Patent ID: 7081361

Claim:
Apparatus for continuously growing and harvesting bacteria, the apparatus comprising: a bacteria growth chamber having a substantially cylindrical side wall; a conical bottom; an open top with a removable cover; fill water, nutrient feed and air inlet ports disposed in the cover; a fluid outlet port disposed in the conical bottom; and a bacteria harvesting port disposed in the side wall near the top, said bacteria harvesting port communicating with a bacteria harvesting line; a recirculation pump continuously withdrawing bacteria-containing liquid through an outlet port in the bottom wall of the growth chamber, pressurizing the liquid and reintroducing the pressurized liquid into the growth chamber tangentially through the side wall, thereby establishing a liquid vortex inside the growth chamber; an automated nutrient feed metering device communicating with the nutrient feed inlet port to periodically introduce a predetermined quantity of nutrient through the nutrient feed inlet port into the growth chamber at a predetermined interval; an air pump communicating with the growth chamber through an air supply line and the air inlet port to continuously introduce pressurized air into the growth chamber above the vortex; at least one flow control device communicating with the fill water inlet port to continuously introduce fill water into the growth chamber and also communicating with the bacteria harvesting line to flush bacteria received from the bacteria harvesting port down the bacteria harvesting line; and a low voltage electrical power supply delivering electricity to the recirculating pump, the air pump and the nutrient feed metering device.