Patent EP-2228432-B1 (EP)
Inventor: KERNER MARTIN
IPC: C12M1/00
Filed: 2009-03-08
Granted: 2011-11-23
Abstract: The bioreactor comprises a light transmitting rectangular- and plate shaped housing (2) and a gas supply device, where the reactor area is arranged in the interior of the housing. The housing comprises two opposite larger side walls forming the external surface of the housing, two opposite smaller side walls (4), and two opposite front walls (5a, 5b) that limit the reactor area. The interval between the smaller side walls determines the length of the reactor area and the interval between the front walls determines the width of the reactor area. The bioreactor comprises a light transmitting rectangular- and plate shaped housing (2) and a gas supply device, where the reactor area is arranged in the interior of the housing. The housing comprises two opposite larger side walls forming the external surface of the housing, two opposite smaller side walls (4), and two opposite front walls (5a, 5b) that limit the reactor area. The interval between the smaller side walls determines the length of the reactor area, the interval between the front walls determines the width of the reactor area and the interval between the larger side walls determines the thickness of the reactor area. Intermediate walls are arranged parallel to the smaller side walls and parallel to each other in the vicinity of the first of both front walls and distanced from the first front wall and extend itself over the total thickness of the reactor area and over a part of the length of the reactor area so that a flow conduction section (7) of the reactor area is formed with flow conduction channel and exists between two adjoining intermediate walls or between one of the small side walls and the adjoining intermediate wall. A free mixing section of the reactor area is provided between the ends of the intermediate wall turned away the first front wall and the second of both front wall. The gas supply device is arranged for supplying gas in second flow-conduction channel in the vicinity of the first front wall. The mixing section extends itself over 50% of the length of the reactor area and the flow conduction channel has a width of 5 cm. The reaction area has a thickness of 2.0-3.0 cm and the width of the flow-conduction channel is 15 cm. Openings spaced from one another are arranged along the length of the intermediate wall and fluid exchanging takes place through the openings between adjoining flow conduction channels. The gas supply device comprises tubes that pass in the reactor area between the first front wall and the end of the intermediate wall and have bores or slits through which the gas is delivered in the respective flow conduction channel. The gas supply device is adapted to bring the reactor area filled with fluid culture medium and phototropic organisms in the form of individual gas bubbles in the respective flow conduction channel. The gas bubbles have a diameter of 3 cm. The gas supply device is adapted to bring the gas in the manner intermittently into the corresponding flow conduction channel, where new gas bubbles are produced, when the preceding gas bubble of the culture medium completely pass into the reactor area. The length of the reactor area is larger than its width. Columns spaced from one another are arranged in the mixing section, where both larger side walls of the housing are connected and formed to each other so that it rejuvenate itself in the direction of its both ends. An independent claim is included for a method for the cultivation of phototrophic organisms in a bioreactor.