Reactor having dynamic sparger

Abstract

To provide systems and methods relating to dynamic spargers for generating fine bubbles within reactors such as biological and chemical reactors.SOLUTION: A sparger system is positioned within a reactor 102 and comprises a support plate 104, multiple annular shrouds 105 engaged with the support plate, and spargers 106 positioned within the annular shrouds, defining a gap 107 between an interior surface of the annular shroud and an exterior surface of the corresponding sparger. Liquid 101 flows through the defined gap between the interior surface of the annular shroud and the exterior surface of the sparger. Acceleration of the liquid through the gap shears bubbles 103 at the exterior surface of the sparger, creating bubbles or fine bubbles.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross - reference to Related Applications This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 263,50 7, filed on November 3, 2021, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0002] The embodiments described herein generally relate to systems and methods for injecting bubbles into a liquid. In particular, the systems and methods disclosed herein generally relate to dynamic spargers for generating bubbles or micro - bubbles and injecting them into a liquid broth within a chemical or biological reactor. Further, systems and methods for injecting fine bubbles of a gaseous carbon substrate into a liquid microbial culture contained within a bioreactor for biologically fermenting a carbon substrate to produce useful products, such as ethanol or other chemicals, are disclosed herein.

Background Art

[0003] A sparger is a device for injecting gas into a liquid. When gas is injected from a sparger into a liquid, bubbles are formed in the liquid. Conventional systems that use spargers to generate and inject bubbles into a liquid during an industrial process are well known. To maximize the conversion of a gaseous substrate injected into a liquid within a bioreactor to a useful fermentation product, the sparger needs to increase the gas flow rate passing through the sparger to generate small bubbles. However, in conventional sparger systems, as the gas flow rate increases, the bubble size of the sparger increases, so it is not possible to achieve the required small bubble size. Therefore, fine bubbles can be generated at higher gas flow rates in the bioreactor, resulting in high productivity. There is a need for a sparger system that can achieve this. The conventional "frit and sleeve" method consists of a porous ring (frit) surrounded by a groove. "The sparger system is typically external to the reactor, resulting in an inefficient setup. , the required installation area increases.

[0004] The sparger system disclosed herein overcomes the limitations of previous and conventional reactor systems. Specifically, the sparger system and substrate feed gas disclosed herein are The method of injection into the aqueous broth of a reactor, e.g., a bioreactor, allows for small bubble sizes, Increased gas flow through the sparger and for higher reactor / bioreactor productivity Further, the spargers disclosed herein achieve higher gas and liquid superficial velocities for The system, in contrast to conventional systems, is constructed entirely within the reactor. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The following presents a simplified summary of various embodiments described herein. This summary is intended to provide a broad Rather than identifying key or essential elements, the summary does not attempt to fully describe the claims. The following summary is not intended to be exhaustive or to be comprehensive. It merely presents some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the current discussion.

[0006] The limitations of the above-mentioned previous systems are overcome, as will become apparent upon reading and understanding this specification. To overcome other limitations, the embodiments described herein are suitable for use in biological reactors and chemical reactors. A system and method for efficiently injecting bubbles into a liquid contained within a reactor are targeted to do so.

[0007] In one embodiment, the system disclosed herein relates to injecting bubbles into a liquid. This system can include a support plate, a plurality of annular shrouds that engage with the support plate, and a plurality of spargers disposed within the annular shrouds. In some embodiments , the support plate and at least one annular shroud are integrated into a single component. In some embodiments, a gap can be defined between the inner surface of the shroud and the outer surface of the sparger. In some embodiments, the support plate, the annular shroud, and the sparger can be disposed entirely inside the reactor. In some embodiments, the length of the sparger is at least 10 cm, and the width of the gap between the inner surface of the shroud and the outer surface of the sparger can be from about 1 mm to about 20 mm. In another embodiment, the support plate, the annular shroud, and the sparger can be disposed at the top or bottom of the reactor. The plurality of spargers can engage with a plurality of headers and can be configured to receive a gas supply from the plurality of headers. In some embodiments , the plurality of headers can further include a baffle configured to disperse a fluid containing liquid and bubbles. In yet another embodiment, the liquid can be at least partially recirculated liquid. In some embodiments, the support plate further includes a plurality of perforations, and the annular shroud can be disposed within about 20 degrees of the vertical axis of the reactor. In one embodiment, the plurality of support plates can form multiple layers or stages inside the reactor, and the plurality of support plates can be spaced apart from each other. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the liquid can be a liquid that is at least partially recirculated. In some embodiments, the support plate further includes a plurality of perforations, and the annular shroud can be disposed within about 20 degrees of the vertical axis of the reactor. In one embodiment, the plurality of support plates can form multiple layers or stages inside the reactor, and the plurality of support plates can be spaced apart from each other. embodiment, the plurality of support plates can form multiple layers or stages inside the reactor, and the plurality of The support plate can comprise a plurality of annular shrouds, and a plurality of spargers can be arranged within the plurality of annular shrouds.

[0008] In one embodiment, the reactor can be a bioreactor comprising a liquid growth medium and a substrate containing at least one C1 carbon source. In some embodiments, the plurality of spargers can be configured to inject bubbles of the substrate into the liquid growth medium. In another embodiment, the bioreactor can contain a culture of at least one microorganism in the liquid growth medium, and the culture of at least one microorganism can anaerobically ferment the substrate to produce at least one fermentation product.

[0009] In yet another embodiment, the systems and methods disclosed herein relate to a method of sparging bubbles in a liquid, the method comprising sparging a gas into a reactor containing a liquid by a plurality of spargers disposed within the reactor and configured to emit bubbles, directing the flow of the liquid across the outer surface of the spargers by a plurality of annular shrouds surrounding the plurality of spargers within the reactor, and shearing the bubbles at the surface of the plurality of spargers by the flow of the liquid across the outer surface of the spargers. In some embodiments, the method can further comprise accelerating the flow of the liquid across the outer surface of the spargers by a gap formed between the inner surface of the annular shroud and the outer surface of the spargers. In some embodiments, the accelerated flow of the liquid across the outer surface of the spargers can have a liquid superficial velocity of at least 0.3 m / s, and the accelerated flow of the liquid across the outer surface of the plurality of spargers can have a velocity of from about 0.3 m / s to about 10 m / s. s It may also be s. In yet another embodiment, the sheared bubbles may have a diameter of about 0.2 mm ~ about 2.0 mm, and the superficial gas velocity in the gas phase in the vessel may be at least 0.03 m / s It may also be. In one embodiment, the superficial gas velocity in the gas phase in the vessel is about 0.03 m / s to about 0. 1 m / s. In yet another embodiment, the bubbles may be bubbles of the substrate in a bioreactor capable of containing a liquid growth medium In another embodiment, the culture of at least one microorganism in the liquid growth medium may aerobically ferment the substrate to produce at least One fermentation product may be produced.

[0010] These features, along with many other features, will be described in more detail below.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011] The embodiments described herein and their advantages can be more fully understood by referring to the following description in consideration of the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference numerals indicate similar features In the drawings, similar reference numerals indicate similar features.

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] In the following description of various embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and which illustrate by way of example various embodiments in which the described embodiments may be practiced. Other embodiments may be utilized and structural and functional modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the described embodiments. It should be understood that the embodiments described herein are capable of other embodiments and may be practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, the expressions and terms used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. Rather, the phrases and terms used herein should be accorded the broadest interpretation and meaning. "Comprising" and "including" and their derivatives are to be interpreted inclusively. It should be understood that the expressions and terms used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. Rather, the phrases and terms used herein should be accorded the broadest interpretation and meaning. "Comprising" and "including" and their derivatives are to be interpreted inclusively. The use of variations means including the items listed hereinafter and their equivalents, as well as additional items and their equivalents. The terms "attached", "connected", "engaged", "fluidly engaged", "coupled", "disposed", "configured", "oriented", and the like are used to mean both direct and indirect attachment, connection, engagement, arrangement and engagement.

