Mixing system, mixing device, container, and method for mixing a fluid and/or a solid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11247186-B2
Application number	US-201615575840-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 11, 2016
Priority date	Jul 30, 2015
Publication date	Feb 15, 2022
Grant date	Feb 15, 2022

Abstract

The invention relates to a mixing system, in particular a bioreactor and/or a pallet tank, for mixing a fluid and/or solid, having a container (4), wherein the fluid and/or the solid and a rotatable stirring element (3) for mixing the fluid and/or the solid are arranged in the interior of the container (4). The mixing system furthermore has a mixing device (1) for receiving the container (4) and a drive device (2) for driving the stirring element (3). The drive device (2) comprises a stator (20) of a three-phase machine (10; 11), the stirring element (3) comprises a rotor (30) of the three-phase machine (10; 11), and the rotor (30) has at least one permanent magnet (31; 31′) and/or at least one short circuit rotor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mixing system for mixing a fluid and/or a solid, comprising:
a container ( 4 ) configured for containing the fluid and/or the solid;
a rotatable stirring element ( 3 ) provided inside the container ( 4 ) and configured for mixing the fluid and/or the solid inside the container ( 4 ), the rotatable stirring element ( 3 ) comprising a stirring shaft ( 9 ) having opposite first and second ends and defining a rotational axis (R), the first and second ends of the stirring shaft ( 9 ) being connected respectively to a drive side mount ( 6 ) and a connector mount ( 7 ) at opposite positions in the container ( 4 ); and
a driving device ( 2 ) for driving the stirring element ( 3 ), wherein the driving device ( 2 ) comprises:
a three-phase machine ( 10 ; 11 ) having a stationary and non-rotatable stator housing ( 23 ) disposed at a position external of the container ( 4 ), and a stator ( 20 ) disposed in the stator housing ( 23 );
a rotor housing ( 33 ) mounted to the container ( 4 ), the rotor housing ( 33 ) having a stationary portion fixed relative to the stator housing ( 23 ) and a rotatable portion disposed in the container ( 4 ) and being rotatable about the rotational axis (R), the rotatable portion of the rotor housing including the drive side mount ( 6 ) to which the first end of the stirring shaft ( 9 ) is connected; and
a rotor ( 30 ) of the three-phase machine ( 10 ; 11 ), the rotor ( 30 ) comprising permanent magnets ( 31 ; 31 ′) and/or at least one squirrel-cage rotor, the rotor ( 30 ) being mounted to the rotatable portion of rotor housing ( 33 ) for rotation with the rotatable portion of the rotor housing ( 33 ) and being disposed in the container ( 4 ) at a fixed axial position relative to the rotational axis (R) so that operation of the three-phase machine ( 10 ; 11 ) causes the rotor ( 30 ) to generate torque inside the container ( 4 );
wherein the three-phase machine ( 10 ; 11 ) generates a torque exclusively inside the container, and the torque rotates the rotor ( 30 ) relative to the stator ( 20 ) in response to operation of the driving device ( 2 ).

2. The mixing system of claim 1 , wherein a rotor magnetic field caused by the rotor ( 30 ) interacts with a stator magnetic field generated by the stator ( 20 ) during operation of the mixing device ( 1 ).

3. The mixing system of claim 1 , wherein the stirring element ( 3 ) is mounted on the driving device ( 2 ) by way of an electrically activatable magnetic force.

4. The mixing system of claim 1 , wherein the stirring element ( 3 ) is in contact with the fluid and/or solid, and the stator ( 20 ) of the driving device ( 2 ) is not in contact with the fluid and/or solid.

5. The mixing system of claim 1 , comprising a control unit for activating at least one electrical coil ( 21 ; 21 ′) of the stator ( 20 ).

6. The mixing system of claim 5 , wherein the control unit controls and/or sets a force of attraction between the rotor ( 30 ) and the stator ( 20 ) and a rotational speed of the rotor ( 30 ).

7. The mixing system of claim 1 , wherein the container ( 4 ) is a flexible bag.

8. The mixing system according to of claim 1 , comprising a magnetic force limiting function and/or a torque limiting function of the three-phase machine ( 10 ; 11 ).

9. The mixing system of claim 1 , wherein the mixing device ( 1 ) is a bioreactor, and the fluid and/or the solid is a biological fluid and/or a biological solid.

