Jet stirring device for microbial fermentation and fermentation tank thereof

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of microbial fermentation, and discloses a jet stirring device for microbial fermentation and a fermentation tank thereof. The jet stirring device comprises a stirring mechanism, and the stirring mechanism comprises a stirring main shaft. The bottom outer side of the stirring main shaft is provided with a first stirring structure capable of rotating and stirring the fermentation substrate and lifting the fermentation substrate. The middle outer side of the stirring main shaft is provided with a second stirring structure matched with the first stirring structure and capable of disturbing the flow of the lifted fermentation substrate. In the application, the opposite jet flow design (opposite rotating directions but periodic synchronization) of the first jet flow hole and the second jet flow hole is adopted to realize the forced collision and mixing of the fermentation bottom liquid and the culture liquid. Compared with the mixing mode of the prior art which only depends on the mechanical rotation of the stirring blade and the swinging of the tank body, the stability of the tank body is ensured, and the fermentation efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of microbial fermentation technology, specifically to a jet stirring device and fermenter for microbial fermentation. Background Technology

[0002] A microbial fermenter is a bioreactor used for large-scale cultivation of microorganisms (such as bacteria, yeast, and fungi) or cells (such as animal and plant cells). It is widely used in biopharmaceuticals, food processing, agriculture, and environmental protection. Its core function is to provide controlled environmental conditions (such as temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, and stirring speed) for microorganisms or cells to optimize their growth and metabolism, and efficiently produce target products (such as antibiotics, enzymes, vaccines, and organic acids). During microbial cultivation, continuous stirring is required to ensure constant mixing of the materials within the fermenter.

[0003] A search revealed that CN109401945A discloses a microbial fermenter, comprising a base plate, a side plate fixedly connected to the top of the base plate, a rolling bearing fixedly connected to a groove on the left side of the side plate, a supporting shaft movably connected inside the rolling bearing, and a tank body fixedly connected to the left end of the supporting shaft passing through the rolling bearing and extending to its exterior. A tank cover is provided on the top of the tank body, and a stirring motor is fixedly connected to the midpoint of the top of the tank cover. The stirring motor of this fermenter sequentially drives the stirring shaft, stirring blades, and bubbling cone to rotate, thus stirring the microorganisms. Simultaneously, a controller controls the forward and reverse motors to continuously start in the forward and reverse directions, thereby causing the forward and reverse motors to sequentially drive the forward and reverse shafts and the threaded rod to continuously rotate in the forward and reverse directions. This causes the threaded rod to move back and forth continuously, thereby driving the rack to move back and forth continuously. The rack and sector gear cooperate to sequentially drive the sector gear, the swing rod, the supporting shaft, and the tank body to swing back and forth continuously. Through the above steps, the microorganisms inside the tank are stirred.

[0004] However, the above-mentioned microbial fermenters still have the following problems: the existing microbial fermenters rely only on the mechanical rotation of the stirring blades and the oscillation of the tank, which results in low mixing efficiency. Furthermore, the stirring blades can only stir radially, making it easy for the fermented material to settle at the bottom of the tank. The method of driving the tank to oscillate through an external mechanism poses safety hazards and consumes a lot of energy, which is not conducive to energy conservation and emission reduction. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention proposes a jet stirring device and its fermenter for microbial fermentation, which solves the problem of low mixing efficiency in the prior art.

[0006] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows: a jet stirring device for microbial fermentation, comprising a stirring mechanism, characterized in that the stirring mechanism comprises a stirring main shaft, a first stirring structure capable of rotating, stirring and lifting the fermentation substrate is provided on the outer bottom of the stirring main shaft, and a second stirring structure cooperating with the first stirring structure to turbulent the lifted fermentation material is provided on the outer middle part of the stirring main shaft; The stirring spindle has a hollow structure, thus forming an internal channel for conveying the fermentation liquid upwards. The top of the stirring spindle is provided with a return channel surrounding the channel. The upper end of the channel is closed and laterally connected to a guide pipe for extracting the fermentation liquid. The outer side of the return channel is provided with a conical protrusion, and the conical protrusion has several first jet holes for rotating and ejecting the returned fermentation liquid. A first driven bevel gear for driving the stirring spindle to rotate is fixed on the top outer side of the stirring spindle. A flow hood is fixed on the bottom of the stirring spindle.

