AU2018253457B1

AU2018253457B1 - Fermentation system

Info

Publication number: AU2018253457B1
Application number: AU2018253457A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Chien-Yi Liu
Original assignee: ADVANCED GREEN BIOTECHNOLOGY Inc
Current assignee: ADVANCED GREEN BIOTECHNOLOGY Inc
Priority date: 2018-07-12
Filing date: 2018-10-22
Publication date: 2019-08-08
Anticipated expiration: 2038-10-22
Also published as: NZ747557A; TWI662122B; TW202006133A; PH12018000395A1; MY185934A

Abstract

Abstract This invention discloses a fermentation system, comprising a first fermenter and a second fermenter. A communication channel which comprises at least one centrifugal pump and at least one valve is configured between the first fermenter and the second fermenter. The first fermenter and the second fermenter are connected by the communication channel. Therefore, the content of the first fermenter or the second fermenter may be transferred bi-directionally by a controlling system.

Description

FERMENTATION SYSTEM

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a fermentation system, particularly, to a fermentation system having a first fermenter and a second fermenter which the content can be transferred therebetween.

BACKGROUND OF RELATED ARTS [0002] Fermented products are now widely used in our daily lives, such as fertilizers used in agriculture, soy sauce, wine, vinegar and fermented dairy products we drink.

[0003] Traditional fermentation system utilizes mostly a pressurized fermentation tank and discontinuous liquid fermentation to produce fermented products. The liquid fermentation is often performed through numerous different equipment, such as a large shaker for mixing, and then moving off to the fermentation tank for fermenting. In the discontinuous liquid fermentation, the quality of products will be inferior because of some external pollution.

[0004] Relatively speaking, water quality used in fermentation is also a pivotal factor for fermentation process. The requirement of water quality in traditional fermentation is mainly based on standard of drinking water. The drinking water often contains some metal ions, such as magnesium ions (Mg²⁺) or calcium ions (Ca²⁺), which not only affect the fermentation efficiency of bacterial strain, but also chelate with the products to downgrade the quality of the products.

[0005] In addition, the traditional fermentation system is not directly connected with the water purification equipment, before the fermentation reaction water enters into

2018253457 22 Oct 2018 the fermentation system, it is easy to make the water quality of fermentation reaction water polluted by external pollution, and then affect the quality of fermentation products.

[0006] In the view of the above shortcomings, some people began to pay attention to the development of continuous fermentation system, under atmospheric pressure, all fermentation procedures and conditions are provided to complete fermentation at one time. However, such system can operate only for a single fermentation process. Whether it is feeding or adjusting concentration can only be assisted by manual labor. In addition, complex continuous fermentation processes must be completed through multiple means, which is relatively time-consuming.

SUMMARY [0007] In the view of the drawbacks of the prior arts, the present invention discloses a fermentation system, comprising a first fermentation tank, a second fermentation tank, a water filter device, a heating device, a second centrifugal pump and a control system.

[0008] The first fermentation tank has a first stirring device and a first air vent. The second fermentation tank is connected with said first fermentation tank through a connecting pipe, wherein at least one first centrifugal pump and at least one valve are connected with the connecting pipe, and wherein the second fermentation tank has a second stirring device and a second air vent.

[0009] The water filter device has a water storage bucket, a hard water softener and a reverse osmosis machine, wherein the hard water softener is connected with the reverse osmosis machine, wherein the reverse osmosis machine is connected with the water storage bucket, and wherein the water storage bucket is connected with the first

2018253457 22 Oct 2018 fermentation tank through at least one pipe. The heating device is connected with the water filtering device.

[0010] The second centrifugal pump is configured on the at least one pipe. The control system is coupled with the first fermentation tank, the second fermentation tank, the heating device, the first centrifugal pump, the second centrifugal pump and the water filtering device. The first centrifugal pump is a two-way centrifugal pump.

