SU390136A1 - METHOD OF CONTINUOUS CULTIVATION OF MICROORGANISMS - Google Patents

Description

one

This invention relates to the microbiological industry.

A known method of continuous cultivation of microorganisms by feeding liquid hydrocarbons, such as paraffin, to the cultivator, and other components necessary for cultivation, in particular mineral salts.

To enable the process to be automatically controlled by the proposed method, liquid hydrocarbons and other components of the nutrient medium necessary for cultivation are fed into the cultivator by independent streams, while the supply of liquid hydrocarbons is carried out depending on the gas content of the culture medium, keeping the latter constant throughout the whole cultivation process .

The proposed method is illustrated in the drawing, which schematically shows a cultivator with an automation system.

The cultivator / receives liquid hydrocarbons 2 (paraffin), other components of the nutrient medium 5, process water 4 and air (oxygen) 5.

Mixing device 6 provides dispersion of the pelvis and nutrient components. A quasi-homogeneous medium is created in the apparatus, filling the entire body of the cultivator and part of a 7 raiaa separator. Consuming dissolved gas and nutrient components, microorganisms multiply. Microbial suspension 8 is discharged from the apparatus and transferred for further processing. Separated from separator 7, gas 9 is withdrawn from the cultivator. The gas content of the medium in the latter is stabilized by means of a medium density sensor 10, a secondary device // with a regulator of the regulator 12 by influencing the paraffin flow rate.

To ensure the constancy of the composition of the nutrient medium, the specified ratio between the flow of paraffin and other components is automatically maintained using diaphragms 13 and 14, differential pressure gauges 5 and 16, secondary device 17 with a ratio controller and regulator 18.

In the process of continuous cultivation of microorganisms, the properties of the culture medium change, as a result of which its gas content changes. The main factor affecting the gas content is the concentration of hydrocarbons in the medium, and there is an approximately proportional relationship between the concentration of hydrocarbons and the gas content of the culture medium. At very low concentrations of paraffin, foaming of the medium occurs, resulting in the destruction of equipment operation.

The described system automatically changes the paraffin supply in a tight manner so that the gas content (density of the medium) remains constant. The set value of the gas content is chosen so that it “foams”, and the paraffin content in the medium and, accordingly, the content of residual hydrocarbons in the biomass are minimal.

Subject invention

Method for continuous cultivation of microorganisms by feeding to a cultivator

liquid hydrocarbons, such as paraffin, and other components necessary for cultivation, in particular mineral salts, characterized in that, for the purpose of automatic control of the process, liquid hydrocarbons and other components of the subsistence medium necessary for cultivation are fed into the cultivator by independent streams, with this, the supply of liquid hydrocarbons is carried out depending on the gas content of the culture medium, keeping the latter constant throughout the entire cultivation process.