[0007] Preferably, the first stirring structure includes four inclined cone blades, all of which are radially fixed outside the stirring main shaft.

[0008] Preferably, the second stirring structure includes a sliding sleeve and four spiral bands. The four spiral bands are spirally distributed around the stirring main shaft, and stirring rods that are radially fixed to the outside of the stirring main shaft are fixed at both the upper and lower ends of the spiral bands. The stirring rods at the upper ends of the four spiral bands are fixed to the outside of the sliding sleeve. The sliding sleeve is sleeved on the outside of the stirring main shaft and slides in cooperation with the stirring main shaft. The sliding sleeve is elastically connected to the stirring main shaft by a spring, and the top surface of the sliding sleeve is provided with an annular saddle surface.

[0009] Preferably, a stop ring is provided outside the stirring spindle, and the spring is sleeved outside the stirring spindle, with the two ends of the spring abutting against the stop ring and the sliding sleeve, respectively.

[0010] Based on the above-mentioned jet stirring device for microbial fermentation, the present invention also proposes a fermenter for microbial fermentation, including a tank body, a feed inlet at the top of the tank body, a discharge outlet at the bottom of the tank body, an equipment support fixed on the top surface of the tank body, a drive mechanism for driving the stirring mechanism to rotate on the equipment support, a circulation pump group for circulating and transporting the fermentation bottom liquid of the tank body through the diversion cavity and return cavity of the stirring main shaft at the top of the tank body, and a jet mechanism for bidirectionally rotating and opposing the culture medium and the fermentation bottom liquid under the synchronous drive of the drive mechanism and in coordination with the rotation of the stirring mechanism.

[0011] Preferably, the drive mechanism includes a motor, which is fixed on the equipment bracket, and the output shaft of the motor is fixed with a driving bevel gear that meshes with the first driven bevel gear.

[0012] Preferably, the circulating pump assembly includes a feed pump, which is fixed to the top surface of the tank. The input end of the feed pump is connected to a first diversion hood via a feed pipe. The first diversion hood is fixed to the equipment support. The stirring spindle passes through the first diversion hood and is rotatably connected to it. The return channel is connected to the inner cavity of the first diversion hood via a guide pipe. The feed pump is fixedly connected to a rotary joint via a discharge pipe. The rotary joint is rotatably connected to the stirring spindle, and the rotary joint connects the discharge pipe to the return channel.

[0013] Preferably, the jetting mechanism includes a tubular bushing, which is sleeved outside the stirring main shaft and rotatably connected to it. The tubular bushing passes through the tank body and is rotatably connected to it. A conical bushing is fixed to the lower end of the tubular bushing, and a second driven bevel gear that meshes with the driving bevel gear is fixed to the upper end of the tubular bushing. Two pressure columns that abut against the annular saddle surface are symmetrically fixed to the bottom of the conical bushing.

[0014] Preferably, both the tubular bushing and the conical bushing are hollow structures. A second flow divider is fixed on the top surface of the tank and fitted outside the tubular bushing. The tubular bushing has a guide hole that connects the inner cavity of the second flow divider with the tubular bushing and the cavity of the conical bushing. One side of the second flow divider is connected to an inlet pipe. Several second jet holes are provided on the inner side of the bottom of the conical bushing.

