Microbial fermentation device

Abstract

The utility model discloses a microbial fermentation device which comprises a tank body, a stirring frame and at least two layers of stirring paddles which are arranged in the tank body and are distributed along the axial direction of the tank body, and the microbial fermentation device has the beneficial effects that fermentation liquor in the tank body can be stirred and aerated through the matched use of the arranged stirring frame and an aeration main pipe, so that the dissolved oxygen transmission efficiency and the mixing uniformity are improved; meanwhile, by arranging the flow guide pipe with the jet flow direction opposite to the rotating direction of the stirring paddle, a reverse strong vortex field can be formed in the tank, so that gas-liquid two phases generate a shearing effect, the retention time of bubbles is prolonged, and the oxygen dissolving efficiency is improved, in addition, due to strong vortexes generated by reverse jet flow, the rotating speed of the stirring frame can be properly reduced; the shearing damage caused by high rotating speed is reduced, and the problems of insufficient dissolved oxygen, low viable bacteria rate and over-high energy consumption in the traditional fermentation device are solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of microbial fermentation technology, and in particular to a microbial fermentation apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] Microbial fermentation equipment is a core component in the field of biomanufacturing, widely used in the industrial production of products such as antibiotics, enzymes, organic acids, and vaccines. Traditional fermentation equipment typically consists of a stirring system, an aeration system, a temperature control system, and a sterilization structure.

[0003] However, current fermentation equipment has certain drawbacks. In terms of impeller design, most employ straight blades or turbines, relying primarily on high-speed mechanical stirring to achieve gas-liquid mixing. This not only consumes a lot of energy, but the strong shear force generated by high-speed rotation can easily damage the fragile microbial cells, leading to a decrease in viable cell rate. Furthermore, aeration systems mostly utilize porous aeration discs with a bottom-ring distribution, causing gas to rise in the form of large bubbles. This results in a small gas-liquid contact area, limiting the dissolved oxygen transfer rate and making it difficult to meet the demands of high-density fermentation. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this section is to outline some aspects of embodiments of the present invention and to briefly describe some preferred embodiments. Simplifications or omissions may be made in this section, as well as in the abstract and title of this application, to avoid obscuring the purpose of these documents; however, such simplifications or omissions should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention.

[0005] In view of the problems of the above-mentioned microbial fermentation devices, this utility model is proposed.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this utility model provides the following technical solution: a microbial fermentation device, including a tank;

[0007] A stirring rack, located inside the tank, includes at least two layers of stirring blades distributed along the axial direction of the tank.

[0008] The aeration main pipe includes at least two sets of flow guides. Each set of flow guides consists of at least three flow guide branches arranged around the corresponding agitator. The lowest flow guide is located below the lowest agitator, and the remaining flow guides are located above the corresponding agitator. The opening direction of the flow guide branches is opposite to the rotation direction of the agitator.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment of the microbial fermentation device of this utility model, the guide branch pipe includes a straight section that penetrates the tank body and a curved section that faces the central area of ​​the stirring blade. The straight section extends to the outside of the tank body, and the central axis of the curved section makes an angle of 20 to 30° with the horizontal plane.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment of the microbial fermentation device of this utility model, the stirring rack further includes a motor and a drive shaft. The motor is mounted on the tank body, and the drive shaft connects the motor to each stirring paddle.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment of the microbial fermentation device of this utility model, the aeration main pipe further includes an annular branch pipe with an external branch pipe and at least three air inlet branch pipes. The annular branch pipe is located outside the tank body, and the air inlet branch pipes connect the annular branch pipe and each guide branch pipe.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment of the microbial fermentation device of this utility model, the tank body is provided with a plurality of sterilization baffles, and the top and bottom surfaces of the sterilization baffles are provided with a plurality of closely arranged nail-shaped protrusions.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the microbial fermentation device of this utility model, the tank body is fixedly fitted with a jacket, and the air inlet branch pipe extends into the jacket and is sealed to it.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: Through the synergistic action of the stirring rack and the aeration main pipe, the fermentation broth is stirred and aerated, improving dissolved oxygen transfer efficiency and mixing uniformity. The jet direction of the guide pipe is opposite to the tangential rotation direction of the stirring paddle, forming a high-intensity counter-current vortex field inside the tank. This causes intense shearing between the gas and liquid phases, breaking bubbles into microbubbles and prolonging their residence time, thereby significantly improving dissolved oxygen efficiency. Furthermore, the vortex generated by the counter-current jet can reduce the stirring rack speed, minimizing shear damage to the microorganisms caused by high speed, ultimately solving the problems of insufficient dissolved oxygen, low viable cell rate, and high energy consumption in traditional fermentation. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort. Among them:

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the aeration pipe in this utility model.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the stirring rack in this utility model.

[0020] Attached diagram descriptions: 1. Tank body; 2. Stirring rack; 21. Stirring paddle; 22. Motor; 23. Drive shaft; 3. Aeration main pipe; 31. Guide branch pipe; 32. Annular branch pipe; 33. Air inlet branch pipe; 34. External branch pipe; 4. Sterilization baffle; 41. Nail-shaped protrusion; 5. Jacket. Detailed Implementation

[0021] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of this utility model more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0022] Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Those skilled in the art can make similar extensions without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0023] Secondly, the term "an embodiment" or "embodiment" as used herein refers to a specific feature, structure, or characteristic that may be included in at least one implementation of the present invention. The phrase "in one embodiment" appearing in different places in this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a single or selective embodiment that excludes other embodiments.

[0024] Secondly, this utility model is described in detail with reference to the schematic diagrams. When describing the embodiments of this utility model, for ease of explanation, the cross-sectional views illustrating the device structure may be partially enlarged, not adhering to the usual scale. Furthermore, the schematic diagrams are merely examples and should not limit the scope of protection of this utility model. In addition, actual manufacturing should include the three-dimensional spatial dimensions of length, width, and depth.

[0025] Reference Figures 1-4 As an embodiment of this utility model, a microbial fermentation device is provided, which includes a tank 1. The tank 1 is cylindrical and has a feeding port and several pipelines for external auxiliary equipment at the top, which are used to adjust the pH value inside the tank 1, etc.

[0026] like Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the stirring rack 2 is located inside the tank 1 and includes at least two layers of stirring paddles 21 distributed along the axial direction of the tank 1. Multi-layer stirring avoids the dissolved oxygen stratification phenomenon of traditional single-layer stirring, and is especially suitable for high-density fermentation. The stirring rack 2 also includes a motor 22 and a drive shaft 23. The motor 22 is installed on the tank 1, and the drive shaft 23 connects the motor 22 to each stirring paddle 21. The motor 22 drives each stirring paddle 21 to rotate, thereby achieving the stirring effect of the fermentation liquid in the tank 1 and improving the mixing uniformity.

[0027] like Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the aeration main pipe 3 includes at least two sets of guide sections. Each set of guide sections consists of at least three guide branch pipes 31 arranged around the corresponding stirring paddle 21. The aeration main pipe 3 also includes an annular branch pipe 32 with an external branch pipe 34 and at least three air inlet branch pipes 33. The external branch pipe 34 is used to connect to an external air inlet device. The annular branch pipe 32 is located outside the tank body 1. The air inlet branch pipes 33 connect the annular branch pipe 32 to each guide branch pipe 31.

[0028] The lowest flow guide is located below the lowest stirring blade 21, and the remaining flow guides are located above the corresponding stirring blade 21. The opening direction of the flow guide branch pipe 31 is opposite to the rotation direction of the stirring blade 21. The flow guide branch pipe 31 includes a straight section that penetrates the tank body 1 and a curved section that faces the central area of ​​the stirring blade 21. The straight section penetrates to the outside of the tank body 1, and the central axis of the curved section makes an angle of 20 to 30° with the horizontal plane.