[0019] The sparger may be equipped with a device that introduces gas injected as bubbles into the liquid, stirs it, or dissolves the gas in the liquid. Examples of spargers include orifice spargers, sintered spargers, and drilled pipe spargers. In certain configurations, the perforated pipe sparger may be mounted horizontally. In another embodiment the sparger may be mounted vertically or horizontally. In some embodiments the sparger may be a perforated plate or ring, sintered glass, sintered steel, porous rubber pipe, porous metal pipe, porous ceramic or stainless steel pipe, perforated pipe, stainless steel perforated pipe, polymer perforated pipe, etc. The sparger may be of various grades (porosity) and may be provided with orifices of a specific size to generate bubbles of a specific size or a range of bubble sizes.

[0020] The systems and methods disclosed herein employ a sparger configuration for generating fine bubbles, increase the gas flow rate through the sparger, and increase the gas superficial velocity and the liquid superficial velocity to obtain high productivity of the reactor. The improvement in the productivity of the reactor is achieved by injecting into the liquid broth By increasing the amount of gaseous substrate available for fermentation by the introduced microorganisms and by increasing the specific interfacial area defined as the total surface area of the bubbles in the unit volume of the reactor, this can be achieved. The specific interfacial area is inversely proportional to the bubble size and directly proportional to the gas hold-up. Here, the gas hold-up is the volume of gas present in the unit volume of the fluid in which the bubbles are dispersed. Generating fine bubbles and reducing the bubble size increases the specific interfacial area. The increase in the specific interfacial area improves mass transfer from the gas to the liquid. In embodiments where the reactor is a bioreactor, the improved mass transfer from the gas to the liquid ultimately increases the amount of substrate gas available for conversion to useful fermentation products, such as ethanol and other chemicals, and supplies it to the microorganisms. Examples of systems and methods used to generate bubbles include those described in U.S. Patent No. 9,327,251, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. Higher reactor productivity can also be achieved by a higher gas hold-up associated with an increase in the overall gas superficial velocity and liquid superficial velocity in the reactor. The increase in the gas superficial velocity and liquid superficial velocity can be used to break down or shear the sparger bubbles into the desired fine bubble size. In the downflow operation, the fine bubbles experience a buoyancy force smaller than the drag force exerted by the liquid, so a downward flow of the entire fluid is generated, carrying the fine bubbles and the liquid downward in the reactor. The downward flow of the fluid helps to extend the residence time of the microorganisms in the liquid, extending the time for the microorganisms to convert the fine bubbles of the substrate in the bioreactor into the desired products. This can be achieved. The specific interfacial area is inversely proportional to the bubble size and directly proportional to the gas hold-up. Here, the gas hold-up is the volume of gas present in the unit volume of the fluid in which the bubbles are dispersed. Generating fine bubbles and reducing the bubble size increases the specific interfacial area. The increase in the specific interfacial area improves mass transfer from the gas to the liquid. In embodiments where the reactor is a bioreactor, the improved mass transfer from the gas to the liquid ultimately increases the amount of substrate gas available for conversion to useful fermentation products, such as ethanol and other chemicals, and supplies it to the microorganisms. Examples of systems and methods used to generate bubbles include those described in U.S. Patent No. 9, ,327,251, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. Higher reactor productivity can also be achieved by a higher gas hold-up associated with an increase in the overall gas superficial velocity and liquid superficial velocity in the reactor. This can be achieved by a higher gas hold-up. The increase in the gas superficial velocity and liquid superficial velocity can be used to break down or shear the sparger bubbles into the desired fine bubble size. In the downflow operation, the fine bubbles experience a buoyancy force smaller than the drag force exerted by the liquid, so a downward flow of the entire fluid is generated, carrying the fine bubbles and the liquid downward in the reactor. The downward flow of the fluid helps to extend the residence time of the microorganisms in the liquid, extending the time for the microorganisms to convert the fine bubbles of the substrate in the bioreactor into the desired products.

[0021] The sparger system disclosed herein is a chimney shroud tube or an annular shroud Using a plate that engages with the column and a cylindrical sparger configured entirely within the reactor is possible. Generally, the inner diameter of the annular shroud may be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical sparger configured within the annular shroud. When liquid is pumped into the system the liquid is forced through the restricted space or gap between the sparger and the annular shroud . As the liquid passes through the gap, it is accelerated and the shear rate imposed by the liquid near the surface of the sparger increases. The increase in shear rate causes the bubble size of the gas injected from the sparger into the liquid to decrease, generating fine bubbles .

