The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 11, 2001
Filed:
May. 26, 1999
William Nevil Heaton Johnson, St. Peter Port, GB;
Martin Davies, Stoke-on-Trent, GB;
Charles Joseph Banks, Southampton, GB;
Other;
Abstract
A biological process is enhanced by a method and apparatus used to contact a biomass with a gas and with a nutrient liquid. A resiliently compressible porous matrix system containing the biomass is mounted in a reaction vessel containing a body of the nutrient liquid and a body of the gas above the body of the liquid. The body of liquid having an upper surface exposed to the body of gas and defining a liquid-gas interface. The resiliently compressible porous matrix system is located in a position in the reaction vessel so that compressible porous matrix system is partly immersed in the nutrient liquid and partly extends above the upper surface of the liquid into the body of gas. The mounting of the porous matrix system is used to rotate the system about a substantially horizontal axis such that a member or the location of the rotational axis relative to the reaction vessel acts on compressible porous matrix system causing periodic compression and expansion of regions of the porous matrix system without significant loss to the biomass.