High solids enzyme reactor or mixer and method

• US 9,422,518 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2011
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Andritz Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Andritz Incorporated
• Inventors: Stromberg, Bertil, Bolles, John F., Pschorn, Thomas, Mraz, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): HOBBS, MICHAEL L
• Application Number:
  US13/879,330
• Publication Number:
  US 20130224852A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,775 Days
• Field of Search: 4352901-2904, 435/292.1, 366/278, 366/348
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 23/02 Form or structure of the vessel large containers B65D88/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 27/02 Stirrer or mobile mixing elements

Abstract

A reactor apparatus including: an internal mixing chamber including a first chamber section having a cross-sectional area expanding from a biomass inlet to the internal mixing chamber to the a second chamber section; the second chamber section having a substantially uniform internal cross-sectional area from the opposite end of the first chamber section to a discharge end of the mixing chamber; the biomass inlet is coupled to a source of pre-treated biomass external to the reactor vessel, and a rotating mixing device in the internal mixing chamber and coaxial with an axis of the first chamber section.

Claims

1. A reactor apparatus comprising:

an internal mixing chamber including a first chamber section having a cross-sectional area expanding from a biomass inlet for the internal mixing chamber to a second chamber section including a biomass outlet;

wherein the first chamber section is conical and the cross-sectional area of the first chamber increases continuously along a height of the first chamber section;

wherein the second chamber section has a substantially uniform internal cross-sectional area from an opposite end of the first chamber section to a discharge end of the mixing chamber;

wherein the biomass inlet is configured to be coupled to a source of pre-treated biomass external to the reactor vessel;

a rotating mixing device is the internal mixing chamber coaxial with an axis of the first chamber section and extending through the first chamber section and the second chamber section, wherein the rotating mixing device has multiple arms at successive positions along the axis of the first chamber and the second chamber, wherein the arms at each of the successive positions along the axis of the first chamber section are separate from the arms at the other successive positions along the axis and the length of the arms at one successive position is greater than the arms at another one of the successive positions such that the lengths of the arms in the first chamber section successively increase as the cross-sectional area of the first chamber section increases, and

wherein the reactor apparatus includes an enzyme inlet coupled to a source of an enzyme.

2. The reactor apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the second chamber section is cylindrical.

3. The reactor apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the first chamber and the second chamber are within a single reaction vessel, and the first chamber is above the second chamber.

4. The reactor apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the mixing device includes arms extending radially from a rotating shaft coaxial with the axis.

5. The reactor apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the internal mixing chamber has a volume of at least 50 cubic meters.

6. The reactor apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the internal mixing chamber has a retention time of 15 minutes to 8 hours.

7. The reactor apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the inlet coupled to the source of an enzyme is the biomass inlet which receives the biomass and the enzyme as a mixture.

8. The reactor apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the axis of the apparatus is vertical and the biomass inlet is at an upper elevation of the apparatus and the discharge end is at a lower elevation of the apparatus.

9. The reactor apparatus of claim 1 wherein the axis is vertical and the biomass inlet is at a lower elevation of the apparatus and the discharge end is at an upper elevation of the apparatus.

10. The reactor apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the source of an enzyme is a source of thermophilic bacterium.

11. The reactor apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the reactor apparatus includes an inlet coupled to a source of a cellulose-degrading organism.

12. The reactor apparatus of claim 1 wherein the reactor apparatus includes an inlet coupled to a source of a biocatalyst.

13. An enzymatic reactor vessel assembly comprising:

a first conical mixing chamber having a cross-sectional area expanding from a biomass inlet to the assembly to an outlet of the first conical mixing chamber;

a second reactor chamber receiving biomass from the biomass outlet of the first conical mixing chamber, the second reactor chamber section having a substantially uniform internal cross-sectional area from the outlet of the first conical mixing chamber to a discharge end of the second reactor chamber, wherein the discharge includes a biomass outlet of the assembly;

the biomass inlet being coupled to a source of pre-treated biomass external to the reactor vessel; and

a rotating mixing device in the reactor vessel assembly, coaxial with an axis of the first conical mixing chamber and extending through the first conical mixing chamber and second reactor chamber, wherein the rotating mixing device has multiple arms and the arms are a successive positions along the axis of the first conical mixing chamber and the second reactor chamber, wherein the arms at each of the successive positions in the first conical mixing chamber have a length greater or less than a length of the arms at another one of the successive positions in the first conical mixing chamber such that the lengths of the arms in the first conical mixing chamber successively increase as the cross-sectional area of the first conical mixing chamber increases; and

wherein the first mixing chamber includes an enzyme inlet coupled to a source of an enzyme.

14. The enzymatic reactor vessel as in claim 13 wherein the first conical mixing chamber is in a first apparatus and the second reactor chamber is in second chamber and is in fluid communication with the first conical mixing chamber apparatus.

15. The enzymatic reactor vessel assembly as in claim 13 wherein the first conical mixing chamber has a cross-sectional area which increases linearly.

16. The enzymatic reactor vessel assembly as in claim 13 wherein the second reactor chamber is cylindrical.

17. The enzymatic reactor vessel assembly as in claim 13 wherein the first mixing chamber and the second chamber are within a single reaction vessel, and the first conical mixing chamber is above the second reactor chamber.

18. The enzymatic reactor vessel assembly as in claim 13 wherein the mixing device includes arms extending radially out from a rotating shaft.

19. The enzymatic reactor vessel assembly as in claim 13 wherein the first conical mixing chamber and second reactor chamber have a combined volume of at least 50 cubic meters.

20. The enzymatic reactor vessel assembly as in claim 13 wherein the first conical mixing chamber and second reactor chamber are continuous flow chambers having a combined retention time of 15 minutes to 8 hours.

21. The enzymatic reactor vessel assembly as in claim 13 wherein the source of an enzyme consists of a source of at least one of an enzyme, thermophilic bacterium, cellulose degrading organism, and a biocatalyst.