[0022] FIG. 1 schematically shows a bioreactor system 100 comprising a reactor 102. The bioreactor system 100 can comprise any device that can be used in a fermentation process or a chemical conversion process . The reactor 102 is a vessel or container into which one or more gas and liquid streams or flows 101 can be introduced for bubble generation and / or fine bubble generation and for subsequent gas-liquid contact, gas absorption, biological or chemical reactions, such as microbial fermentation . The terms “microbial fermentation”, or “fermentation”, or “gas fermentation” etc. may be construed as a process that receives one or more gaseous substrates and produces one or more fermentation products by utilization of one or more C1-fixing microorganisms . The gaseous substrate may be from an industrial process, or may be synthesis gas, or may be any combination thereof . Synthesis gas may be obtained from a reforming, partial oxidation, or gasification process. “C1-fixing microorganisms” are one or more microorganisms that can utilize a C1 carbon source to produce one or more fermentation products . The gaseous substrate may be from an industrial process, or may be synthesis gas, or may be any combination thereof . Synthesis gas may be obtained from a reforming, partial oxidation, or gasification process . “C1-fixing microorganisms” are one or more microorganisms that can utilize a C1 carbon source ​​​​A microorganism or microorganism that produces a plurality of fermentation products. Typically, the microorganisms of the present disclosure are C1-fixing bacteria. A "C1 carbon source" refers to a one-carbon molecule that functions as a partial or sole carbon source for the microorganism. For example, the C1 carbon source can include one or more of CO, CO2, CH4, CH3OH, or CH2O2. In one embodiment, the C1 carbon source includes one or both of CO and CO2. The fermentation process may involve the use of one or more bioreactors. As used herein, the terms "fermentation," "fermentation process," or "fermentation reaction," etc. are intended to encompass both the growth phase and the product biosynthesis phase of the gaseous substrate. Examples of C1-fixing microorganisms include Moorella, Clostridium, Ruminococcus, Acetobacterium, Eubacterium, Butyribacterium, Oxobacter, Methanosarcina, Desulfotomaculum, Clostridium autoethanogenum, and combinations thereof. In one embodiment, the C1-fixing microorganism is Clostridium autoethanogenum, Clostridium ljungdahlii, or Clostridium ragsdalei. In some embodiments, the liquid 101 is recycled within the system 100. The fluids disclosed herein may include liquids, bubbles, and / or microbubbles. The fermentation broth or liquid 101 may be any mixture of the components disclosed herein, such as a nutrient medium and For example, the C1 carbon source can include one or more of CO, CO2, CH4, CH3OH, or CH2O2. In one embodiment, the C1 carbon source includes one or both of CO and CO2. The fermentation process may involve the use of one or more bioreactors. As used herein, the terms "fermentation," "fermentation process," or "fermentation reaction," etc. are intended to encompass both the growth phase and the product biosynthesis phase of the gaseous substrate. Examples of C1-fixing microorganisms include Moorella, Clostridium, Ruminococcus, Acetobacterium, Eubacterium, Butyribacterium, Oxobacter, Methanosarcina, Desulfotomaculum, Clostridium autoethanogenum, and combinations thereof. In one embodiment, the C1-fixing microorganism is Clostridium autoethanogenum, Clostridium ljungdahlii, or Clostridium ragsdalei. For example, the C1 carbon source can include one or more of CO, CO2, CH4, CH3OH, or CH2O2. In one embodiment, the C1 carbon source includes one or both of CO and CO2. The fermentation process may involve the use of one or more bioreactors. As used herein, the terms "fermentation," "fermentation process," or "fermentation reaction," etc. are intended to encompass both the growth phase and the product biosynthesis phase of the gaseous substrate. Examples of C1-fixing microorganisms include Moorella, Clostridium, Ruminococcus, Acetobacterium, Eubacterium, Butyribacterium, Oxobacter, Methanosarcina, Desulfotomaculum, Clostridium autoethanogenum, and combinations thereof. In one embodiment, the C1-fixing microorganism is Clostridium autoethanogenum, Clostridium ljungdahlii, or Clostridium ragsdalei. In some embodiments, the liquid 101 is recycled within the system 100. The fluids disclosed herein may include liquids, bubbles, and / or microbubbles. The fermentation broth or liquid 101 may be any mixture of the components disclosed herein, such as a nutrient medium and In some embodiments, the liquid 101 is recycled within the system 100. The fluids disclosed herein may include liquids, bubbles, and / or microbubbles. The fermentation broth or liquid 101 may be any mixture of the components disclosed herein, such as a nutrient medium and In some embodiments, the liquid 101 is recycled within the system 100. The fluids disclosed herein may include liquids, bubbles, and / or microbubbles. The fermentation broth or liquid 101 may be any mixture of the components disclosed herein, such as a nutrient medium and In some embodiments, the liquid 101 is recycled within the system 100. The fluids disclosed herein may include liquids, bubbles, and / or microbubbles. The fermentation broth or liquid 101 may be any mixture of the components disclosed herein, such as a nutrient medium and In some embodiments, the liquid 101 is recycled within the system 100. The fluids disclosed herein may include liquids, bubbles, and / or microbubbles. The fermentation broth or liquid 101 may be any mixture of the components disclosed herein, such as a nutrient medium and In some embodiments, the liquid 101 is recycled within the system 100. The fluids disclosed herein may include liquids, bubbles, and / or microbubbles. The fermentation broth or liquid 101 may be any mixture of the components disclosed herein, such as a nutrient medium and In some embodiments, the liquid 101 is recycled within the system 100. The fluids disclosed herein may include liquids, bubbles, and / or microbubbles. The fermentation broth or liquid 101 may be any mixture of the components disclosed herein, such as a nutrient medium and In some embodiments, the liquid 101 is recycled within the system 100. The fluids disclosed herein may include liquids, bubbles, and / or microbubbles. The fermentation broth or liquid 101 may be any mixture of the components disclosed herein, such as a nutrient medium and In some embodiments, the liquid 101 is recycled within the system 100. The fluids disclosed herein may include liquids, bubbles, and / or microbubbles. The fermentation broth or liquid 101 may be any mixture of the components disclosed herein, such as a nutrient medium and In some embodiments, the liquid 101 is recycled within the system 100. The fluids disclosed herein may include liquids, bubbles, and / or microbubbles. The fermentation broth or liquid 101 may be any mixture of the components disclosed herein, such as a nutrient medium and In some embodiments, the liquid 101 is recycled within the system 100. The fluids disclosed herein may include liquids, bubbles, and / or microbubbles. The fermentation broth or liquid 101 may be any mixture of the components disclosed herein, such as a nutrient medium and

[0023] In some embodiments, the liquid 101 is recycled within the system 100. The fluids disclosed herein may include liquids, bubbles, and / or microbubbles. The fermentation broth or liquid 101 may be any mixture of the components disclosed herein, such as a nutrient medium and In some embodiments, the liquid 101 is recycled within the system 100. The fluids disclosed herein may include liquids, bubbles, and / or microbubbles. The fermentation broth or liquid 101 may be any mixture of the components disclosed herein, such as a nutrient medium and In some embodiments, the liquid 101 is recycled within the system 100. The fluids disclosed herein may include liquids, bubbles, and / or microbubbles. The fermentation broth or liquid 101 may be any mixture of the components disclosed herein, such as a nutrient medium and It may contain a culture or one or more microorganisms. In the fermentation process, the fermentation broth is utilized to ferment the substrate bubbles or microbubbles into one or more fermentation products . The bacterial culture can be maintained in an aqueous medium containing sufficient nutrients, vitamins, and / or minerals to enable the growth of microorganisms. The bioreactor system 100 may be composed of one or more of the reactor 102 and / or a tower or piping arrangement . Suitable bioreactors include, for example, a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR), an immobilized cell reactor (ICR), a trickle bed reactor (TBR), a bubble column, a gas lift fermenter, a static mixer, a circulation loop reactor, a membrane reactor, for example, a hollow fiber membrane bioreactor (HFM BR), or other vessels, or other devices suitable for gas-liquid contact .

[0024] The reactor 102 is not limited to any specific embodiment, for example, the ratio of height to diameter, nor is it limited to any specific material, and can be composed of any material suitable for the treatment, such as stainless steel or PVC. The reactor 102 may contain internal components, such as one or more static mixers common in biological and chemical engineering processes . The reactor 102 may also be composed of an external or internal heating or cooling element, such as a water jacket. The reactor 102 may also be in fluid contact with a pump to circulate or recirculate the liquid, bubbles, microbubbles, and / or fluids 101, 101a, and 111 of the system 100 . As shown in FIG. 1, the dimensions of the components of the bioreactor system 100 vary according to the required application or process . is possible. According to certain embodiments, the diameter of the reactor 102 can be, for example, about 0.5, 1. 0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, 6. 0, 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0, 8.5, 9.0, 9.5, 10.0, 10.5, 11.0, 11.5, 12.0, 12.5, 13.0, 13.5, 14.0, 14.5, 15.0, 15.5, 16.0, 16.5, 17.0, 17.5, 18.0, 18.5, 19.0, 19.5, greater than, less than, equal to, or ~ any value between about 20.0 meters can be. According to other embodiments, the length of the reactor 102 can be, for example for example 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0, 8.5, 9.0, 9. 5, 10.0, 10.5, 11.0, 11.5, 12.0, 12.5, 13.0, 13. 5, 14.0, 14.5, 15.0, 15.5, 16.0, 16.5, 17.0, 17. 5, 18.0, 18.5, 19.0, 19.5, 20.5, 21.5, 22.0, 22. 5, 23.0, 23.5, 24.0, 24.5, 25.0, 26.0, 27.0, 28. 0, 29.0, 30.0, 31.0, 32.0, 33.0, 34.0, 35.0, 36. 0, 37.0, 38.0, 39.0, 40.0, 41.0, 42.0, 43.0, 44. 0, 45.0, 46.0, 47.0, 48.0, 49.0, greater than, less than, equal to, or ~ any value between about 50.0 meters can be.