[0015] Preferably, the first jet hole and the second jet hole are both inclined along the axial direction of the stirring main shaft and are arranged opposite to each other.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: In this invention, the opposing jet design of the first jet hole and the second jet hole (rotation direction opposite but cycle synchronized) achieves forced collision mixing of fermentation base liquid and culture medium. Compared with the existing technology that only relies on the mechanical rotation of stirring blades and the oscillation of tank body for mixing, this invention ensures the stability of tank body while improving fermentation efficiency. In this invention, the inclined conical blades of the first stirring structure rotate to form an upward vortex, and the second stirring structure includes a spiral belt and an elastically connected sliding sleeve. The periodic extrusion of the annular saddle surface and the pressure column generates vibration turbulence, which can break up bubbles and prevent the deposition of metabolites. In this invention, a closed-loop circulation is formed by the drainage channel and the return channel. The feed pump forcibly draws in the fermentation bottom liquid and ejects it from the conical protrusion to avoid the sedimentation of the fermentation bottom liquid and affect the fermentation. The tubular bushing and the conical bushing form an independent culture medium channel. The second jet hole enables precise feeding and can also be flushed and mixed with the first jet hole of the conical protrusion to further improve the mixing efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a microbial fermenter structure proposed in this invention; Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the half-section structure along the AA direction; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a half-section front view of a microbial fermenter proposed in this invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a jet stirring device for microbial fermentation proposed in this invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the jet mechanism structure proposed in this invention; Figure 6 for Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure at point B in the middle; Figure 7 for Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure at point C; In the diagram: 1. Tank body; 11. Inlet; 12. Outlet; 2. Stirring mechanism; 21. Stirring shaft; 211. Drainage channel; 212. Return channel; 213. Guide pipe; 214. Conical protrusion; 215. First jet orifice; 216. Drainage hood; 217. Stop ring; 22. Inclined conical blade; 23. Spiral belt; 24. Stirring rod; 25. Sliding sleeve; 26. Annular saddle surface; 27. Spring; 28. First jet... 3. Drive mechanism; 31. Motor; 32. Active bevel gear; 4. Equipment support; 41. First diversion hood; 5. Circulating pump group; 51. Material pump; 52. Feed pipe; 53. Rotary joint; 54. Discharge pipe; 6. Jetting mechanism; 61. Tubular bushing; 62. Conical bushing; 63. Second driven bevel gear; 64. Pressure column; 65. Guide hole; 66. Second jet hole; 67. Second diversion hood; 68. Liquid inlet pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0020] Please see Figure 4This invention provides a technical solution: a jet stirring device for microbial fermentation, comprising a stirring mechanism 2, the stirring mechanism 2 including a stirring main shaft 21, a first stirring structure capable of rotating, stirring and lifting the fermentation substrate is provided on the outer bottom of the stirring main shaft 21, and a second stirring structure is provided on the outer middle part of the stirring main shaft 21 in conjunction with the first stirring structure to turbulent the lifted fermentation material. The first stirring structure includes four oblique conical blades 22, all of which are radially fixed outside the stirring main shaft 21. The second stirring structure includes a sliding sleeve 25 and four spiral bands 23, which are spirally distributed around the stirring main shaft 21. Both the upper and lower ends of the spiral bands 23 are fixed with stirring rods 24 radially fixed outside the stirring main shaft 21. The stirring rods 24 at the upper ends of the four spiral bands 23 are all fixed outside the sliding sleeve 25. The sliding sleeve 25 is sleeved outside the stirring main shaft 21 and slides in cooperation with the stirring main shaft 21. The sliding sleeve 25 is elastically connected to the stirring main shaft 21 by a spring 27. The top surface of the sliding sleeve 25 is provided with an annular saddle surface 26.

