A fermenter air distributor

Abstract

The utility model relates to a kind of fermentation tank air distributors, and it relates to chemical production equipment technical field.The utility model includes tank body and the main shaft with stirring paddle being arranged in tank body, the stirring paddle is at least provided with the upper paddle of position highest and the lower paddle of position lowest along the height direction of main shaft, air distribution pipe is arranged in tank body, first air distribution pipe and second air distribution pipe with a group of air outlet are respectively arranged in tank body, and the total gas inlet pipe of each air distribution pipe is respectively connected with gas source by penetrating tank body;The first air distribution pipe at the highest point is below upper paddle, and the second air distribution pipe at the lowest point is below lower paddle.In the utility model, two layers of air distribution pipes are provided, different specifications of nozzle are arranged on each layer of air distribution pipe, the pressure of different levels in tank can be dynamically adjusted, corresponding air is transported to different positions of fermentation tank, and the dissolved oxygen level in the upper part of fermentation tank is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to an air distributor for a fermentation tank, and pertains to the field of chemical production equipment technology. Background Technology

[0002] The air distribution pipe in the fermenter is used to introduce sterile air into the tank for the proliferation and production of aerobic microbial cells. The form of the air distribution pipe has a significant impact on the dissolved oxygen rate. There are several types of air distribution devices, such as porous branched ring pipes, single pipes, and porous ring pipes. Existing air distributors are only installed at the bottom of the fermenter, which will result in low dissolved oxygen in the upper part of the fermenter, affecting microbial growth and fermentation conversion rate, and increasing fermentation costs. Utility Model Content

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to design an air distributor for a fermenter that can increase dissolved oxygen in the upper part of the fermenter.

[0004] This invention includes a tank and a main shaft with stirring blades disposed within the tank. The stirring blades, arranged along the height of the main shaft, include at least a highest upper blade and a lowest lower blade. An air distribution pipe is disposed within the tank, comprising a first air distribution pipe and a second air distribution pipe, each with a set of air outlets. The main air inlet pipe of each air distribution pipe extends out of the tank and connects to an air source. The first air distribution pipe, located at the highest point, is below the upper blade, and the second air distribution pipe, located at the lowest point, is below the lower blade. This fermentation tank air distributor, configured as described above, allows air bubbles generated by the air input from each air distribution pipe to be dispersed by the stirring blades, promoting oxygen dissolution into the material.

[0005] Furthermore, the first air distribution pipe and the second air distribution pipe are respectively annular, and their air outlets are directed towards the hollow part of the annulus; the position of the upper blade corresponds to the hollow part of the first air distribution pipe, and the position of the lower blade corresponds to the hollow part of the second air distribution pipe.

[0006] Furthermore, a set of inwardly protruding nozzles is provided on the inner side of each air distribution pipe.

[0007] Furthermore, the inner cavity of the nozzle on the second air distribution pipe is tapered, gradually narrowing from the pipe cavity towards the nozzle outlet. This nozzle configuration increases the gas flow rate within the nozzle, making it suitable for higher pressure environments.

[0008] Furthermore, a spiral groove is provided on the inner wall of the nozzle cavity. The nozzle configured in this manner can further increase the gas flow rate within the nozzle.

[0009] Furthermore, the inner cavity of each nozzle on the first air distribution pipe is a straight pipe.

[0010] Furthermore, the nozzle opening area of ​​each nozzle on the second air distribution pipe is larger than that of each nozzle on the first air distribution pipe. The air distribution pipe configured in this manner can adapt to the pressure environment at different locations within the tank, outputting an appropriate amount of sterile air to achieve optimal air distribution within the tank, thereby increasing dissolved oxygen levels at various locations and preventing air waste.

[0011] This invention features two layers of air distribution pipes. By installing nozzles of different specifications on each layer of air distribution pipes, the pressure at different levels inside the tank can be dynamically adjusted, and corresponding air can be delivered to different locations in the fermentation tank. This can increase the dissolved oxygen in the upper part of the fermentation tank, avoid waste, and reduce fermentation costs.