[0025] In the reactor 102, the gas phase and the liquid phase, for example the fluid 111, flows or circulates vertically as shown in FIG. 2, including a substantially downward flow, or for example a substantially upward flow. It can be. As shown in the reactor 102 of FIG. 1, the gas phase and the liquid phase in the fluid 111 can normally flow downward in the reactor 102. The liquid hourly space velocity V in the reactor L is as follows The formula for V L =Q L / A C can be calculated by the formula, where Q L is the volumetric flow rate of the liquid (m 3 / s), and A C is the cross-sectional area of the reactor. Therefore, the liquid hourly space velocity represents the velocity of the liquid phase when the liquid phase occupies the entire cross-sectional area of the reactor. For the same liquid flow rate, the gas flow rate can vary according to the actual application. The superficial gas velocity V in the gas phase can be obtained by the following formula V G =Q G =Q G / A C where Q G is the volumetric flow rate of the gas injected from the sparger into the liquid (m / s), and A 3 is the cross-sectional area of the reactor. Therefore, the superficial gas velocity represents the velocity of the gas phase when the gas phase occupies the entire cross-sectional area of the reactor. In some C embodiments, the superficial gas velocity in the vessel may be at least 0.03 m / s . In another embodiment, the superficial gas velocity in the vessel is about 0.03 m / s to about 0.1 m / s . In still another embodiment, the superficial gas velocity in the vessel is, for example, about 0.01, 0. 02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05, 0.06, 0.07, 0.08, 0.09, 0. 10, 0.12, 0.13, 0.14, greater than, less than, equal to, or between about 0 02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05, 0.06, 0.07, 0.08, 0.09, 0. 10, 0.12, 0.13, 0.14, and any value between about 0 .15 m / s. In yet another embodiment, the The superficial gas velocity may be, for example, about 0.03 to 0.06 m / s. In one embodiment the superficial liquid velocity may be at least about 0.3 m / s. As described above, increasing the gas superficial velocity and the liquid superficial velocity has the beneficial effect of breaking down or shearing the sparger bubbles into the desired fine bubble size.

[0026] The bioreactor system 100 may include at least one sparger 106 for introducing a gaseous substrate injected as bubbles into the liquid 101 and for stirring the gas or dissolving the gas in the liquid 101. The sparger 106 may be mounted in a horizontal or vertical position. In some embodiments, the sparger 106 is an orifice sparger, a sintered sparger, or a perforated pipe sparger, a perforated plate or ring, sintered glass, sintered steel, porous rubber pipe, porous metal pipe, porous ceramic or stainless steel pipe, perforated pipe, stainless steel perforated pipe, or a polymeric perforated pipe. The sparger 106 may be of various grades (porosities) and may have orifices of a particular size to produce bubbles of a particular size. The porosity of the sparger is typically designed to avoid weeping, which occurs when the kinetic energy of the gas flowing through the pores is not sufficient to maintain the liquid head above the sparger pores. The operating velocity of the gas through the pores is designed to be significantly faster than the weeping velocity to ensure uniform sparging. The sparger 106 may be, for example, about 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 、 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, greater than, less than equal to, or may have any length between ~ about 50 cm. The bioreactor system 100 can be adapted to receive a gaseous substrate containing a C1 carbon source that is injected into the liquid broth 101 by the sparger 106 via the header 108.

[0027] The bioreactor system 100 may include a support plate 104. The support plate 104 may be configured to engage at least one annular shroud 105. The diameter of the annular shroud 105 may be larger than the diameter of the sparger 106. Thus, the sparger 106 can be configured to be disposed within the annular shroud 105 that defines a gap or restricted region 107 between the outer wall of the sparger 106 and the inner wall of the annular shroud 105. In some embodiments, the width of the gap 107 is about 1 - 20 mm. In another embodiment, the width of the gap 107 is, for example, about 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 , 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 4 4, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, greater than, less than, equal to, or any value between ~ about 50 mm.

[0028] The sparger 106 and the annular shroud 105 may be disposed entirely within the interior of the reactor 102. In some embodiments, the support plate 104, the annular shroud 105, and the sparger 106 may be disposed at the top or upper portion of the reactor 102. Placing the support plate 104, the annular shroud 105, and the sparger 106 at the upper portion of the reactor 102 has the additional advantage of reducing the hydrostatic pressure at the top of the reactor 102 and promoting an improved mass transfer rate from the gas to the liquid while reducing the energy requirements. In some embodiments, the systems and methods disclosed herein achieve a mass transfer rate from gas to liquid of at least 125 m / min. In another embodiment, the mass transfer rate from gas to liquid can be any value between, for example, greater than, less than, equal to, or ~ about 200 m / min, such as about 100, 105, 110, 115, 120 、125、130、135、140、145、150、155、160、165、170 3 、175、180、185、190、195, and above. Alternatively, the support plate 104 、the annular shroud 105, and the sparger 106 may be disposed at the bottom or lower portion of the reactor 102. In yet other embodiments, the support plate 104, the annular shroud 105, and the sparger 106 may be disposed in the upper one - third portion, the upper two - thirds portion, or the lower one - third portion of the reactor 102. In some embodiments, the annular shroud 105 may be made of standard pipe, seamless pipe, welded pipe, custom - made pipe, or combinations thereof. The components of the annular shroud 105 may be coated arc welded, gas tungsten 3 welded, or the like. In some embodiments, the annular shroud 105 may be made of standard pipe, seamless pipe, welded pipe, custom - made pipe, or combinations thereof. The components of the annular shroud 105 may be coated arc welded, gas tungsten welded, or the like. In some embodiments, the annular shroud 105 may be made of standard pipe, seamless pipe, welded pipe, custom - made pipe, or combinations thereof. The components of the annular shroud 105 may be coated arc welded, gas tungsten welded, or the like. Sten arc welding, gas metal arc welding, flux cored arc welding, submerged arc welding, electro slag welding can be joined or fixed to the support plate 104, or can be manufactured by a tube sheet joint in-situ rolling technology that does not require welding. In another embodiment, to prevent damage to the microorganisms during fermentation, silver brazing should be avoided. In yet another embodiment, the support plate 104 may be provided with perforations 109 to facilitate the removal or discharge of solid fragments. In some embodiments, a plurality of support plates 104 may form a plurality of vertical layers within the reactor 102. Each vertical layer of the support plate 104 may include a plurality of annular shrouds 105 and a plurality of spargers 106. In yet another embodiment, the annular shroud 105 can be arranged substantially perpendicular to the support plate 104. In other embodiments, the annular shroud may be arranged at any value greater than, less than, equal to, or ~ about 30 degrees from, for example, the vertical axis of the reactor 102, such as about 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 1 6, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and above. In other embodiments, the annular shroud may be arranged at any value greater than, less than, equal to, or ~ about 30 degrees from, for example, the vertical axis of the reactor 102, such as about 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 1

[0029] As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid broth 101 enters the top of the reactor 102. The gas substrate is injected into the liquid 101 within the reactor 102 by a sparger 106 connected to the gas supply / header 108. At least a portion of the flow of the liquid 101 is directed across the outer surface of the sparger 10 6. In some embodiments, substantially all of the flow of the liquid 101 is directed across the outer surface of the sparger 106. When the liquid 101 reaches the annular shroud When pushed into the gap 107 defined by the outer walls of the loud 105 and the sparger 106 the liquid is accelerated while moving along the vertical lengths of the sparger 106 and the annular shroud 105. The accelerated liquid 101a shears the injected bubbles on the surface of the sparger 10 6 and breaks down the injected bubbles into fine bubbles 103. The sheared fine bubbles 103 may have a diameter of about 0.2 to about 2.0 mm. According to another embodiment, the diameter of the fine bubbles is, for example, about 0.001, 0.002, 0.003, 0.004, 0. 005, 0.006, 0.007, 0.008, 0.009, 0.01, 0.02, 0. 03, 0.04, 0.05, 0.06, 0.07, 0.08, 0.09, 0.1, 0.2 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1.0, 1.1, 1.2 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 2.0, 2.1, 2.2 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 4.0, 4.1, 4.2 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7, 4.8, 4.9, greater than, less than, equal to, or any value between ~ about 5.0 mm. The accelerated flow of the liquid 101a across the outer surface of the sparger 1 06 may have a velocity of at least 0.3 m / s. In another embodiment, the accelerated flow of the liquid 101a across the outer surface of the sparger 106 may have a velocity of about 0.3 to about 10 m / s. In another embodiment, the sp The accelerated flow of the liquid 101a across the outer surface of the arger 106 may be, for example, about 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.25, 0.3, 0.35, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 、 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, greater than, less than, equal to, or may have a liquid space velocity of any value between ~ about 30 m / s.

