Phage culture device for crops

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of bacteriophage culture devices for crops, including the jar body of bacteriophage culture, the middle part of jar body is equipped with stirring assembly, the middle part of jar body is located in the lower part of stirring assembly and is equipped with auxiliary assembly that drive culture solution flow and auxiliary mixing and pass through, the auxiliary assembly includes the gas pipe that passes through installation in jar body side wall, the output end of the gas pipe is located in the inside of jar body and is equipped with annular pipe, the side wall of the annular pipe is equipped with several groups of gas hole that discharge airflow, the middle part of the gas pipe is located in the outside of jar body and is equipped with air pump that drive airflow flow.The airflow driven by air pump is sent into annular pipe through gas pipe, then is discharged by several groups of gas holes of annular pipe side wall, and uniform distribution bubble flow is formed.Bubble drives culture solution flow in the rising process in jar body bottom and edge area, cooperates with the stirring assembly in middle part, can effectively make up the mixing dead angle of traditional single stirring structure, so that nutrient substance distribution is more uniform.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of phage culture technology, specifically a phage culture device for crops. Background Technology

[0002] Faced with the severe challenges of increasing pathogen resistance and worsening chemical pesticide pollution in global agricultural production, bacteriophage biocontrol technology has become an important direction for the development of green agriculture due to its advantages such as high specificity, environmental friendliness, and low likelihood of developing resistance. As viruses that specifically infect bacteria, the large-scale cultivation of bacteriophages is a key link in achieving field disease control.

[0003] Most current phage culture devices employ a stirring structure, but the stirring blades cannot achieve uniform mixing of the culture medium throughout its entire surface, resulting in uneven distribution of nutrients. This phenomenon causes some host bacteria to fail to grow and reproduce normally due to nutrient deficiency. Since phages rely on host bacteria for their proliferation process, insufficient host bacteria deprive them of a sufficient reproductive vector, ultimately leading to a decrease in overall phage yield.

[0004] As in the prior art, the Chinese utility model publication with publication number CN22191804U discloses a liquid agricultural bacteriophage culture device, which includes a culture tank. The culture tank is equipped with a drive assembly inside, which includes a drive motor, a main gear, two internal gears, two support rods, three stirring rods, and a wall scraping assembly.

[0005] The cited patent reveals the aforementioned problems in the prior art, thus necessitating a phage culture device for crops. Utility Model Content

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a phage culture device for crops, which uses the airflow through the annular tube and vent in the auxiliary components to drive the liquid flow inside the tank, thereby solving the technical problems mentioned in the background art.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution:

[0008] A phage culture device for crops includes a tank for culturing phages, a stirring assembly installed in the middle of the tank, and an auxiliary assembly for driving the flow of culture medium and assisting mixing installed through the middle of the tank below the stirring assembly.

[0009] The auxiliary component includes a gas supply pipe that runs through the side wall of the tank. The output end of the gas supply pipe is located inside the tank and is fitted with an annular pipe. The side wall of the annular pipe has several sets of air holes for discharging gas flow. The middle part of the gas supply pipe, located outside the tank, is fitted with an air pump that drives the gas flow.

[0010] Preferably, the several groups of air holes are distributed in an equidistant ring along the circumference of the annular tube, and the airflow ejection direction of the several groups of air holes is close to the bottom of the tank and extends towards the inner wall.

[0011] Preferably, a one-way check valve is installed in the middle of the gas pipeline between the gas pump and the tank, and an air filter is installed in the middle of the gas pipeline at the air inlet end of the gas pump.

[0012] Preferably, a fixed shell is installed through the middle of the gas pipeline, and the filter element is detachably inserted into the middle of the fixed shell.

[0013] Preferably, the stirring assembly includes a motor installed on the upper part of the tank, the output end of the motor extending to the middle of the tank and connected to a rotating shaft, and a number of stirring blades installed on the outer wall of the rotating shaft inside the tank.

[0014] Preferably, a support frame is installed inside the tank at the upper part of the annular tube, a bearing is embedded in the middle of the support frame, and the bottom of the rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the inner ring of the bearing.

