DEVICE AND CONTINUOUS METHOD FOR FILTRATION, STERILIZATION OF FERMENTATION SOLUTIONS, CULTURE OF MICROORGANISMS AND FOR THE FRACTING OF COMPONENTS OF DIFFERENT MOLECULAR WEIGHTS ON MEMBRANES

摘要

Method and plant for the continuous fermentation of a fluid substrate with simultaneous separation of the metabolism products formed during fermentation, characterized according to the present invention in that the fermentation mixture is fed for fermentation purposes into a cycle, the surface of a membrane being also covered in the course of said cycle by a thin layer-like flow and the fermentation mixture supplied in the cycle being subjected to a pressure such that, during the covering of the membrane, the metabolism products thus formed are separated from the fermentation mixture simultaneously in the filtering path of the membrane, selectively and by fractions. In order to maintain a continuous operation, a substrate accumulation circuit (1, 10, 18, 21, 22) has been provided from which it is possible to continuously withdraw fresh substrate by passing it through a sterilization module (29) in order to introduce it into the fermentation mixture cycle (64, 65, 66). The metabolism products may be withdrawn continuously from the process.