[0030] According to another embodiment, the sparger 106 may be disposed at the bottom of the reactor 102 or in the middle of the reactor 10 2. According to another embodiment, the sparger 106 may be disposed horizontally direction. According to yet another embodiment, the sparger 106 is disposed in the reactor 1 02, including the upper, middle, and lower parts, at a plurality of positions across the entire reactor 102. According to yet another embodiment, the sparger 106 is a ring sparger or a perforated pipe sparger. According to one embodiment, the individual sparger 106 and header 108 facilitate the replacement of the reactor structure and / or components, general maintenance, cleaning, or are configured as modular components that allow the reactor system to be expandable according to requirements. According to another embodiment, a multi-stage sp arger 106 and header 108 may be stacked within the reactor 102. According to yet another embodiment, the sparger 106 may be configured to extend vertically below the header 108 or the sparger 106 may be configured to extend vertically above the header 108 . According to another embodiment, a single stage or stack of the header 108, for example, is about 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, greater than, less than, equal to, or ~ about 2 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, greater than, less than, equal to, or ~ about 2 Any number of individual headers 108 between 0 may be provided. In some embodiments, the he ader 108 may be configured as an annular gas supply. In yet another embodiment, the flow of fluid 111 may be dispersed throughout the reactor 102 using one or more fluid distributors ( (not shown). In one embodiment, the fluid distributor is located near the fluid outlet of the gap 107. The fluid distributor may be an impermeable plate or vane or trough. The fluid distributor may be attached to the end of the sparger 106 and extend at least partially across the region below the gap 107 below the sparger 106. The fluid distributor may be an impermeable plate or vane or trough. The fluid distributor may be attached to the end of the sparger 106 and extend at least partially across the region below the gap 107 below the sparger 106.

[0031] Figure 2 shows another arrangement of the sparger system of Figure 1. As shown in Figure 2, the liquid 201 and the fluid 211 having both a gas phase and a liquid phase can flow or circulate in a generally vertically upward direction within a loop reactor system. The support plate 204 is housed within the reactor. Again, the support plate 204 can be configured to engage at least one annular shroud 205. The diameter of the annular shroud 205 may be larger than the diameter of the sparger 206. Thus, the sparger 206 can be configured to be disposed within the annular shroud 205 that defines a gap or restricted region 207 between the outer wall of the sparger 206 and the inner wall of the annular shroud 205. The sparger 206 can be fluidly engaged with the header 208 through an extension 213 extending therefrom. The header 208 can be configured to receive the gaseous substrate injected into the liquid broth 201 by the sparger 206. The liquid broth 201 enters from the bottom of the reactor. The liquid 201 and the fluid 211 having both a gas phase and a liquid phase can flow or circulate in a generally vertically upward direction within a loop reactor system. The support plate 204 is housed within the reactor. Again, the support plate 204 can be configured to engage at least one annular shroud 205. The diameter of the annular shroud 205 may be larger than the diameter of the sparger 206. Thus, the sparger 206 can be configured to be disposed within the annular shroud 205 that defines a gap or restricted region 207 between the outer wall of the sparger 206 and the inner wall of the annular shroud 205. The sparger 206 can be configured to be disposed within the annular shroud 205 that defines a gap or restricted region 207 between the outer wall of the sparger 206 and the inner wall of the annular shroud 205. The sparger 206 can be fluidly engaged with the header 208 through an extension 213 extending therefrom. The header 208 can be configured to receive the gaseous substrate injected into the liquid broth 201 by the sparger 206. The liquid broth 201 enters from the bottom of the reactor. The liquid broth 201 enters from the bottom of the reactor. This is also acceptable. At least a part 201a of the liquid 201 is directed across the outer surface of the sparger 206. in this way. In some embodiments, substantially all of the flow of the liquid 201 is directed across the outer surface of the sparger 206. When the liquid 201 is forced into the gap 207 defined by the annular shroud 205 and the outer wall of the sparger 206, the liquid 20 1 is accelerated as it moves vertically upward through the gap 207. The accelerated liquid 201 a shears the injected bubbles on the outer surface of the sparger 206 to generate fine bubbles 203. The vertical extension 213 extending from the header 208 may include a baffle 215 configured to redirect or deflect the flow of the fluid 211 to prevent a dead zone of stagnant fluid. The support plate 204 may also include holes or perforations 217 for discharging and circulating the stagnant fluid regions. In one embodiment, the annular shroud can be disposed within a guide (not shown) to control the adjustment with its concentric sparger. As shown in FIG. 2, disposing the header 208 above the sparger 206 is advantageous because this configuration does not impede the upward flow of the liquid and bubbles. Further, the system components may be modular to facilitate the construction, maintenance, and replacement of the components within the system, including the sparger 106. In some embodiments, the header 208 may be permanently installed within the reactor, and then the sparger 106 may be attached to the vertical extension 213 and / or the header 208. The sparger 206 and the vertical extension 213 can be easily transported and inserted into the reaction vessel and individually connected to the vessel.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 2, placing the header 208 above the sparger 206 is advantageous because this configuration does not impede the upward flow of the liquid and bubbles. Further, the system configuration components, including the sparger 106, may be modular to facilitate the construction, maintenance, and replacement of the components within the system. In some embodiments, the header 208 may be permanently installed within the reactor, and then the sparger 106 may be attached to the vertical extension 213 and / or the header 208. The sparger 206 and the vertical extension 213 can be easily transported and inserted into the reaction vessel and individually connected to the vessel. and the vertical extension 213 are easily transported and inserted into the reaction vessel and individually connected to the vessel. It may be a series of individual parts / components that are joined. Similar to the system shown in FIG. 1, the system shown in FIG. 2 may include a plurality of headers 208, and the plurality of support plates 204 may form a plurality of vertical layers within the reactor. Each vertical layer of the support plates 204 may include a plurality of annular shrouds 205 and a plurality of spargers 206 that are in fluid engagement with the plurality of vertical extensions 213 and headers 208. In some embodiments, the reaction vessel may be, for example, about 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 4 2, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 8 2, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95 96, 97, 98, 99, more than, less than, equal to, or between about 100 any number of vertical layers of support plates. In some embodiments, each vertical layer may be, for example, about 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 1 4, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 5 4, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 8 2, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, or more vertical layers of support plates. In some embodiments, each vertical layer may include, for example, about 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, or more annular shrouds 205 and a plurality of spargers 206 that are in fluid engagement with the plurality of vertical extensions 213 and headers 208. In some embodiments, the reaction vessel may include any number of vertical layers of support plates, for example, about 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, or more. In some embodiments, each vertical layer may include, for example, about 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, or more annular shrouds 205 and a plurality of spargers 206 that are in fluid engagement with the plurality of vertical extensions 213 and headers 208. , 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 9 4, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105 , 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115 , 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125 , 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135 , 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145 , 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155 , 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165 , 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175 , 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185 , 186, 187, 188, 189, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195 , 196, 197, 198, 199, above, exceeding, less than, equal to, or ~ about 20 0 may include any number of spargers and / or annular shrouds therebetween. Again, such a sparger configuration may be used in both the reactor systems 100 and 200 described in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0033] According to other embodiments, the sparger 206 may be disposed at the bottom of the reactor or in the middle of the reactor . According to another embodiment, the sparger 206 may be disposed horizontally It may be. According to yet another embodiment, the sparger 206 may be disposed at a plurality of positions throughout the reactor, such as at the upper, middle, and lower portions of the reactor. Further, according to yet another embodiment, the sparger 206 may be a ring sparger or a perforated pipe sparger. According to one embodiment, the individual spargers 206 and headers 208 may be modular components that facilitate the replacement of reactor structures and / or parts, general maintenance, cleaning, or enable a reactor system that can be expanded according to requirements. According to other embodiments, multi-stage spargers 206 and headers 208 may be stacked within the reactor. In yet other embodiments, the sparger 206 may be configured to extend vertically below the header 208, or the sparger 206 may be configured to extend vertically above the header 208. According to another embodiment, a single stage or stack of headers 208 may include, for example, any number of individual headers 208 that is greater than, less than, equal to, or between about 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, etc. In some embodiments, the header 208 may be configured as an annular gas supply. 8, and may include any number of individual headers 208 that is greater than, less than, equal to, or between about 1, 2, 3, 4,

