Integrated Reactor Process for PHA Production
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing processes for producing polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) microbial storage compounds require separate reactors for selection and accumulation phases, leading to inefficiencies such as distributed biomass retention times and the need for large pumps and buffer volumes.
Innovation Solution
The process integrates the feast phase of selection and accumulation in the same reactor, with the famine phase conducted in a separate reactor, allowing for continuous operation and eliminating the need for a separate accumulation reactor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate reactors are used for selection and accumulation phases, then each phase can be optimized independently, but the device complexity and operational requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the selection phase (feast conditions) and accumulation phase into a single reactor system, eliminating the need for separate reactors. This merging reduces device complexity while maintaining the ability to optimize both phases through controlled operational parameters within one reactor.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the operational cycles into distinct feast and famine phases within the same reactor, allowing independent optimization of each phase through temporal separation. This enables phase-specific parameter control without requiring physical separation into multiple reactors.
2Reliability
If separate reactors are used for selection and accumulation phases, then process control is improved, but the requirement for large pumps and buffer volumes increases
Solution Approach 1:
By merging both phases in one reactor, the system eliminates the need for large buffer volumes required for transferring biomass between separate reactors. The same reactor serves as both selection and accumulation vessel, reducing overall buffer requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements continuous operation within the single reactor, where biomass remains in the system throughout both feast and famine phases. This continuous action eliminates the need for large pumps and buffer volumes required for intermittent transfer operations between separate reactors.
3Reliability
If separate reactors are used for selection and accumulation phases, then phase-specific conditions are optimized, but the operational complexity and time loss increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the operational parameters and cycles into distinct feast and famine phases within the same reactor, allowing optimized conditions for each phase without physical transfer. This temporal segmentation eliminates transition time between reactors while maintaining phase-specific optimization.
Solution Approach 2:
By maintaining continuous operation in a single reactor throughout both phases, the system eliminates time losses associated with biomass transfer, cleaning, and setup between separate reactors. The useful action continues uninterrupted with only parameter changes between phases.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach narrows biomass retention times, reduces the requirement for large pumps and buffer volumes, and enhances the efficiency of PHA production by maintaining optimized reactor conditions for both phases, thereby improving the overall process efficiency and reducing operational complexity.
Implementation Method 1
In the feast phase, the PHA-accumulating bacteria are converting RBCOD such as volatile fatty acids into PHA
Implementation Method 2
the conditions comprising the presence of dissolved oxygen
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 5~7
AI summary
The invention relates to a process for producing a microbial storage compound, in particular polyhydroxyalkanoate, using micro-organisms capable of accumulating such microbial storage compound,wherein such micro-organisms are selected and the microbial storage compound is accumulated by carrying out the so-called feast phase of the selection step and the accumulation of the microbial storage compound in selected micro-organisms in the same reactor and carrying out the so-called famine phase of the selection step in a separate, smaller, reactor.