[0021] The stirring shaft 21 has a hollow structure, thus forming an internal drainage channel 211 for conveying the fermentation liquid upwards. A return channel 212 is located at the top of the stirring shaft 21, surrounding the drainage channel 211. The upper end of the drainage channel 211 is closed, but laterally connected to a guide pipe 213 for extracting the fermentation liquid. A conical protrusion 214 is located on the outer side of the return channel 212, and several first jet holes 215 are opened on the conical protrusion 214 to rotate and eject the returned fermentation liquid. A first driven bevel gear 28 is fixed to the top outer side of the stirring shaft 21 for driving the stirring shaft 21 to rotate. A flow guide hood 216 is fixed at the bottom of the 1. A stop ring 217 is provided outside the stirring main shaft 21. A spring 27 is sleeved outside the stirring main shaft 21. The two ends of the spring 27 abut against the stop ring 217 and the sliding sleeve 25 respectively. A closed loop circulation is formed through the flow guide channel 211 and the return channel 212. The feed pump 51 forcibly draws the fermentation bottom liquid and ejects it from the conical protrusion 214 to avoid the sedimentation of the fermentation bottom liquid and affect the fermentation. An independent culture medium channel is formed by the tubular bushing 61 and the conical bushing 62. Precise feeding is achieved through the second jet hole 66. At the same time, it can be flushed and mixed with the first jet hole of the conical protrusion 214 to further improve the mixing efficiency.

[0022] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3Based on the above-mentioned jet stirring device for microbial fermentation, the present invention also provides a fermenter for microbial fermentation, including a tank body 1, a feed inlet 11 at the top of the tank body 1, a discharge outlet 12 at the bottom of the tank body 1, an equipment support 4 fixed on the top surface of the tank body 1, a drive mechanism 3 for driving the stirring mechanism 2 to rotate on the equipment support 4, a circulation pump group 5 for circulating and transporting the fermentation bottom liquid of the tank body 1 through the diversion channel 211 and the return channel 212 of the stirring main shaft 21 at the top of the tank body 1, and a jet mechanism 6 for bidirectional rotation and anti-jetting of the culture medium and the fermentation bottom liquid under the synchronous drive of the drive mechanism 3 and in coordination with the rotation of the stirring mechanism 2.

[0023] The drive mechanism 3 includes a motor 31, which is fixed on the equipment bracket 4. The output shaft of the motor 31 is fixed with a drive bevel gear 32 that meshes with the first driven bevel gear 28.

[0024] The circulating pump set 5 includes a feed pump 51, which is fixed to the top surface of the tank 1. The input end of the feed pump 51 is connected to a first diversion hood 41 through a feed pipe 52. The first diversion hood 41 is fixed on the equipment support 4. The stirring main shaft 21 passes through the first diversion hood 41 and is rotatably connected to the first diversion hood 41. The return channel 212 is connected to the inner cavity of the first diversion hood 41 through a guide pipe 213. The feed pump 51 is fixedly connected to a rotary joint 53 through a discharge pipe 54. The rotary joint 53 is rotatably connected to the stirring main shaft 21 and connects the discharge pipe 54 to the return channel 212.

[0025] Please see Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 The jetting mechanism 6 includes a tubular bushing 61, which is sleeved on the outside of the stirring main shaft 21 and rotatably connected to the stirring main shaft 21. The tubular bushing 61 passes through the tank body 1 and is rotatably connected to the tank body 1. A conical bushing 62 is fixed at the lower end of the tubular bushing 61, and a second driven bevel gear 63 that meshes with the driving bevel gear 32 is fixed at the upper end of the tubular bushing 61. Two pressure columns 64 are symmetrically fixed at the bottom of the conical bushing 62 and abut against the annular saddle surface 26. Through the second stirring structure, which includes a spiral belt 23 and an elastically connected sliding sleeve 25, the periodic extrusion between the annular saddle surface 26 and the pressure columns 64 generates vibration turbulence, which can break bubbles and prevent the deposition of metabolites.

[0026] Both the tubular bushing 61 and the conical bushing 62 are hollow structures. The top surface of the tank body 1 is fixed with a second diversion hood 67 sleeved outside the tubular bushing 61. The tubular bushing 61 has a guide hole 65 that communicates with the inner cavity of the second diversion hood 67 and the clamping cavity of the tubular bushing 61 and the conical bushing 62. One side of the second diversion hood 67 is connected to an inlet pipe 68. Several second jet holes 66 are opened on the inner side of the bottom of the conical bushing 62.