[0015] Preferably, the top and bottom of the tank are respectively provided with a feed pipe and a discharge pipe, and a valve for controlling the on / off state is installed in the middle of the discharge pipe.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0017] An airflow driven by an air pump is delivered through an air supply pipe into a ring-shaped tube, and then discharged through several sets of air holes on the side wall of the ring-shaped tube, forming a uniformly distributed bubble flow. As the bubbles rise, they drive the flow of the culture medium at the bottom and edges of the tank. Working in conjunction with the central stirring component, this effectively compensates for the mixing dead zones of traditional single-stirring structures, promotes full-area circulation of the culture medium, and results in a more uniform distribution of nutrients. This provides a balanced growth environment for the host bacteria, avoiding insufficient host numbers due to localized nutrient deficiencies, ensuring a sufficient supply of propagation vectors for bacteriophages, and thus increasing the overall yield of bacteriophages. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this utility model;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the bottom structure of this utility model;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the stirring assembly structure of this utility model;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the auxiliary component structure of this utility model;

[0022] Figure 5This is a schematic diagram of the air hole installation structure of this utility model.

[0023] In the diagram: 1. Tank body; 2. Agitator assembly; 21. Motor; 22. Shaft; 23. Agitator blades; 24. Support frame; 25. Bearing; 3. Auxiliary components; 31. Gas supply pipe; 32. Ring pipe; 33. Air vent; 34. Air pump; 35. One-way check valve; 36. Filter element; 37. Fixed shell; 4. Feed pipe; 5. Discharge pipe; 6. Valve. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0025] This utility model provides: a phage culture device for crops, such as... Figures 1-5 As shown, the apparatus includes a container 1 for culturing bacteriophages. A stirring assembly 2 is installed in the middle of the container 1. An auxiliary assembly 3, which drives the flow of the culture medium and assists in mixing, is installed through the middle of the container 1 below the stirring assembly 2. The container 1 serves as the main container of the culture device, providing a closed space for bacteriophage culture. Its interior is used to contain the culture medium, host bacteria, and bacteriophages. The stirring assembly 2, installed in the middle of the container 1, mixes the culture medium through mechanical stirring. The auxiliary assembly 3, located below the stirring assembly 2, enhances the mixing effect through airflow.

[0026] The auxiliary component 3 includes a gas supply pipe 31 that runs through the side wall of the tank 1. The output end of the gas supply pipe 31 is located inside the tank 1 and is fitted with an annular pipe 32. The side wall of the annular pipe 32 has several sets of air vents 33 for discharging airflow. A gas pump 34, which drives the airflow, is installed in the middle of the gas supply pipe 31 outside the tank 1. The gas pump 34 serves as a power source, pressurizing external sterile air or nitrogen and inputting it into the gas supply pipe 31. The gas is then transported through the gas supply pipe 31 to the annular pipe 32 inside the tank 1 and discharged evenly through the air vents 33. The discharged airflow forms a fine bubble flow at the bottom of the tank 1. As the bubbles rise, they drive the culture medium upwards, creating a three-dimensional mixing flow field that works in tandem with the mechanical stirring of the stirring component 2. This design utilizes the combination of air pump 34 and annular tube 32 to upgrade single mechanical stirring to dual mixing of mechanical and airflow, effectively solving the problem of insufficient mixing in the bottom and edge areas of traditional devices. This allows nutrients and dissolved oxygen in the culture medium to be distributed more evenly, providing a good growth environment for host bacteria and thus improving the reproduction efficiency of bacteriophages.

[0027] The air pump (parameter 34) can operate at a flow rate of 5-15 m³ / h and an outlet pressure of 0.1-0.3 MPa. The 5-15 m³ / h flow rate is adaptable to different tank volumes, ensuring a moderate bubble rising speed. This avoids insufficient mixing due to too low a flow rate, while preventing foam overflow due to too high a flow rate. The 0.1-0.3 MPa outlet pressure maintains the gas pressure inside the pipe 5%-10% higher than the liquid pressure inside the tank, forming an effective air seal to prevent liquid backflow. Simultaneously, it ensures that the gas forms fine 2-3 mm bubbles when passing through 1-2 mm orifices, improving dissolved oxygen transfer efficiency.

[0028] Preferably, several groups of vents 33 are equidistantly distributed in a ring along the circumference of the annular tube 32, and the airflow from these vents 33 extends close to the bottom of the tank 1 and toward the inner wall. The equidistant distribution of the vents 33 along the circumference of the annular tube 32 ensures that a uniform bubble curtain is formed at the bottom of the tank 1, avoiding uneven mixing caused by localized dense or sparse bubbles. The direction of the airflow, close to the bottom of the tank and toward the inner wall, allows the bubbles to flow close to the bottom of the tank 1 during the initial rising phase, effectively carrying upward movement of nutrients and metabolic waste deposited at the bottom, while simultaneously pushing the culture medium near the tank wall toward the central area.

