Patents Assigned to Starcosa GmbH
  • Patent number: 4845033
    Abstract: Low aliphatic alcohols or organic solvents, especially ethanol are continuously produced by fermentation from sugar containing nutrient substrates. The process includes two fermentation steps or stages in which the substrate is subjected to the effects of microorganisms such as yeast. The first fermentation stage has a volume of 10 to 20% of that of the second fermentation stage. By adjusting the environmental conditions in each stage a large cell growth with a small portion of the total supplied substrate quantities takes place in the first activation stage and a high product formation rate is achieved with a considerably larger portion of the entire supplied substrate quantity in the second production stage. A partial outflow stream from the first stage is microfiltered and the permeate as well as the unfiltered outlet flow of the first stage, is directed into the second stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1989
    Assignee: Starcosa GmbH
    Inventor: Uwe Tegtmeier
  • Patent number: 4749476
    Abstract: For the separation of suspensions in the form of liquid solid component mixtures with the aid of porous filter membranes or for the separation of suspensions free of solid components into the liquid components with the aid of solution diffusion membranes, a reduced pressure is produced on the permeate side of the membrane. For this purpose the permeate is sucked off by a jet pump and is transferred into a closed circuit flow in which it serves as a drive medium for the jet pump. The apparatus for performing the method includes a membrane filter arrangement (6) with a closed circuit conduit (11) connected to the permeate discharge conduit. A conveying pump (13) and a jet pump (10) as well as a collecting container (12) is arranged in the closed circuit conduit. The permeate discharge conduit is connected with the jet pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1986
    Date of Patent: June 7, 1988
    Assignee: Starcosa GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Storkebaum, Uwe Tegtmeier
  • Patent number: 4719016
    Abstract: A method for separating a liquid/liquid suspension with the aid of a solution diffusion membrane provides for producing such a reduced pressure on the permeate side that the permeate evaporates and that the permeate is then again condensated back into the liquid state. In order to require a small energy input and to provide advantageous conditions for a sterile operation, it is provided that the permeate passing through the membrane is subjected to the suction effect of a jet pump and that the evaporated permeate is condensed in the drive jet of the jet pump. The permeate is supplied into a closed circuit flow in which it functions as the drive medium for the jet pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1988
    Assignee: Starcosa GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Storkebaum, Uwe Tegtmeier
  • Patent number: 4681639
    Abstract: Iso-glucose sirup having a proportion of 42% to 45% by weight of fructose, is treated and converted into a flowable granular end product. For this purpose the sirup is concentrated by evaporation to have 70% to 77% of dry substance by weight. Then the concentrated sirup is crystallized by cooling, whereupon the crystal mass is separated from the mother liquor and aged. An after-crystallization takes place during the aging. Thereafter, the aged crystal mass is milled to have a particle size of about 10 to about 250 microns. The mother liquor is also concentrated by evaporation to have about 90% of dry substance by weight. Then the milled crystal mass and the concentrated mother liquor are mixed with each other, whereby drying and mixing take place simultaneously. The quantities of the two components being mixed are so adjusted that the resulting mixture or end product has a fructose content of maximally 42% to 45% by weight of the end product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1987
    Assignee: Starcosa GmbH
    Inventor: Karl-Heinz Hinck
  • Patent number: 4578525
    Abstract: A process is presented for extracting polar organic compounds, in particular lower aliphatic alcohols, out of their aqueous solutions, which is based on the use of fluids which contain a significant amount of polyoxaalkanols, polyoxaalkanediols and/or polyoxaalkanepolyols. These compounds, by virtue of their high molar masses, their low solubility in water and their good affinity for polar organic compounds, are particularly suitable for use as extractants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1983
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1986
    Assignees: Krupp Industrietechnik Werk Buckau-Wolf, Starcosa GmbH, Versuchs- und Lehranstalt fur Spiritusfabrikation und Fermentationstechno logie in Berlin
    Inventor: Harald Bruckner