METHOD FOR FERMENTING A LIQUEFIED HYDROCARBON GAS

摘要

A continuous process for culturing a micro-organism in an aqueous nutrient medium under aerobic conditions in the presence of a liquefied hydrocarbon gas as a main carbon source which comprises adding fresh liquefied hydrocarbon gas to the culture medium, determining the concentration of dissolved liquefied hydrocarbon gas in the culture medium and controlling the addition of fresh liquefied hydrocarbon gas depending upon the detected concentration of said liquefied hydrocarbon gas in the culture medium, the supply and dissolution of the liquefied hydrocarbon gas being based on the rate of said gas consumed by the micro-organisms. Alternatively, the partial pressure of the liquefied hydrocarbon gas in the vent gas can be measured and used to control the rate of liquefied hydrocarbon gas supplied to the culture medium.