said first solid surface,
- (c) a second centrifuge surface is arranged within said housing surrounding said first solid surface and in such a way as to be contacted essentially tangentially by fluid comprising liquid and solid materials spun off from said first solid surface.
- 4. An apparatus according to claim 3 comprising first conduit means operatively connected with said second centrifuge surface for receiving therefrom a first fluid stream rich in liquid phase but depleted in the heavier solid phase and
- second conduit means operatively connected to said second centrifuge surface for receiving a second fluid stream depleted in liquid phase but rich in the heavier solid phase.
- 5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 wherein said first solid surface comprises a plurality of axially spaced apart parallel conical surfaces connected to an axial tube, fluid connection being provided between the spaces between said conical surfaces and the interior of said axial tube, and wherein said second centrifuge surface is an essentially circular cylindrical surface coaxially surrounding said parallel conical surfaces leaving a small gap between said circular cylindrical surface and the outer edges of said conical surfaces.
- 6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 5 wherein said circular cylindrical surface communicates at its lower edge with a coaxial funnel having said first conduit means connected to an area near its center and wherein said second conduit means is operatively connected to either the lower portion of said circular cylindrical surface or said funnel near the upper edge thereof.
- 7. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 comprising
- (a) an essentially cylindrical housing,
- (b) coaxially in the upper portion of said housing a mechanical foam breaker,
- (c) surrounding said mechanical foam breaker a stationary cylindrical centrifuge surface leaving a gap between the edge or edges of said foam breaker and said stationary cylindrical centrifuge surface.
- 8. Apparatus in accordance with claim 7 further comprising
- (a) a coaxially rotatably arranged gas injector permitting the injection of gas into the mass surrounding said injector while generating a radially outwardly directed movement onto the product located near the axis of the housing, said gas injector being arranged in the lower portion of said housing,
- (b) an open ended draft tube coaxially arranged between said foam breaker and said gas injector said draft tube being arranged and designed for guiding a fluid stream depleted of gas bubbles down from the upper portion of said housing toward said gas injector inside of said draft tube, said draft tube leaving sufficient ring space between the draft tube and the inner surface of said housing for the upward movement of a mixture of gas bubbles and fluid containing liquid nutrient phase and solid organism phase.
- 9. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 wherein said first conduit means extends toward and opens into the lower section of the housing.
- 10. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 wherein said first conduit means extends down into said draft tube and opens into the upper half of said draft tube.
- 11. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 comprising valve means operatively connected with said first and/or second conduit means allowing the control of flow rate through said conduit means.
Parent Case Info
This application is a division of application Ser. No. 139,371, filed Apr. 11, 1980, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,677.
US Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
2542031 |
Humfeld et al. |
Sep 1982 |
|
3982998 |
Hitzman et al. |
Jun 1980 |
|
4342835 |
Hitzman et al. |
Aug 1982 |
|
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
139371 |
Apr 1980 |
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