10. The mixing system of claim 1 , wherein the three-phase machine is an axial three-phase machine ( 10 ), and the rotor ( 30 ) has a rotational axis (R) oriented substantially parallel to coil axes of coils ( 21 ) of the stator ( 20 ), wherein the magnets ( 31 , 31 ′) of the rotor ( 30 ) are disposed to align with the coil axes of the coils ( 21 ).

11. The mixing system of claim 1 , further comprising stirring appendages ( 5 ) projecting from the rotatable stirring shaft ( 9 ) and configured for stirring contents of the container ( 4 ).

12. The mixing system of claim 1 , wherein the stationary portion of the rotor housing ( 33 ) is fixed to the stator housing ( 23 ) by a clamping connection.

13. The mixing system of claim 1 , wherein the stationary portion of the rotor housing ( 33 ) is fixed to the stator housing ( 23 ) by screw joints.

14. The mixing system of claim 1 , wherein the stationary portion of the rotor housing ( 33 ) is fixed to the stator housing ( 23 ) by magnetic couplings.

15. A method for mixing a fluid and/or a solid, comprising:
providing a container ( 4 ) with a container wall, a rotor housing ( 33 ), a rotor ( 30 ) and a rotatable stirring element ( 3 ), the rotor housing ( 33 ) having a non-rotatable portion fixed in a stationary and non-rotatable manner to the container wall of the container ( 4 ), the rotor housing ( 33 ) further having an internal portion inside the container ( 4 ) and rotatable with respect to the non-rotatable portion of the rotor housing ( 33 ), the rotor ( 30 ) being mounted to the internal portion of the rotor housing ( 33 ) for rotation with the rotatable portion of the rotor housing ( 33 ), the rotatable stirring element ( 3 ) comprising a stirring shaft ( 9 ) having opposite first and second ends, the first end of the stirring shaft ( 9 ) being connected in an axially fixed position to a drive side mount ( 6 ) on the rotatable portion of the rotor housing ( 33 ), the second end of the stirring shaft ( 9 ) being connected to a connector mount ( 7 ) on a side of the container ( 4 ) opposite the drive side mount ( 6 ), the rotor ( 30 ) being connected to and arranged at the first end of the stirring shaft ( 9 ) so that the rotor ( 30 ) and the stirring element ( 3 ) are rotatable in unison;
providing a stator ( 20 ) of a three-phase machine ( 10 ; 11 ), the stator ( 20 ) comprising a stator housing ( 23 );
connecting the stator housing ( 23 ) to the external portion of the rotor housing ( 33 ) in an axially fixed non-rotatable position so that the stator ( 20 ) is opposed to the rotor ( 30 ) and so that the stator ( 20 ) and the rotor ( 30 ) form a driving device ( 2 );
placing the fluid and/or the solid into the container ( 4 ); and
operating the three-phase machine ( 10 ; 11 ) so that the rotor ( 30 ) of the three-phase machine ( 10 ; 11 ) on the interior of the container ( 4 ) generates a torque exclusively inside the container ( 4 ), with the torque of the rotor ( 30 ) rotating the stirring element ( 3 ) in the interior of the container ( 4 ) while keeping the stirring element ( 3 ) in the axially fixed position and thereby mixing the fluid and/or the solid disposed inside the container ( 4 ).

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the three-phase machine ( 10 ; 11 ) is operated as an electric motor for driving the stirring element ( 3 ) and/or
wherein the driving device ( 2 ) comprises coils ( 21 ; 21 ′), to which the respective periodically alternating voltages are applied, so that a first magnetic field is generated by a first of the coils ( 21 ; 21 ′), the progression of this field over time being chronologically offset compared to the progression of at least one second magnetic field of a second of the coils ( 21 ; 21 ′) over time.

17. A mixing system for mixing biological media, comprising:
a container ( 4 ) configured for containing the biological media;
a rotatable stirring element ( 3 ) provided inside the container ( 4 ) and configured for mixing the biological media inside the container ( 4 ), the rotatable stirring element ( 3 ) comprising a stirring shaft ( 9 ) having opposite first and second ends and defining a r

Assignees

• Sartorius Stedim Biotech Gmbh

Inventors

• Topp-Manske Simon

Classifications

• B01F33/4534

  using a rod for supporting the stirring element, e.g. stirrer sliding on a rod or mounted on a rod sliding in a tube · CPC title

• B01F27/191

  with similar elements · CPC title

• B01F35/513

  Flexible receptacles, e.g. bags supported by rigid containers · CPC title

• B01F33/453

  using supported or suspended stirring elements · CPC title

• B01F23/53

  using driven stirrers · CPC title