[0027] It should be noted that the first jet hole 215 and the second jet hole 66 are both inclined along the axial direction of the stirring main shaft 21 and are arranged opposite each other. The first driven bevel gear 28 and the second driven bevel gear 63 have the same number of teeth. The first jet hole 215 and the second jet hole 66 have the same rotation period. Through the opposing jet design of the first jet hole 215 and the second jet hole 66, the forced collision mixing of the fermentation bottom liquid and the culture medium is achieved.

[0028] The working principle and usage process of this invention are as follows: The motor 31 drives the active bevel gear 32, which in turn drives the stirring shaft 21 to rotate under the meshing of the active bevel gear 32 and the first driven bevel gear 28. The fermentation substrate is rotated and stirred by the inclined conical blades 22 on the outer side of the bottom of the stirring shaft 21. The fermentation material in the bottom cavity is spirally lifted upward by the vortex effect generated by stirring. Under the meshing of the active bevel gear 32 and the second driven bevel gear 63, the tubular bushing 61 and the conical bushing 62 rotate. The pressure column 64 at the bottom of the conical bushing 62 squeezes the annular saddle surface 26 and the elastic force of the spring 27, which enables the spiral belt 23 and the stirring rods 24 at both ends of the spiral belt 23 to turbulent the lifted fermentation material. During the stirring process, the feed pump 51 operates, conveying the fermentation liquid from the bottom cavity of tank 1 upward through the drainage channel 211 within the stirring main shaft 21. The liquid is then introduced into the first diversion hood 41 via the guide pipe 213, then extracted through the feed pipe 52 and introduced into the return channel 212 via the discharge pipe 54. Finally, it is ejected diagonally upward through the first jet hole 215 on the conical protrusion 214. Simultaneously, the culture medium introduced through the inlet pipe 68 enters the second diversion hood 67 and is then introduced into the clamping cavity between the tubular bushing 61 and the conical bushing 62 via the guide hole 65. Finally, it exits through the bottom of the conical bushing 62. The second jet hole 66 on the inner conical surface rotates downwards and sprays out. Since the first jet hole 215 and the second jet hole 66 are both inclined along the axial direction of the stirring shaft 21 and are arranged opposite to each other, the first driven bevel gear 28 and the second driven bevel gear 63 rotate in opposite directions, and the first jet hole 215 and the second jet hole 66 rotate in the same period. During the reverse rotation, the first jet hole 215 and the second jet hole 66 are always in alignment, and thus the refluxed fermentation bottom liquid and the culture liquid are fully contacted and mixed through mutual jetting, thereby improving the fermentation efficiency.

[0029] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A jet stirring device for microbial fermentation, comprising a stirring mechanism (2), characterized in that, The stirring mechanism (2) includes a stirring main shaft (21). The bottom outer side of the stirring main shaft (21) is provided with a first stirring structure that can rotate, stir and lift the fermentation substrate. The middle outer side of the stirring main shaft (21) is provided with a second stirring structure that cooperates with the first stirring structure to turbulent the lifted fermentation substrate. The stirring spindle (21) has a hollow structure, thus forming a drainage channel (211) inside for conveying the fermentation liquid upward. The top of the stirring spindle (21) is provided with a return channel (212) located outside the drainage channel (211). The upper end of the drainage channel (211) is closed and laterally connected to a guide pipe (213) for drawing out the fermentation liquid. The outer side of the return channel (212) is provided with a conical protrusion (214), and the conical protrusion (214) is provided with several first jet holes (215) for rotating and ejecting the returned fermentation liquid. The top outer side of the stirring spindle (21) is fixed with a first driven bevel gear (28) for driving the stirring spindle (21) to rotate. The bottom of the stirring spindle (21) is fixed with a drainage cover (216). The first stirring structure includes four oblique cone blades (22), all of which are radially fixed outside the stirring main shaft (21); The second stirring structure includes a sliding sleeve (25) and four spiral bands (23). The four spiral bands (23) are spirally distributed around the stirring main shaft (21), and stirring rods (24) are fixed radially outside the stirring main shaft (21) at both the upper and lower ends of the spiral bands (23). The stirring rods (24) at the upper ends of the four spiral bands (23) are all fixed outside the sliding sleeve (25). The sliding sleeve (25) is sleeved outside the stirring main shaft (21) and slides in cooperation with the stirring main shaft (21). The sliding sleeve (25) is elastically connected to the stirring main shaft (21) through a spring (27). The top surface of the sliding sleeve (25) is provided with an annular saddle surface (26).

