Hitachi, Ltd.

Agency of Industrial Science and Technology

Hitachi Engineering Co., Ltd.

Hitachi Plant Engineering Construction Co., Ltd.

Masahiko Ishida

Ryoichi Haga

Yoji Odawara

Ryooichi Haga

Harumi Matsuzaki

Kenji Baba

Youji Odawara

Yuusaku Nishimura

Tadashi Ishibashi

Masako Katsurayama

Sankichi Takahashi

Katsuya Ebara

Mikio Yoda

Norio Shimizu

Shoji Watanabe

Hayao Yahagi

Naoki Hara

Takashi Iida

Shunji Mori

Ryusei Nakano

Nobuko Nishimura

Fumio Maruhashi

Masaru Nanba

Tadashi Muroi

Masami Satoh

Setuo Saitou

Masako Ueda

Yoshitaka Oguri

Setuo Saitoh

Takashi Katori

An agitating unit is provided in an upright fermenting reactor for purposes of carrying garbage from a lower portion toward an upper portion of the fermenting reactor. The horizontal distance between the agitator unit, or a spiral blade thereof, and an inner wall surface of the fermenting reactor is made larger in proportion to the axial position of the agitator unit toward the upper portion of the fermenting reactor. On the other hand, an opening between the spiral blade and its drive shaft may made larger in proportion to the axial position of the agitator unit toward the upper portion of the fermenting reactor. With such an arrangement, a flow from a lower portion toward the upper portion and a flow from the upper portion toward the lower portion are simultaneously formed. Due to the ascending flow and the descending flow, the garbage and the compost in the fermenting reactor can be easily mixed with each other and the decomposition of the garbage can speeded up, so that it is possible to carry out a continuous fermentation operation.

Garbage treating apparatus

The present invention provides a process for dissolving oxygen comprising forming a liquid membrane of an oxygen-permeable liquid on a support layer made of a hydrophobic porous material, bringing one side of the liquid membrane into contact with an oxygen-containing gas and the other side with an aqueous liquor, and thereby dissolving oxygen in the aqueous liquor; a process for culturing cells in an oxygen-containing aqueous liquor obtained by the oxygen-dissolving process; and apparatus for practicing these processes. According to the present invention, oxygen can be dissolved in an aqueous liquor efficiently and economically, and aerobic cell-culturing can be stably effected even at a high cell concentration.

Oxygen-dissolving process and an apparatus for practicing the process

A centrifugal separation method for living cells is disclosed in which a cell containing solution is charged in a rotor chamber confined by a steam pressure-resistant wall. A rotor having septa is disposed in the rotor chamber. The septa are rotatable in the same direction at the same angular velocity as the rotor while at least part thereof is immersed in a solution in the rotor when cells are to be centrifuged from the cell-containing solution. After the cells are separated and adhered to the inner surface of the rotor, a supernatant in the rotor is discharged form the rotor. Then a fresh cultivating medium is introduced into the rotor, and the septa and the rotor are rotated at mutually different angular velocities while at least part of the septa is immersed in the fresh medium in the rotor. As a result, the cells are again suspended in the fresh medium.

Apparatus for separating living cells

Cross-linked polyglucans obtained by cross-linking polyglucans having branched chains intermolecularly and/or intramolecularly or cross-linked homooligomers obtained by cross-linking .alpha.-1,4-linked homooligomers of glucose intermolecularly can selectively adsorb glucoamylase and/or .beta.-amylase thereto. By the use of such three-dimensional, cross-linked high molecular weight substances, glucoamylase and .beta.-amylase can be isolated and purified extremely efficiently.

Method for isolation and purification of amylases, and adsorbents used

A culturing method and system are disclosed in which a cell culture broth in withdrawn from a culturing apparatus to a filteration apparatus. The withdrawn broth in brought into contact with a membrane for precision filteration. Then a non-toxic gas is brown into the broth, while filtering the broth to separate the cells and breaking foams occurring on the surface of the broth due to gas bubbling. The separated cells are returned to the vessel and the filterate is withdrawn from the filteration apparatus. The method and system have such advantages that a perfusion culture of a long period of time can be realized because the clogging of the filteration membrane is effectively prevented.

Culturing method, system and apparatus for cell culture

An apparatus for culturing animal cells, includes a diagnosis system to make it possible to diagnose by measuring sizes of the cells by means of image processing while a system of culturing the animal cells is cut off from the outside of the apparatus system, a control system to control the culture conditions of a culturing cistern on the basis of a result of the diagnosis, and a culture medium regenerating system to remove waste contents in a culture medium. In the apparatus of this invention, the culture system and diagnosis system are cut off from the outside of the apparatus system. Therefore, no infection of miscellaneous microorganism, etc., occurs, nor does consumption of valuable cells and products occur. Further, since it is possible to easily obtain data of the proportions of division potential-possessing cells and living cells, the environmental factors to the culturing cistern can be easily and instantly controlled based on the data, and therefore, the culturing efficiency can be enhanced.