[0011] Embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0012] FIGURE. 1 is an exterior schematic diagram in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] FIGURE. 2 is a system architecture diagram in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0014] In order to understand the technical features and practical efficacy of the present invention and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0015] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, FIG. 1 is an exterior schematic diagram in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a system architecture diagram in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] As the structure can be seen from the schematic diagram of FIG. 1, the

2018253457 22 Oct 2018 fermentation system 10 of the present embodiment is mainly composed of a first fermentation tank 100 and a second fermentation tank 200. The first stirring device 101 and the second stirring device 201 are arranged on the first fermentation tank 100 and the second fermentation tank 200, respectively. In addition, the first fermentation tank 100 is connected with the second fermentation tank 200 through a connecting pipe 300.

[0017] As the fact mentioned above, the fermentation system 10 further includes a control system 700. The fermentation conditions of the first fermentation tank 100 and the second fermentation tank 200 can be effectively controlled by the control system 700. The fermentation conditions include but not limited to pressure, temperature, liquid level, concentration and water quality.

[0018] Furthermore, overall architecture of the fermentation system 10 is shown in Figure 2. In this embodiment, the fermentation system 10 comprises a first fermentation tank 100, a second fermentation tank 200, a water filter device 400, a heating device 500, a second centrifugal pump 600, and a control system 700.

[0019] The first fermentation tank 100 has a first stirring device 101 and a first air vent 102. The second fermentation tank 200 is connected with the first fermentation tank 100 through a connecting pipe 300, where at least one first centrifugal pump 301 and at least one valve 302 are connected with the connecting pipe 300. The second fermentation tank 200 has the second stirring device 201 and the second air vent 202. The first centrifugal pump 301 is a two-way centrifugal pump.

[0020] In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the first stirring device 101 and the second stirring device 201 are connected with a first propeller and a second propeller respectively. The connecting pipe 300 is used for connecting the first fermentation tank 100 and the second fermentation tank 200. Based-on such structure, it can easily

2018253457 22 Oct 2018 and automatically control the circulation of products or raw materials between the first fermentation tank 100 and the second fermentation tank 200, and further achieve the purpose of compound continuous atmospheric fermentation.

[0021] For example, the first centrifugal pump 301 is a bidirectional centrifugal pump, which can be used for bidirectional transportation. The fermentation processes in the first fermentation tank 100 and the second fermentation tank 200 have to be completed independently before the mixing fermentation process is performed. When the fermentation processes are completed, at least one valve 302 is opened and the fermentation liquids in the fermentation tank 100 and the second fermentation tank 200 are transported bidirectionally by the first centrifugal pump 301 for mixing to perform the next stage of fermentation. Based-on such structure and processes, time and cost required of complex fermentation processes can be effectively saved, and the efficiency of fermentation processes can be greatly improved.

[0022] The water filter device 400 has a water storage bucket 403, a hard water softener 401 and a reverse osmosis machine 402, and the hard water softener 401 is connected with the reverse osmosis machine 402. The reverse osmosis machine 402 is connected with the water storage bucket 403. In addition, the water storage bucket 403 of this embodiment is connected with the first fermentation tank 100 through at least one pipe 406. The heating device 500 is connected with the water filtering device 400. In this embodiment, the heating device 500 can be a physical heating device, such as an electric heater or an electric heating pipe.

[0023] In the system architecture of Figure 2 of the preferred embodiment, the water filter device 400 of the fermentation device 10 further includes a sand filter 404, an activated carbon filter 405, and a salt bucket 407. The sand filter 404 is connected with the activated carbon filter 405 and the activated carbon filter 405 is connected

2018253457 22 Oct 2018 with the hard water softener 401. The salt bucket 407 is independently connected to the hard water softener 401. The hard water softener 401 of the present embodiment can soften the water quality by means of ion exchange resin, and harmful metal ions which may affect the fermentation process is then removed. Furthermore, the precipitated salt obtained from the hard water softener 401 can be further recovered within the salt bucket 407, which is not limited.

