Fluid impellers for biocontainers, and bioprocessing units including the impellers and biocontainers, and methods of using the impellers, are disclosed.

This disclosure describes a biochemical reactor with a lower divider support structure. The biochemical reactor may include a tank configured to house immobilized carriers and fluid. The biochemical reactor may include a circulation conduit at least partially disposed within the tank. The circulation conduit may include a circulation outlet opening. The biochemical reactor may include one or more vanes disposed proximate to the circulation outlet opening. The biochemical reactor may include a tank recirculation port disposed proximate to a second end. The biochemical reactor may include a tank inlet configured for feeding fluid into the tank. The biochemical reactor may include a tank outlet configured for drawing fluid from the tank. The tank outlet may be disposed proximate to a first end. The biochemical reactor may include a first divider and a second divider. The second divider may include a support structure including a grating configured to withstand variable loads.

A large-type horizontal device and a method for continuous methane fermentation. The whole distribution of a fermentation compartment uses a U-shape plane layout, which is a snap-back type and uses a material propeller. The material propeller has two axes and two blades and is constantly occluded with counter rotation. The irreversible propulsion of materials can be realized through counter rotation of two occluded blades. The propeller is set at the bottom of the main partition of the fermentation compartment. The propel ability of propeller can be changed through changing of rotation speed. Counter rotation of two occluded blades can realize material propeller without material reverting. The inlet and outlet entrances of the reactor in the disclosure are near to the ground and can be operated conveniently. The homogeneous output of materials and entire plug-flow can be realized at the same time without material mixing in the whole process.

Fluid impellers for biocontainers, and bioprocessing units including the impellers and biocontainers, and methods of using the impellers, are disclosed.

A cell culture device includes a cell culture circuit, a sensor that is disposed in the cell culture circuit and is configured to measure turbidity of a cell fluid, and a calibration unit. The calibration unit is configured to calculate, as a first concentration, a cell concentration of a culture medium that includes the cell fluid, to calculate, as a second concentration, a cell concentration of a culture medium that includes no cells, and to create a calibration curve for a measurement value of the sensor and the turbidity of the cell fluid by associating the first concentration with a first measurement value for the culture medium that includes the cell fluid and associating the second concentration with a second measurement value for the culture medium that includes no cells.

Bioreactors are provided that include a vessel and a jet mixer disposed in the vessel. Methods that utilize the bioreactors are provided, involving placing a microorganism or cells and a fluid medium in the bioreactor.

Bioreactors are disclosed that include a vessel, a jet mixing system comprising a plurality of jet flow agitators disposed in the vessel, each jet flow agitator comprising a shaft, a shroud surrounding the shaft, the shaft having a bore and a plurality of orifices in communication with the bore, and an impeller mounted on the shaft within the shroud, and a gas delivery system configured to supply a process gas to the vessel through the bore such that the gas exits the orifices. The vessel may include a vent, and the gas delivery system may include a source of oxygen in communication with the vessel, an oxygen monitor configured to monitor the oxygen content of a liquid in the vessel, and a controller configured to adjust the oxygen content of the liquid, using the vent and oxygen source, in response to input from the oxygen monitor.

Devices, systems and methods for processing cellulosic material to produce fermentable sugars are provided. Devices, systems and methods for increasing fermentation rates of microbes via biostimulation are provided. Electrodes are preferably positioned along an interior or exterior of a tube-shaped component to administer electromagnetic/electric pulses to a solution comprising a microbe. Systems can advantageously be used in new biofuels production plants, or in existing biofuels production plants without the need for significant retrofits.

A conical impeller with a hub that has a conical surface extending into the interior of the impeller. The hub has spiral, slanting arms which are attached or integrally formed with a plurality of curved blades. The blades can be connected at the bottom by a ring. The intersection of the conical surface of the hub with the blade forms an upward path for fluids and their entrained particles or gases which have been brought into the interior of the impeller to effectively completely be ejected. The discharge edges of the blades and/or the conical surface of the hub may have openings for discharging gas into the fluid. The impeller imparts low shear to the fluid and its components, and the shear is independent or only depends slightly on the size of the impeller. The impeller minimizes or eliminates particle agglomeration and fouling of the impeller. The efficiency of and flow pattern produced by the impeller means that containers don't require the use of baffles. The high efficiency and low shear of the impeller is useful for applications such as mixing of biological fluids, decontamination of produced water, chemical mechanical polishing, and flotation cells. The impeller may be raised or lowered in the mixing vessel, and may incorporate embedded sensors.

The invention is a process and apparatus thereto for the end-to-end and continuous production of a purified protein, the process comprising the use of an integrated apparatus comprising a first and second processing unit having continuous and matched outflow and inflow, thereby providing for a means of integration of a protein cultivation system and chromatographic systems.