[0012] The two-layer air distribution pipe in this invention is equipped with a flow meter and a regulating valve on the outside of the tank, which can adjust the air flow rate to adapt to different types of fermentation materials. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a front sectional view of an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0014] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view along the AA direction;

[0015] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A magnified view of a portion at point B;

[0016] Figure 4 This is a top view of an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0017] Figure 5 for Figure 1 A bottom view of the first air distribution pipe in the middle;

[0018] The components are: 1. Tank body, 2. Inlet, 3. Outlet, 4. Stirring motor, 5. Main shaft, 6. Belt drive assembly, 7. Upper blade, 8. Lower blade, 9. First air distribution pipe, 10. Second air distribution pipe, 11. Nozzle, 12. Spiral groove, 13. Exhaust gas outlet, 14. Cooling coil, 15. Flow meter, 16. Regulating valve. Detailed Implementation

[0019] by Figure 1 Define the up, down, left, right, front, and back directions in this embodiment.

[0020] As shown in the figure, this embodiment includes a tank 1. A feed inlet 2 is located at the upper end of the tank 1 for feeding materials into it. A discharge outlet 3 is located at the middle of the lower end of the tank 1 for discharging materials from it. In this embodiment, both the feed inlet 2 and the discharge outlet 3 are equipped with control valves, allowing operators to control their opening and closing. A stirring motor 4 is located on the upper part of the tank 1, with its lower end fixedly connected to the tank 1 via a bracket. A main shaft 5 is located on the front side of the stirring motor 4. The upper part of the main shaft 5 is rotatably connected to the tank 1 via bearings, and its lower part extends into the inner cavity of the tank 1, where multiple sets of stirring blades are provided. The upper end of the main shaft 5 is connected to the rotating shaft of the stirring motor 4 via a belt drive assembly 6. In use, starting the stirring motor 4 controls the rotation of the main shaft 5. In this embodiment, three sets of stirring blades are arranged along the length of the main shaft 5. The highest-positioned blade is the upper blade 7, and the lowest-positioned blade is the lower blade 8.

[0021] The tank body 1 is equipped with a first air distribution pipe 9 and a second air distribution pipe 10, each with a set of air outlets. Each air distribution pipe is annular, and its air outlets lead to the hollow part of the annulus. In this embodiment, the side of each annular pipe closest to its center is defined as the hollow part. The straight pipe connected to the left side of each air distribution pipe is the main air inlet pipe. Each main air inlet pipe extends to the left out of the tank body 1 and is connected to the air source, which can prevent oxygen supply interruption due to single-point air source failure. A flow meter 15 and a regulating valve 16 are installed on the end of the main air inlet pipe located on the outside of the tank body 1, which can monitor the air flow in the pipe and make adaptive adjustments to adapt to different types of fermentation materials and different fermentation processes. For example, during the logarithmic growth phase, both air distribution pipes need to be opened to ensure the oxygen content in the fermenter. During the stationary phase, only the second air distribution pipe 10 needs to be opened to meet the fermentation material requirements. Relative to the two air distribution pipes, the first air distribution pipe 9, located at the highest point, is below the upper impeller 7, and the second air distribution pipe 10, located at the lowest point, is below the lower impeller 8. The upper impeller 7 corresponds to the hollow position of the first air distribution pipe 9, and the lower impeller 8 corresponds to the hollow position of the second air distribution pipe 10. When each air distribution pipe delivers air through the air outlet, it ensures that the air bubbles formed in the material can be dispersed by the stirring impeller.

