Patent ID: 8592191
Filing Date: 2013-11-26
Classification: B01F,C12M,C12N,C12P,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A process for fermenting syngas comprising propagating a culture of acetogenic bacteria effective for inoculating a main reactor, the propagating including, i) inoculating a first culture of acetogenic bacteria into a pre-reactor to provide a minimum viable cell density of at least 0.2 grams per liter, ii) growing the culture of acetogenic bacteria in the pre-reactor to provide a pre-reactor target cell density of at least 5 grams per liter, (a) wherein, if (the pre-reactor target cell density multiplied by the pre-reactor volume)/(a volume of the main reactor multiplied by (a volume of the pre-reactor/a volume of the pre-reactor which is transferred)) is greater than or equal to a minimum viable cell density, transfer a volume of the pre-reactor to the main reactor in an amount effective for providing a minimum viable cell density in the main reactor, or (b) if (the pre-reactor target cell density multiplied by the pre-reactor volume)/(a volume of the main reactor multiplied by (a volume of the pre-reactor/a volume of the pre-reactor which is transferred)) is less than a minimum viable cell density, transfer a volume of the pre-reactor to a subsequent pre-reactor in an amount effective for providing a minimum viable cell density in a subsequent pre-reactor, and iii) repeat step ii until a volume of pre-reactor is transferred to the main reactor.