[0034] Figure 3 shows a loop-type bioreactor system 300 and method incorporating the sparger shroud system disclosed herein. The liquid broth circulating within the reactor 304 is injected with a gas substrate by one or both of the sparger shroud assemblies 316 and 306. Exemplary details of suitable sparger shroud assemblies are shown in FIGS. 1 and ​​​​​​​Shown in FIG. 2. In one embodiment, the liquid broth flowing into the riser section 302 of the reactor 304 At least a portion of the flow of 301 is forced into the gap defined by the annular shroud and the outer wall of the sparger shroud assembly 3 16 of the spargers. The liquid broth 301 Is accelerated as it moves through the gap defined by the sparger and the annular shroud of the sparger shroud assembly 316. The accelerated liquid broth 301 is Shear the injected bubbles on the surface of the sparger, thereby generating fine bubbles. The resulting fluid 311 containing the liquid broth and the fine bubbles flows upward within the riser section 302 of the reactor 304 And exits the riser section 302 and enters the separation section 308. At least a portion of the fluid 311 Exits the separation section 308 and enters the downcomer 312. At this point, The fluid 311 may deplete the gas substrate and form a liquid broth 321 depleted of the gas substrate. Optionally, the downcomer 312 may comprise at least one sparger shroud assembly 306 disclosed herein. The sparger shroud assembly 306 disposed within the downcomer 312 can inject fine bubbles of the gas substrate into the substrate-depleted liquid broth 321 To supply additional substrate to the microorganisms therein and extend their survival. The bioreactor system 300 includes a pump 314 for circulating the liquid broth 301 and the fluid 3 11 and the substrate-depleted liquid broth 321 throughout the bioreactor system 300. Can be circulated. As shown in FIG. 4, the liquid broth 401 enters the bottom of the reactor 402. The gas substrate is a liquid within the reactor 402 by a sparger 406 connected to the gas supply section / header 408 Can be injected into the substrate-depleted liquid broth 321 to supply additional substrate to the microorganisms therein and extend their survival. The bioreactor system 300 includes a pump 314 for circulating the liquid broth 301 and the fluid 3 11 and the substrate-depleted liquid broth 321 throughout the bioreactor system 300. Can be circulated.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 4, the liquid broth 401 enters the bottom of the reactor 402. The gas substrate is Injected into the liquid within the reactor 402 by a sparger 406 connected to the gas supply section / header 408 It is injected into 401. At least a part of the flow of the liquid 401 is directed across the outer surface of the sparger 406. In some embodiments, substantially all of the flow of the liquid 401 is directed across the outer surface of the sparger 406. In other embodiments, a portion of the liquid flow 401 bypasses the outer surface of the sparger 406 through the passage 403. When the liquid 401 is pushed into the gap 407 defined by the annular shroud 405 and the outer wall of the sparger 406, the liquid is accelerated while moving around the horizontally disposed sparger 406 and the annular shroud 405 or across a vertical plane. The accelerated liquid 401a shears the injected bubbles on the surface of the sparger 406 and breaks down the injected bubbles into fine bubbles 409. The sheared fine bubbles 409 may have a diameter of about 0.2 to about 2.0 mm. According to another embodiment, the diameter of the fine bubbles is, for example, about 0.001, 0.002, 0.003, 0.004, 0.005, 0.006, 0.007, 0.008, 0.009, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05, 0.06, 0.07, 0.08, 0.09, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 4.0, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7, 4.8, 4.9, greater than, less than, equal to, or between about 5.0 mm. The accelerated liquid 401a shears the injected bubbles on the surface of the sparger 406 and breaks down the injected bubbles into fine bubbles 409. The sheared fine bubbles 409 may have a diameter of about 0.2 to about 2.0 mm. The accelerated liquid 401a shears the injected bubbles on the surface of the sparger 406 and breaks down the injected bubbles into fine bubbles 409. The sheared fine bubbles 409 may have a diameter of about 0.2 to about 2.0 mm. The accelerated liquid 401a shears the injected bubbles on the surface of the sparger 406 and breaks down the injected bubbles into fine bubbles 409. The sheared fine bubbles 409 may have a diameter of about 0.2 to about 2.0 mm. The accelerated liquid 401a shears the injected bubbles on the surface of the sparger 406 and breaks down the injected bubbles into fine bubbles 409. The sheared fine bubbles 409 may have a diameter of about 0.2 to about 2.0 mm. The accelerated liquid 401a shears the injected bubbles on the surface of the sparger 406 and breaks down the injected bubbles into fine bubbles 409. The sheared fine bubbles 409 may have a diameter of about 0.2 to about 2.0 mm. The accelerated liquid 401a shears the injected bubbles on the surface of the sparger 406 and breaks down the injected bubbles into fine bubbles 409. The sheared fine bubbles 409 may have a diameter of about 0.2 to about 2.0 mm. The accelerated liquid 401a shears the injected bubbles on the surface of the sparger 406 and breaks down the injected bubbles into fine bubbles 409. The sheared fine bubbles 409 may have a diameter of about 0.2 to about 2.0 mm. The accelerated liquid 401a shears the injected bubbles on the surface of the sparger 406 and breaks down the injected bubbles into fine bubbles 409. The sheared fine bubbles 409 may have a diameter of about 0.2 to about 2.0 mm. The accelerated liquid 401a shears the injected bubbles on the surface of the sparger 406 and breaks down the injected bubbles into fine bubbles 409. The sheared fine bubbles 409 may have a diameter of about 0.2 to about 2.0 mm. The accelerated liquid 401a shears the injected bubbles on the surface of the sparger 406 and breaks down the injected bubbles into fine bubbles 409. The sheared fine bubbles 409 may have a diameter of about 0.2 to about 2.0 mm. The accelerated liquid 401a shears the injected bubbles on the surface of the sparger 406 and breaks down the injected bubbles into fine bubbles 409. The sheared fine bubbles 409 may have a diameter of about 0.2 to about 2.0 mm. The accelerated liquid 401a shears the injected bubbles on the surface of the sparger 406 and breaks down the injected bubbles into fine bubbles 409. The sheared fine bubbles 409 may have a diameter of about 0.2 to about 2.0 mm. The accelerated liquid 401a shears the injected bubbles on the surface of the sparger 406 and breaks down the injected bubbles into fine bubbles 409. The sheared fine bubbles 409 may have a diameter of about 0.2 to about 2.0 mm. can be a numerical value. The flow of the fluid containing the fine bubbles continues in the upward flow mode 420. The accelerated flow of the liquid 401a across the outer surface of the sparger 406 may have a speed of at least 0 .3 m / s. In another embodiment, the accelerated flow of the liquid 401a across the outer surface of the sparger 406 may have a speed of about 0.3 to about 10 m / s. In another embodiment, the accelerated flow of the liquid 401a across the outer surface of the sparger 406 may have, for example, about 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.25, 0.3, 0.35, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, or more, less than equal to, or any numerical value between about 30 m / s of liquid superficial velocity. According to other embodiments, the sparger 406 may be disposed at the bottom of the reactor 402 or in the middle of the reactor 40 2. FIG. 4 shows an embodiment in which the sparger 406 is disposed horizontally. According to yet another embodiment, the sparger 406 may be disposed at multiple positions throughout the reactor 402, including the upper

[0036] middle, and lower portions of the reactor 402. According to yet another embodiment, the sparger 406 may be a ring sparger or a perforated pipe sparger. According to one embodiment, the individual spargers 406 and the header 408 may be configured as modular components that facilitate the replacement of reactor structures and / or parts, general maintenance, cleaning, or enable an expandable reactor system according to requirements. According to other embodiments, the multi-stage sparger 40 may be. According to one embodiment, the individual sparger 406 and the header 408 are configured as modular components that facilitate the replacement of reactor structures and / or parts, general maintenance, cleaning, or enable an expandable reactor system according to requirements. According to other embodiments, the multi-stage sparger 40 ​​6 and the header 408 may be stacked within the reactor 402. In yet other embodiments the sparger 406 may be configured to extend horizontally across the cross-section of the reactor 402 as well. According to another embodiment, a single stage or stack of headers 408 may, for example, comprise any number of individual headers 408 or vertical extensions 413 of about 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 or more, less than, equal to, or in the range of about 1 to about 20. In some embodiments the header 408 may be configured as an annular gas supply.

