Bioprocessing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9284586-B2
Application number	US-201414196589-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2014
Priority date	May 20, 2009
Publication date	Mar 15, 2016
Grant date	Mar 15, 2016

Abstract

Bioreactors are provided that include a vessel and a jet mixer disposed in the vessel. Methods that utilize the bioreactors are provided, involving placing a microorganism or cells and a fluid medium in the bioreactor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
converting a particulate feedstock to a product by mixing the particulate feedstock and a fluid in a bioreactor,
wherein the bioreactor comprises a vessel having an arcuate bottom surface, a jet mixing system comprising a plurality of jet flow agitators disposed in the vessel, at least one of which is configured to jet fluid upward, and at least another of which is configured to jet fluid downward.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the each jet flow agitator comprises a shaft, a shroud surrounding the shaft, and an impeller mounted on the shaft within the shroud, and the vessel has an arcuate bottom surface.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein a longitudinal axis of the shaft is offset laterally from a longitudinal axis of the vessel.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising delivering a process gas to the particulate and fluid in the bioreactor.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising contacting the particulate material with an enzyme or microorganism.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the enzyme includes a cellulase.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microorganism is selected from the group consisting of a bacteria, a yeast and a fungus.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein converting comprises fermentation.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the particulate material is converted to a product selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbons, proteins, enzymes, alcohols, xylitol, carboxylic acids, ketones, aldehydes alpha unsaturated acids and beta unsaturated acids.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the particulate material is converted to an alcohol selected from the group consisting of ethanol, propanol, propylene glycol, n-butanol, 1,4-butanediol and 1,3-propanediol.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the particulate material is converted to an acid selected from the group consisting of lactic acid, proprionic acid, butyric acid, succinic acid, 3-hydroxypropionic acid, salts of any of these acids, and mixtures of any of these acids and their respective salts.

12. A method of bioprocessing comprising:
agitating a liquid and a microorganism in a vessel of a bioreactor, using a jet mixing system comprising a plurality of jet flow agitators disposed in the vessel, at least one of which is configured to jet fluid upward, and at least another of which is configured to jet fluid downward,
wherein each jet flow agitator comprises a shaft, a shroud surrounding the shaft, and an impeller mounted on the shaft within the shroud, and the vessel has an arcuate bottom surface.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising delivering a process gas to the vessel.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising monitoring the conditions within the bioreactor.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein monitoring comprises measuring a parameter selected from the group consisting of dissolved oxygen, foam level, and concentration.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the liquid includes particles mixed therein.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein agitating of the liquid disperses the particles that would settle at the bottom or top of the vessel in the absence of the agitation.

Assignees

• Xyleco Inc

Inventors

• Medoff Marshall
• Masterman Thomas Craig

Classifications

• C12M41/28

  of redox potential · CPC title

• C12P19/14 Primary

  produced by the action of a carbohydrase {(EC 3.2.x)}, e.g. by alpha-amylase {, e.g. by cellulase, hemicellulase} · CPC title

• C12M41/26

  of pH · CPC title

• B01F3/04106

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• C12P19/02

  Monosaccharides (2-ketogulonic acid C12P7/60) · CPC title