[0029] Furthermore, a one-way check valve 35 is installed in the middle of the gas supply pipe 31 between the air pump 34 and the tank 1, and an air filter element 36 is installed in the middle of the gas supply pipe 31 at the air inlet end of the air pump 34. The filter element 36 is installed at the air inlet end of the air pump 34 to purify the gas entering the gas supply pipe 31, intercepting large particulate impurities, microorganisms and other contaminants, ensuring that the gas entering the tank 1 is sterile and pure, and reducing the risk of bacterial contamination from the source; the one-way check valve 35 is located between the air pump 34 and the tank 1. When the air pump 34 stops working, the check valve 35 automatically closes to prevent the culture medium in the tank 1 from flowing back into the gas supply pipe 31 due to pressure difference, thus avoiding liquid blockage of the pipe or contamination of the gas source.

[0030] The one-way check valve 35 can operate at a pressure of 0.2-0.4 MPa. The operating pressure of 0.2-0.4 MPa covers the outlet pressure range of the air pump 34. When the air pump stops, the valve disc closes rapidly within 0.1 seconds, forming a tight seal using spring load to prevent liquid in the tank 1 from flowing back into the gas pipeline 31, protecting the gas system from contamination, and preventing liquid stagnation in the pipeline from breeding bacteria.

[0031] Furthermore, a fixed housing 37 is installed through the middle of the gas supply pipe 31, and the filter element 36 is detachably inserted into the middle of the fixed housing 37. The fixed housing 37 is fixed in the middle of the gas supply pipe 31, and its internal space is used to accommodate the filter element 36. The filter element 36 adopts a detachable insertion design, which is convenient for operators to replace or clean it regularly. After a period of operation, the surface of the filter element 36 will trap a large number of impurities and microorganisms. If it is not replaced in time, it may lead to a decrease in gas flow or a reduction in filtration efficiency. Through the detachable connection between the fixed housing 37 and the filter element 36, the operator does not need to disassemble the entire gas supply pipe 31. He only needs to open the fixed housing 37 to remove the old filter element and install the new filter element, which greatly simplifies the maintenance process and shortens the equipment downtime. This ensures the stable installation of the filter element 36, improves the maintainability of the device, ensures the long-term effective operation of the air intake filtration system, and continuously provides clean gas to the tank 1.

[0032] It is worth noting that the stirring assembly 2 includes a motor 21 mounted on the upper part of the tank 1. The output end of the motor 21 extends to the middle of the tank 1 and is connected to a rotating shaft 22. Several sets of stirring blades 23 are installed on the outer wall of the rotating shaft 22 inside the tank 1. The motor 21, mounted on the upper part of the tank 1, drives the rotating shaft 22 to rotate after being powered on, thereby driving the stirring blades 23 to mechanically stir the culture medium. The shape, angle, and rotation speed of the stirring blades 23 can be designed according to the culture requirements. The motor 21 drives the rotating shaft 22 to rotate, and the stirring blades 23 apply shear force and pushing force to the culture medium through different motion modes, which complements the airflow disturbance of the auxiliary assembly 3. When the airflow carries the culture medium at the bottom to rise, the stirring blades 23 simultaneously stir the liquid in the middle and at the top. The two work together to ensure that the culture medium is uniformly mixed throughout the entire area under the dual action of mechanical force and airflow force.

[0033] The motor (model 21) is available in power ranges from 5-30kW and speed ranges from 0-1500rpm. The 5-30kW power range covers small to large tanks, enabling both low-speed tumbling with the large bottom agitator blades to avoid shear damage to the host bacteria and high-speed dispersion with the small top agitator blades for rapid mixing of the inoculum. The variable frequency motor with adjustable speed can dynamically switch modes according to the culture stage; during the logarithmic growth phase, the speed is increased to enhance shearing and promote nutrient dispersion.