[0024] The second centrifugal pump 600 of the fermentation system 10 of this embodiment is provided on at least one pipe 406. At least one valve unit 408 is configured on at least one pipe 406. By means of the at least one valve unit 408, the liquid quantity transported from at least one pipe 406 to the first fermentation tank 100 can be further controlled. The control system 700 is coupled (connected) with the first fermentation tank 100, the second fermentation tank 200, the heating device 500, the first centrifugal pump 301, the second centrifugal pump 600 and the water filtering device 400, respectively. Of course, in other some embodiments, the control system 700 can be further connected to the at least one valve unit 408 to achieve automatically controlling all at least one pipe 406 to control the liquid flow.

[0025] Further, the control system 700 in the embodiment of FIG. 2 is mainly composed of a main electrical box 701 and an operating electrical box 702. The main electrical box 701 is coupled (connected) with the operation electric box 702. The main electrical box 701 of this embodiment is mainly used to provide power supply and manage power distribution for various hardware items in the control system 700. Therefore, the main electrical box 701 is equipped with thermostat elements such as Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) to adjust the optimal automatic control state for power distribution strategy. The operation electrical box 702 includes a display unit 7021, a control unit 7022, a communication unit 7023 and

2018253457 22 Oct 2018 a radio frequency tag reader 7024.

[0026] The display unit 7021 is a touch panel, which can be a capacitive or resistive touch panel. The control unit 7022 is connected to the display unit 7021. The communication unit 7023 is connected to the control unit 7022, and the radio frequency tag reader 7024 is connected to the control unit 7022. In this embodiment, the communication unit 7023 may be a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth transceiver, which is wirelessly connect to a smart device. Thus, the fermentation process and the operation of the fermentation device 10 can be directly realized through the smart device. The RFID reader 7024 is used to read RFID tags for external packaging of raw materials. The number of each batch of fermentation feed is recorded so that the material can be retrieved and traced when abnormal result is found in the fermentation process. In addition, the control unit 7022 of the present embodiment may be a multifunctional single chip or programmable controller in order to control all the components in the operating electrical box 702.

[0027] In this embodiment, the fermentation device 10 further includes an air filter device 800 and a cooling device 900. The air filter device 800 is sequentially connected with first air holes 102 of the first fermentation tank 100 and the second air holes 202 of the second fermentation tank 200. The air filter device 800 is connected to the control system 700. The air filtering device 800 has a blower 801 and a filter 802. The blower 801 is connected with the filter 802. The cooling device 900 is an ice water machine, which is mainly connected with the water storage bucket 403. In this embodiment, the cooling device 900 coupled to the control system 700 is activated when the fermentation water temperature is too high.

[0028] In addition, each of the first fermentation tank 100 and the second fermentation tank 200 is provided with a feeding inlet, at least one liquid inlet and

2018253457 22 Oct 2018 outlet, a liquid level meter, an outlet and a temperature sensor (not shown). Thus, in the preferred embodiment of FIG 2, the control system 700 is independently connected to the feeding inlet, at least one liquid inlet and outlet, the liquid level meter, the outlet and the temperature sensor of the first fermentation tanks 100 and the second fermentation 200. That is to say, in the system architecture of FIG. 2, the fermentation device 10 of the best embodiment of the present invention can be informed of the start feeding and the end feeding by means of a light sensor disposed on the feeding inlet. The liquid level meter can be used to detect whether the liquid level is up to the standard during feeding, so as to check whether the amount of feeding is correct. Similarly, the beginning and end of the liquid intake can also be optically detected through at least one liquid inlet and outlet, with the level of measurement of the amount of liquid intake to check whether the amount of feeding is correct. And the outlet is also using the same approach.

[0029] According to the above-mentioned concepts, when the fermentation device 10 of the present embodiment is used by the radio frequency tag reader 7024 to read the radio frequency tag of the external packaging of the raw material, the number of the raw material put into the feeding inlet can be further displayed. The operator can know quickly which fermentation tank should be put into the raw material. The material input reminder displayed on display unit 7021 indicates that the reminder will not be eliminated until the material input is sensed by the photosensor at the inlet of the fermentation tank and the rising level of the liquid level meter within the standard error tolerance, representing the completion of the feeding operation.