2. The jet stirring device for microbial fermentation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The stirring spindle (21) is provided with a stop ring (217) and the spring (27) is sleeved on the outside of the stirring spindle (21). The two ends of the spring (27) abut against the stop ring (217) and the sliding sleeve (25) respectively.

3. A fermenter for microbial fermentation, comprising a jet stirring device for microbial fermentation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tank (1) includes a feed inlet (11) at the top and a discharge outlet (12) at the bottom. A support frame (4) is fixed on the top surface of the tank (1). A drive mechanism (3) for driving the stirring mechanism (2) to rotate is provided on the support frame (4). A circulation pump group (5) is provided on the top of the tank (1) to circulate and transport the fermentation liquid of the tank (1) through the drainage channel (211) and the return channel (212) of the stirring shaft (21). A jetting mechanism (6) is provided on the inner side of the top of the tank (1) to rotate and spray the culture liquid and the fermentation liquid in both directions under the synchronous drive of the drive mechanism (3) and the rotation of the stirring mechanism (2).

4. A fermenter for microbial fermentation according to claim 3, characterized in that, The drive mechanism (3) includes a motor (31), which is fixed on the equipment bracket (4). The output shaft of the motor (31) is fixed with a driving bevel gear (32) that meshes with the first driven bevel gear (28).

5. A fermenter for microbial fermentation according to claim 4, characterized in that, The circulating pump set (5) includes a material pump (51), which is fixed to the top surface of the tank (1). The input end of the material pump (51) is connected to a first diversion hood (41) through a feed pipe (52). The first diversion hood (41) is fixed on the equipment support (4). The stirring spindle (21) passes through the first diversion hood (41) and is rotatably connected to the first diversion hood (41). The return channel (212) is connected to the inner cavity of the first diversion hood (41) through a guide pipe (213). The material pump (51) is fixedly connected to a rotary joint (53) through a discharge pipe (54). The rotary joint (53) is rotatably connected to the stirring spindle (21). The rotary joint (53) connects the discharge pipe (54) to the return channel (212).

6. A fermenter for microbial fermentation according to claim 4, characterized in that, The jetting mechanism (6) includes a tubular bushing (61), which is sleeved on the outside of the stirring main shaft (21) and rotatably connected to the stirring main shaft (21). The tubular bushing (61) passes through the tank (1) and is rotatably connected to the tank (1). A conical bushing (62) is fixed at the lower end of the tubular bushing (61), and a second driven bevel gear (63) that meshes with the driving bevel gear (32) is fixed at the upper end of the tubular bushing (61). Two pressure columns (64) that abut against the annular saddle surface (26) are symmetrically fixed at the bottom of the conical bushing (62).

7. A fermenter for microbial fermentation according to claim 6, characterized in that, Both the tubular bushing (61) and the conical bushing (62) are hollow structures. The top surface of the tank (1) is fixed with a second flow divider (67) sleeved outside the tubular bushing (61). The tubular bushing (61) has a guide hole (65) that connects the inner cavity of the second flow divider (67) with the tubular bushing (61) and the cavity of the conical bushing (62). One side of the second flow divider (67) is connected to an inlet pipe (68). The bottom inner side of the conical bushing (62) has several second jet holes (66).

8. A fermenter for microbial fermentation according to claim 7, characterized in that, The first jet hole (215) and the second jet hole (66) are both inclined along the axial direction of the stirring main shaft (21) and are arranged opposite to each other.

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