[0034] Specifically, a support frame 24 is installed inside the tank 1, above the annular tube 32. A bearing 25 is embedded in the middle of the support frame 24, and the bottom of the rotating shaft 22 is rotatably connected to the inner ring of the bearing 25. The support frame 24 is fixed inside the tank 1 and located above the annular tube 32, serving to support the bearing 25 and provide a stable rotation fulcrum for the bottom of the rotating shaft 22. The bearing 25 is embedded in the middle of the support frame 24 and rotatably connected to the bottom of the rotating shaft 22, reducing axial and radial sway during the rotation of the rotating shaft 22 and ensuring that the stirring blade 23 remains stable during high-speed rotation. This effectively improves the stability of the stirring assembly 2, minimizes the rotational friction of the rotating shaft 22, and at the same time, the support frame 24 bears the weight of the rotating shaft 22 and the reaction force generated during the stirring process, preventing the rotating shaft 22 from shifting or bending due to uneven force. The stable stirring component 2 can work more efficiently with the auxiliary component 3, so that the mechanical stirring of the stirring blade 23 and the airflow disturbance of the annular tube 32 form a stable synergistic effect, further optimizing the mixing effect of the culture medium and providing a stable growth environment for host bacteria and bacteriophages.

[0035] More specifically, the tank 1 has an inlet pipe 4 at the top and an outlet pipe 5 at the bottom. A valve 6 is installed in the middle of the outlet pipe 5 to control its opening and closing. The inlet pipe 4 is the input channel for materials such as culture medium, host bacteria, and bacteriophage strains, allowing operators to inject raw materials into the tank 1 before cultivation. The outlet pipe 5 is located at the bottom of the tank 1 and is used to discharge the culture medium containing bacteriophages after cultivation for subsequent separation and purification processes. The valve 6 is installed in the middle of the outlet pipe 5 and controls its opening and closing. Before cultivation, the inlet pipe 4 is opened, and the prepared culture medium and strains are transported into the tank 1 through the pipe. During cultivation, the inlet pipe 4 and valve 6 are closed to maintain the airtightness of the tank 1. After cultivation, valve 6 is opened, and the culture medium is discharged from the outlet pipe 5 under gravity or pressure. This design ensures the sealing and controllability of the cultivation process, preventing external contaminants from entering the tank 1 through the inlet pipe 4 or outlet pipe 5. At the same time, it facilitates operators to accurately control the input and output of materials according to the cultivation process, thereby improving the practicality and reliability of the cultivation device.

[0036] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A bacteriophage culture device for agricultural crops, characterized by: The container (1) includes a culture vessel for culturing bacteriophages. A stirring assembly (2) is installed in the middle of the container (1). An auxiliary assembly (3) for driving the flow of culture medium and assisting in mixing is installed through the middle of the container (1) below the stirring assembly (2). The auxiliary component (3) includes a gas supply pipe (31) that runs through the side wall of the tank (1). The output end of the gas supply pipe (31) is located inside the tank (1) and an annular pipe (32) is installed thereon. The side wall of the annular pipe (32) is provided with several sets of air holes (33) for discharging airflow. The middle part of the gas supply pipe (31) is located outside the tank (1) and an air pump (34) is installed to drive the airflow.

2. The phage culture device for crops according to claim 1, characterized in that: Several groups of vents (33) are distributed in an equidistant ring along the circumference of the annular tube (32), and the airflow of several groups of vents (33) is close to the bottom of the tank (1) and extends toward the inner wall.

3. The phage culture device for crops according to claim 1, characterized in that: A one-way check valve (35) is installed in the middle of the gas pipe (31) between the air pump (34) and the tank (1), and an air filter (36) is installed in the middle of the gas pipe (31) at the air inlet end of the air pump (34).

4. The phage culture device for crops according to claim 3, characterized in that: A fixed shell (37) is installed through the middle of the gas pipe (31), and the filter element (36) is detachably inserted into the middle of the fixed shell (37).

5. The phage culture device for crops according to claim 1, characterized in that: The stirring assembly (2) includes a motor (21) installed on the upper part of the tank (1). The output end of the motor (21) extends to the middle of the tank (1) and is connected to a rotating shaft (22). The outer wall of the rotating shaft (22) is located inside the tank (1) and is equipped with several sets of stirring blades (23).

6. The phage culture device for crops according to claim 5, characterized in that: Inside the tank (1), a support frame (24) is installed on the upper part of the annular tube (32). A bearing (25) is embedded in the middle of the support frame (24). The bottom of the rotating shaft (22) is rotatably connected to the inner ring of the bearing (25).

7. The phage culture device for crops according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tank (1) has an inlet pipe (4) and an outlet pipe (5) at the top and bottom respectively, and a valve (6) for controlling the on / off state is installed in the middle of the outlet pipe (5).

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