A probiotic fermentation treatment device

Abstract

This utility model relates to a probiotic fermentation treatment device, which utilizes the gas pressure generated during probiotic fermentation to drive material reflux, avoiding traditional mechanical stirring and reducing energy consumption and structural complexity. The device includes a fermenter, a reflux tank, a first gas storage section, multiple conduits, and control components. Combined with a pressure monitoring and control system, it achieves gas pressure regulation and material reflux during fermentation, effectively solving the problem of insufficient reflux in the early stages of fermentation and at low temperatures, improving the stability and efficiency of probiotic cultivation, and meeting the high reliability requirements of industrial probiotic production.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of fermentation technology, specifically to a probiotic fermentation treatment device, which is suitable for the cultivation of probiotics in anaerobic or microaerobic environments. Through air pressure regulation and fermentation material circulation, it can improve fermentation efficiency and stabilize the cultivation environment. Background Technology

[0002] Microbial fermentation is an important bioengineering technology widely used in food, medicine, and bioproducts, playing a crucial role, especially in the industrial production of probiotics. Probiotics are live microorganisms beneficial to the host, commonly including species of *Bifidobacterium*, *Lactobacillus*, *Lactobacillus acidophilus*, some species of *Streptococcus*, and yeasts (such as *Saccharomyces cerevisiae*). They possess various health benefits, such as improving gut microbiota structure, enhancing immunity, and promoting nutrient absorption, thus showing broad application prospects in functional foods, infant formula, and beverages. In the industrial cultivation and amplification of probiotics, fermenters are indispensable core equipment. Traditional fermenters typically include a main tank body, exhaust valves for discharging gases produced during fermentation, and sensing devices for detecting liquid level or pressure within the tank (such as pressure sensors and level probes). The design of fermenters needs to meet conditions such as corrosion resistance, good airtightness, easy cleaning and sterilization, and easy control of temperature and pH to ensure the stable proliferation of probiotics in a controlled environment.

[0003] In the cultivation of probiotics, the internal material circulation of the fermenter is a necessary and crucial operation. This is because during fermentation, the material at the bottom tends to settle due to gravity, leading to uneven nutrient distribution or localized oxygen deficiency in the probiotics, affecting their metabolic activity and yield. By appropriately refluxing and stirring the material inside the tank, nutrient uniformity can be achieved, the dissolution efficiency of gases (such as oxygen or carbon dioxide) can be improved, and the formation of dead zones and sedimentation can be prevented, thereby improving fermentation efficiency and product quality. It is worth noting that the metabolism of probiotics during fermentation produces a large amount of gas (especially carbon dioxide). If this gas is not discharged in time, the pressure inside the tank will gradually increase, potentially causing equipment safety issues. To achieve reflux stirring, external mechanical stirring or pneumatic power is usually used. In addition, components such as pressure detection devices, liquid level sensors, and exhaust valves in traditional fermentation equipment may malfunction due to aging, corrosion, contamination, or decreased sensitivity during long-term operation. For example, sensor malfunctions can prevent the control system from accurately grasping the actual state inside the tank, thus affecting the adjustment of the fermentation strategy; stuck or leaking exhaust valves may cause abnormal increases in tank pressure or the risk of probiotic contamination, and in severe cases, even endanger operational safety. Therefore, there is an urgent need in the existing technology for an improved probiotic fermentation system or device that can effectively achieve reflux in the early stages of fermentation and at low temperatures, while also having fault detection capabilities to ensure the stable operation of the fermentation device, in order to improve the cultivation efficiency and product quality of probiotics and meet the higher requirements of stability and reliability for industrial production. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a probiotic fermentation treatment device, including a fermenter with an inlet channel. A first gas storage unit is connected to the fermenter through the inlet channel, and a first exhaust valve is provided on the inlet channel. The connection between the first gas storage unit and the fermenter is controlled by a first control valve. The first gas storage unit is also connected to the top of a reflux tank via a first conduit, which has a first control unit for controlling the flow. A portion of the fermenter located above the fermentation liquid surface is connected to the top of the reflux tank via a second conduit, which has a second control unit for controlling the flow. A second control valve is provided at the bottom of the fermenter to control the flow of fermentation material into the reflux tank. A reflux pipe is connected to the bottom of the reflux tank, passing through the top of the fermenter. A reflux outlet is provided inside the fermenter at a position above the fermentation liquid surface, and the reflux pipe has a fourth control unit for controlling the flow.

[0005] Furthermore, the top of the first gas storage unit is connected to the pressure tank via a third conduit, and the third conduit is equipped with a third control unit for controlling the flow. Preferably, the reflux tank is equipped with a first probe for monitoring its internal pressure, and the first gas storage unit is equipped with a second probe for monitoring its internal pressure. The aforementioned first control unit, second control unit, third control unit, fourth control unit, first probe, and second probe are all centrally controlled by a controller, thereby realizing the regulation of gas pressure and the circulation and reflux of fermentation products during fermentation, improving the stability and efficiency of probiotic culture.

[0006] This invention utilizes the gas pressure generated during probiotic fermentation to drive the reflux of the fermented material, eliminating the need for mechanical stirring and reducing energy consumption and structural complexity. By incorporating an auxiliary pressure source and a pressure monitoring and control system, the reflux effect can be ensured in the early stages of fermentation or at low temperatures, while also increasing the reflux methods and selectivity, thereby improving fermentation efficiency and system stability. Attached Figure Description

[0007] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the probiotic fermentation treatment device of this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0008] The following will describe in detail the implementation of this utility model with reference to the embodiments, so that you can fully understand and implement how to use technical means to solve technical problems and achieve technical effects.

