Pilot plant separation system0 pages

Pilot plant separation system
Culturefuge 100
Many new biological products are derived from fragile
organisms. Although relatively easy to separate the trick is
accomplishing the separation in a gentle manner without destroying
the shear sensitive cell wall membranes that isolate
the comlex intracellular proteins from the extracellular liquid.
If this can be avoided, downstream purification of the target
proteins becomes much easier.
Unique hollow spindle design
Alfa Laval has worked for many years with machines that are
bottom fed through a hollow spindle. Liquids entering the
Culturefuge 100 are gradually accelerated as they move upwards
through the spindle. The feed zone of the machine is
completely filled with rotating liquid and there is no air/liquid
interface. This smooth acceleration minimizes shear forces acting
on the liquid and thus prevents cell lysis.
Hermetic outlet
Another feature of the Culturefuge 100 is the completely hermetic
outlet. Clarified centrates are discharged via a sealed
outlet that precludes any contact with air. This is particularly
desirable when the liquids are prone to foam or where the
products are susceptible to oxidation.
Hygienic design
Hygienic considerations were of the utmost importance in
the design of the Culturefuge 100. It is fully steam sterilizable
and has a cleaning-in-place capability. Pressure vessel
designs according to ASME or PED are available. Cooling
jackets surrounding the centrifuge bowl provide efficient
temperature control and also contribute to a low noise level.
The “dosing ring” solids-ejecting system with its rapid, distinct
discharge action ensures low product losses and drier solids.
Flushing nozzles spray the outside of the centrifuge bowl,
cyclone and the inside of the frame hood for maximum hygiene.
Complete system
The centrifuge is mounted on a fixed base frame, which
in-cludes process piping for service liquids and process
liquids entering and leaving the centrifuge. Typically, a steam
sterilizable pump removes the solids phase. The built-in
electrical system includes starter, PLC control system and
pneumatic unit. An integral motor with built-in VFD is standard
and this provides considerable space savings for a complete
system.
A steam sterilizable, aseptic and contained Culturefuge 100 separation system. Its small size but high
performance makes it ideal for pilot plants and small-scale production.