[0022] Both the first air distribution pipe 9 and the second air distribution pipe 10 have nozzles 11 connected to their air outlets in the hollow inner parts, and each nozzle 11 protrudes inward. In this embodiment, the nozzles 11 of the first air distribution pipe 9 are micro-jet nozzles, the inner cavity of the nozzle is a straight pipe, and the diameter of its jet outlet is 0.6-1mm, for example, 0.6mm, 0.8mm, or 1mm. In use, the air flow rate ejected by the nozzles 11 of the first air distribution pipe 9 is relatively small, which can prolong the residence time of the bubbles and improve the oxygen dissolution efficiency. Each nozzle 11 of the first air distribution pipe 9 is inclined, and the angle between each nozzle 11 and the first air distribution pipe 9 is 45-48°, for example, 45°, 46°, or 48°. The inclination direction is consistent with the rotation direction of the main shaft 5, which can enhance the mixing of gas-liquid vortex. The nozzle 11 of the second air distribution pipe 10 adopts a high-pressure jet structure. In this embodiment, the nozzle 11 is a tapered pipe, and the inner cavity of the nozzle 11 is tapered, gradually narrowing from the pipe cavity to the outlet of the nozzle 1. The diameter of the jet outlet is 2-5mm, for example, 2mm, 4mm, or 5mm, which can increase the flow rate of the output gas to overcome the pressure in the lower part of the inner cavity of the tank 1. The inner wall of the nozzle 11 of the second air distribution pipe 10 is provided with a spiral groove 12, which can further increase the flow rate of the gas. Each nozzle 11 of the second air distribution pipe 10 is inclined, opposite to the inclination direction of the nozzle 11 of the first air distribution pipe 9, which can balance the fluid shear force and avoid local turbulent overload. The upper right part of the tank 1 is provided with an exhaust gas outlet 13 with a control valve, which can discharge excess gas to maintain the pressure inside the tank 1. Cooling coils 14 are provided on both the left and right sides of the inner cavity of the tank 1 to control the problem inside the tank 1. The cooling coils 14 in this utility model adopt existing technology and will not be described in detail here.

[0023] In this embodiment, the nozzle opening area of ​​each nozzle 11 on the second air distribution pipe 10 is larger than the nozzle opening area of ​​each nozzle 11 on the first air distribution pipe 9, so as to adapt to the pressure conditions at different positions in the tank 1 and reduce the loss and waste of sterile air.

[0024] In this embodiment, the feed inlet 2 is first opened, and the material is added into it. After the material is added, the feed inlet 2 is closed. The air distribution pipes are opened according to the fermentation process of the material. For example, during the logarithmic growth phase, the first air distribution pipe 9 and the second air distribution pipe 10 are opened to deliver sterile air into the tank 1. At the same time, the stirring motor 4 is started, which drives the main shaft 5 to rotate. The stirring blades break up the air bubbles formed by the air input from the air distribution pipes, promote the mixing of air and material, improve oxygen dissolution efficiency, meet the needs of aerobic microorganisms in the tank 1, and ensure that the fermentation proceeds normally.

Claims

1. An air distributor for a fermenter, comprising a tank body and a main shaft with stirring blades disposed within the tank body, wherein the stirring blades are provided with at least an upper blade at the highest position and a lower blade at the lowest position along the height direction of the main shaft, and an air distribution pipe is disposed within the tank body, characterized in that: The tank is equipped with a first air distribution pipe and a second air distribution pipe, each with a set of air outlets. The main air inlet pipe of each air distribution pipe passes through the tank and connects to the air source. The first air distribution pipe, located at the highest point, is below the upper blade, and the second air distribution pipe, located at the lowest point, is below the lower blade.

2. The fermenter air distributor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first and second air distribution pipes are respectively annular, with their air outlets opening into the hollow part of the annulus; the position of the upper blade corresponds to the hollow part of the first air distribution pipe, and the position of the lower blade corresponds to the hollow part of the second air distribution pipe.

3. The fermenter air distributor according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: Each air distribution pipe has a set of inwardly protruding nozzles on its inner side.

4. The fermenter air distributor according to claim 3, characterized in that: The inner cavity of the nozzle on the second air distribution pipe is a cone shape that gradually narrows from the pipe cavity toward the nozzle outlet.

5. The fermenter air distributor according to claim 4, characterized in that: The inner wall of the nozzle cavity is provided with spiral grooves.

6. The fermenter air distributor according to claim 3, characterized in that: The inner cavities of each nozzle on the first air distribution pipe are straight pipes.

7. The fermenter air distributor according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The nozzle opening area of ​​each nozzle on the second air distribution pipe is larger than the nozzle opening area of ​​each nozzle on the first air distribution pipe.

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