[0009] The probiotic fermentation treatment device 1 provided by this utility model is as follows: Figure 1As shown, the device 1 includes a fermenter 2 with an inlet channel 18. A first gas storage unit 3 is connected to the fermenter 2 through the inlet channel 18. A first exhaust valve 4 is provided on the inlet channel 18. The first gas storage unit 3 is connected to the fermenter 2 by a first control valve 5. A second control valve 13 is provided at the bottom of the fermenter 2, which is used to control the transport of the fermented material at the bottom of the fermenter 2 to the reflux tank 12. The first gas storage unit 3 is connected to the top of the reflux tank 12 through a first conduit 6. A first control unit 9 is provided on the first conduit 6 to control its operation. A second conduit 8 is connected to the top of the reflux tank 12 above the fermented material in the fermenter 2. A second control unit 10 is provided on the second conduit 8 to control its operation. A reflux pipe 7 is provided at the bottom of the reflux tank 12. The reflux pipe 7 passes through the top of the fermenter 2 and has a reflux outlet inside the fermenter 2 at a position above the level of the fermented material. A fourth control unit 20 is provided on the reflux pipe 7 to control its operation. The top of the first gas storage section 3 is connected to the pressure tank 15 via a third conduit 17, and the third conduit 17 is equipped with a third control section 16 for controlling its operation. The reflux tank 12 is equipped with a first probe 11 for monitoring its internal pressure, and the first gas storage section 3 is equipped with a second probe 19 for monitoring its internal pressure. The first control section 9, the second control section 10, the third control section 16, the fourth control section 20, the first probe 11, and the second probe 19 are all controlled by a controller 14 to control the gas flow and monitor the pressure.

[0010] The operation of this utility model device is as follows: During the fermentation of probiotics, the inlet channel 18 and the first exhaust valve 4 are closed; the first control valve 5 is opened to connect the fermentation tank 2 with the first gas storage unit 3. The high-pressure gas generated in the fermentation tank 2 is transported to the first gas storage unit 3. At the same time, the second control valve 13 is opened, and the bottom fermented material is transported to the return tank 12 by the pressure inside the fermentation tank 2 and the gravity of the fermented material. After the gas and bottom fermented material have been transported and the gas pressure is balanced, the first control valve 5 is closed, and the first exhaust valve 4 is opened to make the gas pressure inside the fermentation tank 2 the same as the atmospheric pressure. Then, the first control unit 9 is opened, and the gas pressure stored in the first gas storage unit 3 is used to push the fermented material in the return tank 12 back to the top of the fermentation tank 2, realizing the circulation and return of the fermented material. In the early stage of fermentation, or when the internal air pressure of the fermentation tank 2 is insufficient due to factors such as temperature and environment, the connection between the pressure tank 15 and the first gas storage unit can be opened by the third control unit 16 to increase the pressure in the first gas storage unit 3, thereby realizing the reflux circulation of the fermented material.

[0011] In another embodiment of this utility model, the second control unit 10 and the first control unit 9 can be opened first, and the gas pressure generated by fermentation in the fermenter 2 can be used to fill the first gas storage unit 3 and the reflux tank 12 respectively. After the gas pressure is balanced, the second control unit 10 is closed, the first exhaust valve 4 is opened to make the gas pressure in the fermenter 2 the same as the atmospheric pressure, and then the second control valve 13 is opened, so that the gas in the first gas storage unit 3 and the reflux tank 12 is sent from the second control valve 13 to the bottom of the fermenter 2. The contents of the fermenter 2 are stirred by the air bubbles transported from bottom to top, so that the fermented material, nutrients and oxygen are evenly distributed, improving the cultivation effect of probiotics. If the gas pressure inside the fermenter 2 is insufficient, the above treatment can be completed by supplementing the gas pressure through the pressure tank 15.

[0012] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A probiotic fermentation treatment device (1), characterized in that, The system includes a fermenter (2), which has an inlet channel (18). A first gas storage unit (3) is connected to the fermenter (2) through the inlet channel (18). A first exhaust valve (4) is provided on the inlet channel (18). The first gas storage unit (3) is connected to the fermenter (2) through a first control valve (5). The first gas storage unit (3) is connected to the top of a reflux tank (12) through a first conduit (6). A first control unit (9) for controlling the connection is provided on the first conduit (6). The system is located in the fermenter (2). The position above the surface of the fermentation liquid is connected to the top of the reflux tank (12) through the second conduit (8). The second conduit (8) is provided with a second control part (10) for controlling the flow. The bottom of the fermentation tank (2) is provided with a second control valve (13) for controlling the flow of fermentation liquid into the reflux tank (12). The bottom of the reflux tank (12) is connected to a reflux pipe (7). The reflux pipe (7) passes through the top of the fermentation tank (2) and has a reflux outlet inside it at a position higher than the surface of the fermentation liquid. The reflux pipe (7) is provided with a fourth control part (20) for controlling the flow.

2. The probiotic fermentation treatment device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top of the first gas storage section (3) is connected to the pressure tank (15) through the third conduit (17), and the third conduit (17) is provided with a third control section (16) for controlling the conduction.

3. The probiotic fermentation treatment device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that, The reflux tank (12) is equipped with a first probe (11) for monitoring its internal pressure, and the first gas storage section (3) is equipped with a second probe (19) for monitoring its internal pressure; the first control section (9), the second control section (10), the third control section (16), the fourth control section (20), the first probe (11) and the second probe (19) are all controlled by the controller (14).

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