[0030] Based on the concept of the above embodiments, the invention can also connect the first fermentation tank 100, the second fermentation tank 200 and more plural third fermentation tanks through more than 300 with each other by plural pipes

2018253457 22 Oct 2018 according to different fermentation operation requirements. That is to say, the number of fermentation tanks of the fermentation device 10 can be customized and modularized according to the requirements, and the connection relationship between a plurality of connecting pipes 300 and a plurality of fermentation tanks can be adjusted according to the fermentation operation processes and requirements. The operation processes are controlled automatically through the control system 700. In some embodiments, as the first centrifugal pump 301 on the connecting pipe 300 is damaged, the equipment centrifugal pump can be installed on the connecting pipe 300. On installing a lifting base at the bottom of the fermentation tank, it can control the flow of liquid into other fermentation tanks by the lifting base.

[0031] In different fermentation processes, the connecting pipe 300 can also be a transparent connecting pipe. In some special fermentation processes, when the fermentation liquid is transported through the connecting pipe 300, ultraviolet light machine is used for sterilization and other operations. The invention is not limited to such process.

[0032] Any references to methods, apparatus or documents of the prior art in the preceding discussion are not to be taken as constituting any evidence or admission that they formed, or form part of the common general knowledge [0033] In compliance with the statute, the invention has been described in language more or less specific to structural or methodical features. The term “comprises” and its variations, such as “comprising” and “comprised of’ is used throughout in an inclusive sense and not to the exclusion of any additional features.

[0034] The foregoing preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrated of the present invention rather than limiting of the present invention. It is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and

2018253457 22 Oct 2018 scope of the appended claims, the scope of which should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structure. While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A fermentation system, comprising:

a first fermentation tank having a first stirring device and a first air vent;

a second fermentation tank connected with said first fermentation tank through a connecting pipe, wherein at least one first centrifugal pump and at least one valve are connected with said connecting pipe, and wherein said second fermentation tank has a second stirring device and a second air vent;

a water filter device having a water storage bucket, a hard water softener and a reverse osmosis machine, wherein said hard water softener is connected with said reverse osmosis machine, wherein said reverse osmosis machine is connected with said water storage bucket, and wherein said water storage bucket is connected with said first fermentation tank through at least one pipe;

a heating device connected with said water filtering device;

a second centrifugal pump configured on said at least one pipe; and a control system coupled with said first fermentation tank, said second fermentation tank, said heating device, said first centrifugal pump, said second centrifugal pump and said water filtering device;

wherein said first centrifugal pump is a two-way centrifugal pump.
2. The fermentation system of claim 1, further comprising an air filter device sequentially connected with a first air hole of said first fermentation tank and a second air hole of said second fermentation tank, wherein said air filter device is coupled to said control system.

2018253457 23 Oct 2018
3. The fermentation system of claim 2, wherein said air filtering device includes a blower and a filter, wherein said blower is connected with said filter.
4. The fermentation system of claim 1, wherein each of said first fermentation tank and said second fermentation tank are provided with a feeding inlet, at least one liquid inlet and outlet, a liquid level meter, an outlet and a temperature sensor.
5. The fermentation system of claim 1, wherein said water filter device further includes a sand filter, an activated carbon filter and a salt bucket, wherein said sand filter is coupled with said activated carbon filter and said activated carbon filter is coupled with said hard water softener, and wherein said salt bucket is connected with said hard water softener.
6. The fermentation system of claim 1, wherein said heating device is an electric heater or an electric heating pipe.
7. The fermentation system of claim 1, further comprising at least one valve unit configured on said at least one pipe.
8. The fermentation system of claim 1, wherein said control system includes a main electrical box and an operating electrical box, said main electrical box coupled with said operation electric box, and said operation electric box comprising:

a display unit which includes a touch panel;

a control unit coupled to said display unit;

2018253457 23 Oct 2018 a communication unit coupled to said control unit; and a radio frequency tag reader coupled to the control unit.
9. The fermentation system of claim 8, wherein said control unit is a multifunctional single chip or programmable controller.
10. The fermentation system of claim 1, further comprising a cooling device connected with said water storage bucket, wherein said cooling device is coupled to said control system, and said cooling device is an ice water machine.