Hitachi Plant Technologies, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd.

National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

Kenichiro Oka

Toshiaki Matsuo

Masayuki Kamikawa

Naruyasu Okamoto

Takeyuki Kondo

Yasunari Sase

Masashi Tanto

Hiroyuki Ito

Hiroyoshi Suzuki

Ryoichi Haga

Tsutomu Kawamura

Keisuke Shibuya

Tomofumi Shiraishi

Ken Amano

Masaru Namba

Ryuji Kajiya

Ryuji Kaziya

This invention provides a culture control method and a cell culture apparatus that enable stable cell culture by regulating shear stress to be applied to cells within an adequate range. With the application of such culture control method and cell culture apparatus, cell culture is performed under agitation culture conditions in which the shear stress distribution is 0.5 Pa to 20 Pa in 80% or more of the culture vessel by volume.

Culture control method, cell culture apparatus, and apparatus for evaluation of cellular characteristics

This invention provides a cost-effective method for removing impurities from waste glycerin generated in the process of biodiesel production, so as to prevent a supercritical water reaction tube from clogging, when synthesizing acrolein by allowing supercritical water and acid to react with glycerin. The method for purification of glycerin of the invention comprises steps of: heating glycerin containing alkali metal, alcohol, organic fatty acid, and water under reduced pressure, so as to remove alcohol and water; adding sulfuric acid to glycerin from which alcohol and water have been removed, so as to neutralize glycerin; subjecting neutralized glycerin to centrifugation, so as to separate and remove a sulfate of alkali metal and organic fatty acid; adding a sulfate of alkaline earth metal to glycerin collected via centrifugation; and subjecting a mixture of glycerin and a sulfate of alkaline earth metal to centrifugation, so as to separate and remove a sulfate of alkali metal and an alkaline earth metal salt of organic fatty acid.

Glycerin purification method

An object of the present invention is to provide a technology which can suppress the blockage and abrasion of pipes and devices caused by the production of by-products and stably synthesize acrolein at a high yield, under a condition in which energy efficiency is improved by an elevated concentration of glycerol in a reaction liquid, in a process for synthesis of acrolein by reacting supercritical water and an acid with glycerol. An embodiment of the present invention includes: setting a concentration of glycerol in the reaction liquid at 30% by weight or lower; also cooling the reaction liquid to a temperature between a temperature (300&#xb0; C. or lower) at which the reaction stops and a temperature (100&#xb0; C. or higher) at which tar contained in the reaction liquid can keep a state in which its viscosity is sufficiently low; then separating and removing carbon particles from the reaction liquid; subsequently cooling the reaction liquid to a temperature which is a boiling point of water or lower and at which the tar component in the reaction liquid does not adhere to devices; and then decompressing the cooled reaction liquid.

Process for synthesis of acrolein

A device and a method for producing high-quality polybutylene succinate are provided. The method for producing polybutylene succinate comprises the steps of: preparing a raw-material slurry by mixing succinic acid or a derivative thereof with 1,4-butanediol in a raw-material slurry preparation tank; storing the raw-material slurry in a raw-material slurry storage tank while maintaining flowability; carrying out an esterification reaction of the raw-material slurry in an esterification reactor; and synthesizing polybutylene succinate with a polycondensation reaction of the ester in a polycondensation reactor, in which the polycondensation reactor is divided, from the upstream side, into at least an initial polycondensation reactor, an intermediate polycondensation reactor, and a final polycondensation reactor, a catalyst is added in an amount from 1000 ppm to 3000 ppm in relation to succinic acid or a derivative thereof, the reaction time in the intermediate polycondensation reactor ranges from 0.25 hours to 0.75 hours, and the reaction temperature in the final polycondensation reactor ranges from 245&#xb0; C. to 255&#xb0; C.

Device and method for producing polybutylene succinate

In order to perform organic synthesis process through action with supercritical water and acid stably while suppressing a trouble caused by a by-product, a method and an apparatus are provided, including the following steps. Water is supplied to high-pressure pumps () and () from water headers () and (), and a pressure-reducing valve () is regulated to increase the pressure to 35 MPa. Temperatures of preheaters () and () and a heater () are increased until the reaction solution is at a temperature of 400&#xb0; C. Acid (sulfuric acid) and an organic compound raw material (glycerin) are supplied from an acid header () and a raw-material header (') for action with the supercritical water to obtain a reaction solution. The obtained reaction solution is cooled to 100 to 200&#xb0; C. by first cooling () and a solid component included in the reaction solution is separated for removal from the reaction solution by a filter (), and then the reaction solution is cooled to a temperature of about 100&#xb0; C. or lower by second cooling () and pressure thereof is reduced (). Further, the reaction solution is cooled by third cooling () and then a synthesized product (acrolein) is captured.

