Reactor plant and process for culturing phototropic microorganisms

• US 20070231886A1
• Filed: 03/06/2007
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sartorius Stedim Biotech GmbH (Sartorius AG)
• Original Assignee: Sartorius AG
• Inventors: Kahlert, Wolfgang, Wilhelm, Bernd-Ulrich, Linke, Wolf-Dietrich
• Granted Patent: US 10,344,254 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/292.100
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 21/02 Photobioreactors culturing algae A01G33/00, A01H4/001, C12N1/12
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 23/06 Tubular C12M23/08, C12M23/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 23/44 Multiple separable units; Modules
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 27/02 Stirrer or mobile mixing elements
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 31/02 located outside the reactor
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 33/14 with filters, sieves or membranes
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 41/06 of illumination

Abstract

Reactor plant and process for culturing phototropic microorganisms with a reactor vessel and a photosynthetic module, which are connected with one another in a circulation circuit by a pump and can be controlled via a control unit, where in the circulation circuit or in the reactor vessel, a homogenizer is provided, where a light-intensity control of the photo-synthetic module is provided, and where a bypass of the circulation circuit or of the reactor vessel with a filter device which is arranged externally of the reactor vessel for separating off extracellular products during the fermentation is provided.

Claims

1. In a reactor plant (1) for culturing phototropic microorganisms with a reactor vessel (2) and a photosynthetic module (3) with a light-intensity control, which are connected with one another in a circulation circuit (4) via a pump (5) and can be controlled via a control unit (6), wherein the improvement comprises a homogenizer (7) is provided in the circulation circuit (4) or in the reactor vessel (2), and wherein a light-intensity control of the photosynthetic module (3) is provided, and in that a bypass (12, 12′

, 12″

) is provided of the circulation circuit (4) or of the reactor vessel (2) with a filter device (13, 13′

, 13″

) which is arranged externally of the reactor vessel for separating off extracellular products during the fermentation.

2. Reactor plant according to claim 1, characterized in that the homogenizer (7) is designed as a comminuter.

3. Reactor plant according to claim 1, characterized in that the light intensity is controlled via the number of illumination means (21) and/or by a dimmer function.

4. Reactor plant according to claim 1, characterized in that illumination means (21) with at least two different wavelengths are arranged in the photosynthetic module (3).

5. Reactor plant according to claim 1, characterized in that the photosynthetic module (3) is equipped with a helically wound, transparent tube (19) which is integrated into the circulation circuit (4).

6. Reactor plant according to claim 5, characterized in that a plurality of illumination means (21) are arranged within the internal space surrounded by the helical tube (19).

7. Reactor plant according to claim 6, characterized in that a plurality of illumination means (21) are arranged around the helical tube (19) in parallel with the illumination means (21) arranged in the internal space, on the outside of the tube (19).

8. Reactor plant according to claim 7, characterized in that baffles for generating a turbulent flow are arranged within the photosynthetic module (3).

9. Reactor plant according to claim 8, characterized in that the filter device (13, 13′

, 13″

) for separating off extracellular products is equipped with a cross-flow filter, a hollow-fiber filter or a membrane-adsorber filter.

10. Reactor plant according to claim 9, characterized in that a bypass (15, 15″

) of the circulation circuit (4) or of the reactor vessel (2) with a device (16, 16″

) for separating off biomass by means of cross-flow filter, hollow-fiber filter, centrifuge, membrane-adsorber filter or spin filter is provided.

11. Process for culturing phototropic microorganisms in a culture medium, where the culture medium together with the microorganisms is pumped in a circulation circuit (4) from a reactor vessel (2) through a photo-synthetic module (3) by means of a pump (5), the delivery rate of the pump (5) being regulatable as a function of at least one reference quantity, wherein the improvement comprises the steps wherein the culture medium is homogenized in a homogenizer (7) by comminution of its cell aggregates and in that extracellular products are separated off during the fermentation, for harvesting purposes, via cross-flow or hollow-fiber or membrane-adsorber filters arranged in a bypass (12, 12′

, 12″

) of the circulation circuit (4).

12. Process according to claim 11, characterized in that, to obtain intracellular products from a certain growth phase, a specific damaging to the cells'"'"' membrane is accomplished by the comminution in the homogenizer (7).

13. Process according to claim 12, characterized in that biomass is separated off via cross-flow, hollow-fiber, membrane-adsorber or spin filters arranged in a bypass (15, 15″

) of the circulation circuit (4).

14. Process according to claim 12, characterized in that biomass is centrifuged, and separated off, in a centrifuge arranged in a bypass (15, 15″

) of the circulation circuit (4).

15. Process according to claim 13, characterized in that the biomass which has been separated off is removed from the circulation circuit (4) and conveyed to further processing.

16. Process according to claim 13, characterized in that the biomass which has been separated off is recirculated with addition of fresh medium to the circulation circuit (4).