[0037] As further shown in FIG. 4, placing the header 408 above the sparger 406 is advantageous because this configuration does not impede the upward flow of liquid and bubbles. In FIG. 4, the sp arger 406 is disposed horizontally within the reactor 402. Further, the system components including the sparger 406 may be modular to facilitate construction, maintenance, and replacement of components within the system. In some embodiments, the header 408 may be permanently installed within the reactor and may have a vertical extension 413. The sparger 4 06, header 408, and vertical extension 413 may be a series of individual parts / components that are easily transported and inserted into the reaction vessel and individually connected to the vessel. The system shown in FIG. 4 may comprise a plurality of headers 408 and a plurality of spargers 406 that can form a plurality of layers within and along the vertical direction of the reactor as well. Each layer may comprise a plurality of annular shrouds 405 and a plurality of vertical extensions 413 and headers 408. It may include a plurality of spargers 406 that are fluidly engaged with 408. In certain embodiments the reaction vessel may, for example, be about 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 2 6, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 , 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 6 6, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79 , 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, or more, less than, equal to, or ~any number of spargers, annular shrouds, and header sets between about 100 may include vertical layers. In some embodiments, each vertical layer may, for example, be about 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 1 7, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 , 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 5 7, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70 , 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 9 7, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 188, 189, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198, 199, greater than, less than, equal to, or any number between ~ about 200 It may be provided with a sparger and / or an annular shroud. As before, such a sp arger configuration may be used in the reactor systems 400 and 500 and also in 600 as described in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6.

[0038] According to other embodiments, the sparger 406 may be disposed at the bottom of the reactor or in the middle of the reactor portion. According to FIG. 4, the sparger 406 is disposed horizontally. Further according to another embodiment, the sparger 406 may be disposed at a plurality of positions throughout the reactor so as to include the upper, middle, and lower portions of the reactor. According to yet another embodiment the sparger 406 may be a ring sparger or a perforated pipe sparger It may be present. According to one embodiment, the individual spargers 406 and headers 408 are , configured as modular components that facilitate reactor structure and / or component replacement, general maintenance, cleaning, or enable a reactor system that can be expanded according to requirements . According to other embodiments, multiple stages of spargers 406 and headers 408 may be stacked within the reactor . According to another embodiment, a single stage or stack of headers 408 may include, for example, about 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, or more, less than, equal to, or between about 20 individual headers 408 . In some embodiments, the header 408 may be configured as an annular gas supply. FIG. 5, which is a side view, and FIG. 6, which is a top view of FIG. 5, show an embodiment in which a plurality of spargers 506 are disposed within the same annular shroud 505. By disposing a plurality of spargers 506 within the same annular shroud 505, piping and header or manifold

[0039] connections can be reduced. Similar to FIG. 4, the liquid broth 501 enters the bottom of the reactor 502. The gas substrate is injected into the liquid 501 within the reactor 502 by spargers 506 that are connected to the gas supply / header 508 . At least a portion of the flow of the liquid 501 is directed across the outer surface of the sparger 506 . In some embodiments, substantially all of the flow of the liquid 501 is directed across the outer surface of the sparger 506. In other embodiments, a portion of the liquid flow 501 passes through the passage 503 and into the sparger 506 . . In some embodiments, substantially all of the flow of the liquid 501 is directed across the outer surface of the sparger 506. In other embodiments, a portion of the liquid flow 501 passes through the passage 503 and into the sparger 506 . It bypasses the outside. When the liquid 501 is pushed into the gap 507 defined by the annular shroud 505 and the outer wall of the sparger 506, as the liquid is pushed into the gap 507 defined by the annular shroud 505 and the outer wall of the sparger 506, the liquid is accelerated while moving around the horizontally arranged sparger -506 and across the vertical plane of the annular shroud 505. The accelerated liquid 501a shears the injected bubbles on the surface of the sparger 606 and decomposes the injected bubbles into fine bubbles 509. The fine bubbles are as described above. FIGS. 5 and 6 show three spargers 506 arranged within a single annular shroud 505. The number of spargers arranged within a single annular shroud can vary from about 2 to about 10. FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 show three spargers 506 arranged within a single annular shroud 505. The number of spargers arranged within a single annular shroud can vary from about 2 to about 10. The number of spargers arranged within a single annular shroud can vary from about 2 to about 10. can vary.

[0040] Although the present disclosure has been described in several specific embodiments, many additional modifications and changes will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is understood that the present disclosure can be practiced in other ways than specifically described without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that the embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrative in every respect and should not be considered restrictive. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure should be determined by the appended claims and their equivalents rather than by the illustrated embodiments. Accordingly, the embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrative in every respect and should not be considered restrictive. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure should be determined by the appended claims and their equivalents rather than by the illustrated embodiments. Accordingly, the embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrative in every respect and should not be considered restrictive. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure should be determined by the appended claims and their equivalents rather than by the illustrated embodiments. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure should be determined by the appended claims and their equivalents rather than by the illustrated embodiments. should be. Embodiments

[0041] Embodiment 1: A sparger system for injecting bubbles into a liquid, comprising a support plate, a plurality of annular shrouds engaging with the support plate, a plurality of spargers arranged within the annular shroud, the plurality of spargers defining a gap between the inner surface of the annular shroud and the outer surface of the corresponding sparger. a plurality of spargers defining a gap between the inner surface of the annular shroud and the outer surface of the corresponding sparger. A support plate, an annular shroud, and a sparger are disposed inside the reactor, the sparger system.

[0042] Embodiment 2: The support plate and the annular shroud are integrated into a single component, the system according to Embodiment 1.

[0043] Embodiment 3: Two or more spargers are disposed within a single annular shroud, the system according to Embodiment 1 or 2.

[0044] Embodiment 4: The length of the sparger is at least 10 cm, the system according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 3 described.

[0045] Embodiment 5: The gap is from about 1 mm to about 20 mm, the system according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 4 .

[0046] Embodiment 6: The support plate, the annular shroud, and the sparger are disposed at the top or bottom of the reactor the system according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 5.

[0047] Embodiment 7: A plurality of spargers engage with a plurality of headers, and the plurality of spargers are configured to receive gas supply from the plurality of headers the system according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 6. tem.

[0048] Embodiment 8: The plurality of headers further includes a baffle configured to disperse a fluid containing liquid and bubbles the system according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 7.

[0049] Embodiment 9: The system according to Embodiment 8, wherein the liquid is a liquid in which at least partial recirculation occurs.

[0050] Embodiment 10: The system according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 9, wherein the support plate further comprises a plurality of perforations. system.

[0051] Embodiment 11: The system according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 10, wherein the annular shroud is disposed within about 20 degrees of the vertical axis of the reactor. system.