Reaction process utilizing critical water

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for commercially manufacturing acrolein in a large flow rate by making supercritical water and an acid interact with glycerin, wherein by efficiently mixing high-concentration glycerin and supercritical water with each other, the method is made capable of making the synthesis stably proceed with a high yield while the occlusion and abrasion of the pipes and devices due to the generation of by-products are being suppressed. The method for synthesizing acrolein of the present invention is a method for synthesizing acrolein by making supercritical water and an acid interact with glycerin, the method using a reaction apparatus including: a cylindrical mixing flow path for mixing a fluid including glycerin and a fluid including supercritical water with each other; a first inlet flow path, disposed offset from the central axis of the mixing flow path, for making the fluid including glycerin flow into the mixing flow path; and a second inlet flow path, disposed offset from the central axis of the mixing flow path, for making the fluid including supercritical water flow into the mixing flow path, wherein the first inlet flow path and the second inlet flow path are each provided in a plurality of numbers in such a way that the first inlet flow paths and the second inlet flow paths are alternately arranged so as to encircle the central axis of the mixing flow path.

Method for synthesizing acrolein

The polymer degassing apparatus includes a barrel-shaped horizontal containerhaving a supply portfor supplying a reactant, a discharge portfor discharging a reactant, a stirring meansfor stirring a reactant, and a degassing means for drawing a gas via a degassing portof the horizontal container. The supply port is positioned below the molten liquid level of the reactant. A recovery containerthat is connected to the degassing port for recovering a volatile substance in the gas and a vacuum pumpare provided. The stirring means includes a plurality of stirring rodsoriented along the same direction as the axis in the horizontal container and coupling membersfor coupling the stirring rods along the same direction as the axis, provided that the coupling members are placed at a distance from the virtual rotation center of the stirring means.

Polymer producing method and apparatus and polymer degassing method and apparatus

An equipment for producing polyhydroxycarboxylic acid, includes a ring-opening polymerization apparatus, a liquid phase devolatilizing apparatus, and a drying apparatus, wherein an indirect heat exchanger is connected to a vent gas discharge path of the liquid phase devolatilizing apparatus. The indirect heat exchanger captures a dispersed in-process substance containing hydroxycarboxylic acid cyclic dimers and transfers the substance to the ring-opening polymerization apparatus; a wet condenser and a hot well are connected to a vent gas discharge path of the indirect heat exchanger and that of the drying apparatus, respectively. The wet condenser captures a dispersed in process substance containing the cyclic dimers with the use of a refrigerant containing hydroxycarboxylic acid corresponding to the cyclic dimers and transfers the substance to the hot well; the hot well causes hydrolysis of the cyclic dimers for generation of hydroxycarboxylic acid; the generated hydroxycarboxylic acid is mixed with a refrigerant and the mixture is circulated to the wet condenser; and hydroxycarboxylic acid is highly concentrated via circulation between the wet condenser and the hot well and then discharged.

Equipment and method for producing polyhydroxycarboxylic acid

In a process of manufacturing polylactide, synthesis of high-quality polymers is achieved with a sufficient degree of vacuum secured. Provided is an apparatus for manufacturing polylactide which includes the steps of preparing lactide through oligomerization of lactic acid and depolymerization of the resulting oligomers, effecting ring-opening polymerization of the lactide, and removing unreacted lactide. The apparatus comprises an exhausting gas treatment device for reducing pressure in the step of removing unreacted lactide. The exhausting gas treatment device includes boilers (-) for generating water vapor; a pressure-reducing section having stages each including an ejector (-) driven with the water vapor, a condenser (-) connected downstream of the ejector, and a hot well tank (-) connected to the condenser; and a main condenserand a main hot well tankconnected to the main condenser that are disposed on a pipe line through which a gas of the unreacted lactide is suctioned into the pressure-reducing section. The gas of the unreacted lactide is washed away in the main condenser using a liquid containing lactic acid as a main component that has been collected in the main hot well tank.

Polylactide manufacturing apparatus and method for manufacturing polylactide

The object is to provide a method and apparatus for producing a polyhydroxy carboxylic acid according to which an annular dimer can be efficiently obtained in the production of polyhydroxy carboxylic acid which is small in distribution breadth of molecular weight in depolymerization and opening ring polymerization steps. There are provided a depolymerization devicewhich depolymerizes hydroxy carboxylic acid or a polycondensate thereof into an annular dimer, a upper distillation columnwhich condenses the annular dimer vaporized in the depolymerization device, and lower distillation columnwhich refluxes the annular dimer and is provided between the depolymerization deviceand the upper distillation column, said depolymerization devicehaving a polycondensate feed openingand an annular dimer discharge openingwhich are provided at a casing, a liquid film being formed inside the casingand heated by a heating part.

Method and apparatus for producing polyhydroxy carboxylic acid

The on-road reference point positional data delivery device according to the present invention has a reference point positional data delivery device, and this reference point positional data delivery device has a beacon identification device for indicating a reference point position for service information delivered from a beacon provided on a road to a vehicle and also selecting the beacon delivering the service information from among a plurality of beacons.

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Mito, Japan

Kenichiro Oka