[0029] The bottommost branch pipe 31 can aerate upwards, causing the fermentation liquid at the bottom of the tank 1 to surge upwards, thus enhancing the dissolved oxygen effect of the fermentation liquid at the bottom; the other branch pipes 31 aerate downwards, blowing the fermentation liquid above the tank 1 downwards, thereby enabling the fermentation liquid in different layers to form a circulating convection, which on the one hand enhances the mixing uniformity, and on the other hand, makes the distribution of bubbles more comprehensive, improving the overall dissolved oxygen effect of the fermentation liquid.

[0030] Furthermore, the curved section of the guide branch pipe 31 faces the central region of the agitator 21, and the jetting airflow is opposite to the rotation direction of the agitator 21, which can generate a vortex field, causing intense shearing between the gas and liquid phases, breaking bubbles into microbubbles and prolonging their residence time, thereby significantly improving dissolved oxygen efficiency. In addition, the vortex generated by the counter-jet can reduce the rotational speed of the agitator 2, reducing the shear damage to the bacteria caused by high rotational speed.

[0031] The tank 1 is equipped with several sterilization baffles 4. The top and bottom surfaces of the sterilization baffles 4 are provided with several closely arranged nail-shaped protrusions 41. When the vortex-shaped fermentation liquid comes into contact with the sterilization baffles 4, it can create obstruction, further increasing the residence time of the bubbles, thereby enhancing the dissolved oxygen effect. At the same time, the nail-shaped protrusions 41 can break large bubbles into microbubbles, further enhancing the dissolved oxygen effect.

[0032] The tank body 1 is externally fixedly fitted with a jacket 5, and the air inlet branch pipe 33 extends into the jacket 5 and is sealed to it. The jacket 5 is used to regulate the temperature of the tank body 1, and at the same time, the air inlet branch pipe 33 can regulate the temperature of the airflow when it enters the jacket 5, so as to avoid the problem of reduced viability due to the incompatibility between the airflow temperature and the temperature inside the tank body 1.

[0033] It should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of this utility model and are not intended to limit it. Although this utility model has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solution of this utility model without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solution of this utility model, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. A microbial fermentation apparatus, characterized in that, include: Tank body (1); A stirring rack (2) is provided inside the tank (1) and includes at least two layers of stirring paddles (21) distributed along the axial direction of the tank (1); The aeration main pipe (3) includes at least two sets of guide sections. Each set of guide sections consists of at least three guide branches (31) arranged around the corresponding stirring blade (21). The lowest guide section is located below the lowest stirring blade (21), and the remaining guide sections are located above the corresponding stirring blade (21). The opening direction of the guide branches (31) is opposite to the rotation direction of the stirring blade (21).

2. The microbial fermentation apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flow guide branch (31) includes a straight section that penetrates the tank (1) and a curved section that faces the central area of ​​the impeller (21) blade. The straight section extends to the outside of the tank (1), and the central axis of the curved section makes an angle of 20 to 30° with the horizontal plane.

3. The microbial fermentation apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The stirring rack (2) also includes a motor (22) and a drive shaft (23). The motor (22) is mounted on the tank (1), and the drive shaft (23) connects the motor (22) to each stirring paddle (21).

4. The microbial fermentation apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The aeration main pipe (3) also includes an annular branch pipe (32) with an external branch pipe (34) and at least three air inlet branch pipes (33). The annular branch pipe (32) is located outside the tank body (1), and the air inlet branch pipes (33) connect the annular branch pipe (32) with each guide branch pipe (31).

5. The microbial fermentation apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tank (1) is provided with several sterilization baffles (4), and the top and bottom surfaces of the sterilization baffles (4) are provided with several closely arranged nail-shaped protrusions (41).

6. The microbial fermentation apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that: The tank body (1) is fixedly fitted with a jacket (5), and the air inlet branch pipe (33) extends into the jacket (5) and is sealed to it.

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