[0052] Embodiment 12: Further comprising at least one additional support plate arranged to form a plurality of vertical layers within the interior of the reactor, wherein the at least one additional support plate engages a plurality of annular shrouds. The system according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 11. system.

[0053] Embodiment 13: The system according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 12, wherein the reactor is a bioreactor. .

[0054] Embodiment 14: The reactor is a bioreactor, a liquid growth medium, a substrate comprising at least one C1 carbon source, wherein a plurality of spargers are configured to inject bubbles of the substrate into the liquid growth medium, substrate, a culture of at least one microorganism in the liquid growth medium, wherein the culture of the at least one microorganism anaerobically ferments the substrate to produce at least one fermentation product. culture The system according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 12, comprising system.

[0055] Embodiment 15: A method of sparging bubbles into a liquid, by a plurality of spargers disposed in a reactor and configured to release bubbles, sparging a gas into a reactor containing a liquid, by a plurality of annular shrouds surrounding the plurality of spargers in the reactor, the flow of the liquid is directed across the outer surface of the sparger, and shearing the bubbles at the surface of the plurality of spargers by the flow of the liquid across the outer surface of the sparger. A method comprising:

[0056] Embodiment 16: Further comprising accelerating the flow of the liquid across the outer surface of the sparger by a gap formed between the inner surface of the annular shroud and the outer surface of the sparger, the method according to Embodiment 15

[0057] Embodiment 17: The method according to Embodiment 15 or 16, wherein the accelerated flow of the liquid across the outer surface of the sparger has a liquid superficial velocity of at least 0.3 m / s

[0058] Embodiment 18: The method according to any one of Embodiments 15 to 17, wherein the accelerated flow of the liquid across the outer surfaces of the plurality of spargers has a velocity of about 0.3 m / s to about 10 m / s

[0059] Embodiment 19: The method according to any one of Embodiments 15 to 18, wherein the sheared bubbles have a diameter of about 0.2 mm to about 2.0 mm

[0060] Embodiment 20: ​​​​​The method according to any one of Embodiments 15 to 19, wherein the superficial gas velocity in the gas phase in the container is at least 0.03 m / s.

[0061] Embodiment 21: The method according to any one of Embodiments 15 to 19, wherein the superficial gas velocity in the gas phase in the container is from about 0.03 m / s to about 0.1 m / s.

[0062] Embodiment 22: The bubbles are bubbles of a substrate in a bioreactor containing a liquid growth medium, and a culture of at least one microorganism in the liquid growth medium aerobically ferments the substrate to produce at least one fermentation product, according to the method of any one of Embodiments 15 to 21. ​​​

Claims

1. A sparger system for injecting bubbles into a liquid, comprising: a support plate; a plurality of annular shrouds engaging with the support plate; a plurality of spargers disposed within the annular shrouds, the plurality of spargers defining a gap between an inner surface of the annular shrouds and an outer surface of the corresponding spargers; and wherein the support plate, the annular shrouds, and the spargers are disposed inside a reactor. A sparger system.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the support plate and the annular shrouds are integrated into a single component.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein two or more spargers are disposed within a single annular shroud.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the length of the sparger is at least 10 cm.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the gap is from about 1 mm to about 20 mm.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the support plate, the annular shrouds, and the spargers are disposed at the top or bottom of the reactor.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of spargers engage with a plurality of headers and are configured to receive gas supply from the plurality of headers.

8. The system according to claim 7, further comprising a baffle configured to disperse a fluid containing the liquid and bubbles, the plurality of headers.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the liquid is at least partially recirculating liquid.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the support plate further comprises a plurality of perforations.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the annular shrouds are disposed within about 20 degrees of a vertical axis of the reactor.

12. The system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one additional support plate disposed to form a plurality of vertical layers within the interior of the reactor, the at least one additional support plate engaging with the plurality of annular shrouds.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the reactor is a bioreactor.

14. The reactor is a bioreactor, comprising: a liquid growth medium; a substrate comprising at least one C1 carbon source, wherein the plurality of spargers are configured to inject bubbles of the substrate into the liquid growth medium. A substrate. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ A culture of at least one microorganism in the liquid growth medium, wherein the culture of at least one microorganism anaerobically ferments the substrate to produce at least one fermentation product, and a culture, a bioreactor comprising: a system according to claim 1. A culture of at least one microorganism in the liquid growth medium, wherein the culture of at least one microorganism anaerobically ferments the substrate to produce at least one fermentation product, and a culture, a bioreactor comprising: a system according to claim 1. A culture of at least one microorganism in the liquid growth medium, wherein the culture of at least one microorganism anaerobically ferments the substrate to produce at least one fermentation product, and a culture, a bioreactor comprising: a system according to claim 1.

15. A method of sparging gas bubbles into a liquid, comprising: Sparging a gas into the reactor containing the liquid by a plurality of spargers disposed in the reactor and configured to release gas bubbles; Sparging a gas into the reactor containing the liquid by a plurality of spargers disposed in the reactor and configured to release gas bubbles; Directing the flow of the liquid across the outer surface of the sparger by a plurality of annular shrouds surrounding the plurality of spargers in the reactor; Directing the flow of the liquid across the outer surface of the sparger by a plurality of annular shrouds surrounding the plurality of spargers in the reactor; Shearing the gas bubbles at the surface of the plurality of spargers by the flow of the liquid across the outer surface of the sparger. A method comprising: Shearing the gas bubbles at the surface of the plurality of spargers by the flow of the liquid across the outer surface of the sparger. A method comprising:

16. Further comprising accelerating the flow of the liquid across the outer surface of the sparger by a gap formed between the inner surface of the annular shroud and the outer surface of the sparger. The method according to claim 15. Further comprising accelerating the flow of the liquid across the outer surface of the sparger by a gap formed between the inner surface of the annular shroud and the outer surface of the sparger. The method according to claim 15. Further comprising accelerating the flow of the liquid across the outer surface of the sparger by a gap formed between the inner surface of the annular shroud and the outer surface of the sparger. The method according to claim 15.

17. The accelerated flow of the liquid across the outer surface of the sparger has a liquid superficial velocity of at least 0.3 m / s. The method according to claim 15. The accelerated flow of the liquid across the outer surface of the sparger has a liquid superficial velocity of at least 0.3 m / s. The method according to claim 15.

18. The accelerated flow of the liquid across the outer surface of the plurality of spargers has a velocity of about 0.3 m / s to about 10 m / s. The method according to claim 15. The accelerated flow of the liquid across the outer surface of the plurality of spargers has a velocity of about 0.3 m / s to about 10 m / s. The method according to claim 15.

19. The sheared gas bubbles have a diameter of about 0.2 mm to about 2.0 mm. The method according to claim 15. The sheared gas bubbles have a diameter of about 0.2 mm to about 2.0 mm. The method according to claim 15.

20. The superficial velocity of the gas phase in the vessel is at least 0.03 m / s. The method according to claim 15. 。

21. The superficial velocity of the gas phase in the vessel is about 0.03 m / s to about 0.1 m / s. The method according to claim 15. The superficial velocity of the gas phase in the vessel is about 0.03 m / s to about 0.1 m / s. The method according to claim 15.

22. The gas bubbles are gas bubbles of a substrate in a bioreactor containing a liquid growth medium, and a culture of at least one microorganism in the liquid growth medium aerobically ferments the substrate to produce at least one fermentation product. The method according to claim 15. The gas bubbles are gas bubbles of a substrate in a bioreactor containing a liquid growth medium, and a culture of at least one microorganism in the liquid growth medium aerobically ferments the substrate to produce at least one fermentation product. The method according to claim 15. The gas bubbles are gas bubbles of a substrate in a bioreactor containing a liquid growth medium, and a culture of at least one microorganism in the liquid growth medium aerobically ferments the substrate to produce at least one fermentation product. The method according to claim 15.

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