Apparatus and method of culturing and diagnosis of animal cells using

A centrifugal separation method for living cells is disclosed in which a cell containing solution is charged in a rotor chamber confined by a steam pressure-resistant wall. A rotor having septa is disposed in the rotor chamber. The septa are rotatable in the same direction at the same angular velocity as the rotor while at least part thereof is immersed in a solution in the rotor when cells are to be centrifuged from the cell-containing solution. After the cells are separated and adhered to the inner surface of the rotor, a supernatant in the rotor is discharged from the rotor. Then a fresh cultivating medium is introduced into the rotor, and the septa and the rotor are rotated at mutually different angular velocities while at least part of the septa is immersed in the fresh medium in the rotor. As a result, the cells are again suspended in the fresh medium.

Method of separating living cells

A fish is bred in a transparent basin, into which water to be tested is supplied. A light source and a television camera are arranged in such a manner that images of the fish are taken by the camera as a silhouette. From the thus obtained fish images, the frequency distribution of the gravity centers of the fish images in the direction of the depth of water are obtained. The abnormality of the behavior of the fish is detected by comparison of the obtained frequency distribution with a reference distribution provided in advance.

Apparatus for monitoring the toxicant contamination of water by using

An immobilized enzyme having high activity and stability is obtained by immobilizing an enzyme on a water-insoluble amino group-containing carrier by use of a polyfunctional cross-linking agent such as glutaraldehyde in the presence of a phenolic carboxylic acid having one or more hydroxyl groups such as tannic acid. In addition to the phenolic carboxylic acid, a basic polysaccharide such as chitosan may also be present. The amino group-containing carrier may be aminated silica gel, aminated porous glass, aminated zeolite, or water insoluble crosslinked chitosen.

Enzyme immobilization on a water-insoluble amino group-containing carrier

This invention provides a process for easily recovering nearly white starch and protein having a high commercial value by depressing darkening of crushed slurry and juice in producing starch and protein of a subterranean stem. The above-mentioned process is characterized by adding at least one member selected from the group consisting of sodium thiosulfate, potassium thiosulfate, sodium hydrogen sulfite, sodium sulfite and potassium sulfite at the time of crushing the subterranean stem.

Process for recovering subterranean stem starch and protein

The bacterium producing thermostable .alpha.-amylases of this invention is an anaerobic bacterium belonging to Clostridium. The thermostable .alpha.-amylases of this invention is novel .alpha.-amylases which are excellent in thermostability and acid resistance and have a slight calcium requirement. Said .alpha.-amylases are obtained by culturing the aforesaid bacteria and collecting the .alpha.-amylases from the culture. When the aforesaid .alpha.-amylase is used, sugar production process can be greatly rationalized.

Thermostable .alpha.-amylase-producing, thermophilic anaerobic bacteria,

This invention relates to a process for liquefying starch. More particularly it relates to an appropriate process for liquefying starch by using a thermostable .alpha.-amylase which has an optimum working pH range in an acidic region and a low calcium requirement. This invention provides a process for liquefying starch by using a calcium-requiring, thermostable .alpha.-amylase which requires a calcium concentration of 10 .mu.m or below under a thermostable condition. In the process of the present invention, it is unnecessary to add a calcium salt in liquefying starch and the starch slurry can be reacted while remaining acidic without neutralization, so that the load at the desalting step of the product can be significantly relieved.

Process for liquefying starch

The present invention relates to a treatment process of anaerobically digesting organic wastes under an anaerobic condition for recovering methane from the organic wastes by fermentation effect of anaerobic bacteria. This treatment process is carried out by the charging organic wastes of 50.about.70% water content and seed digestives alternately in strata in a digestion tank and then keeping the interior of said digestion tank under an anaerobic condition.

Treating process of organic wastes

The present invention relates to an anaerobic digestion process of wastes containing cellulose, in which, after liquefying by bringing wastes containing cellulose in slurry state into contact with facultative anaerobic bacteria with pH adjusted between 6.5-8.0 and oxidation-reduction potential controlled between -50-300 mV with oxygen supply, the liquefied slurry is then converted into methane and carbon dioxide by bringing it into contact with obligatory anaerobic bacteria to recover methane efficiently.

Anaerobic digestion process of wastes containing cellulose

The present invention relates to an anaerobic digestion process for organic wastes with a high efficiency and an improved recovery rate of methane. This process comprises the following steps: (1) anaerobically digesting organic wastes under simultaneous presence of facultative anaerobic bacteria and obligatory anaerobic bacteria, (2) separating the anaerobically digested slurry obtained from the step (1) into a liquor fraction containing the two groups of bacteria and an undecomposed solid fraction, (3) mixing the liquor fraction obtained from the step (2) with the surplus activated sludge slurry produced by anaerobically treating organic waste water, under anaerobic condition, (4) separating the mixed slurry obtained from the step (3) into a solid fraction containing the surplus activated sludge which has absorbed the two groups of bacteria and a liquor fraction, and recycling back the solid fraction obtained from the step (4) as the sources of the two groups of bacteria and nitrogen to the step (1).

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Hitachi, Japan

Masahiko Ishida