Biomass feedstocks (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) are processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems are described that can convert feedstock materials to a sugar solution, which can then be fermented to produce ethanol. Biomass feedstock is saccharified in a vessel by operation of a jet mixer, the vessel also containing a fluid medium and a saccharifying agent.

An aeration system including a frame and an aerator. The aerator may be supported by the frame. The aerator may include an input and an output. The aerator may be configured to rotate with respect to the frame, and upon rotating, receive a first fluid at the input and output the first fluid into a second fluid at the output.

Bioreactors are provided that include a vessel and a jet mixer disposed in the vessel. Methods that utilize the bioreactors are provided, involving placing a microorganism or cells and a fluid medium in the bioreactor.

An aerobic composting system and method utilizes circulation of a gas through a mixture of liquid and organic materials to continuously mix the liquid and organic materials while encouraging aerobic organisms which aid with the composting process. The aerobic composting system generally includes a container which is adapted to store a volume of a liquid to be continuously mixed with organic materials to produce compost. The container may include a first opening through which the liquid and/or organic materials are introduced into a cavity of the container. The container may also include a second opening such as a spigot through which the resulting compost is dispensed. A gas dispenser is positioned on the floor of the container within the cavity to continuously dispense a gas through the liquid so as to mix the organic materials with the liquid and to encourage aerobic organisms which aid with the composting process.

Aeration device includes a hollow casing having a motor therein; a mixing unit formed on front side of the casing and having a discharge hole formed in radial direction and an intake hole formed on front thereof; an impeller located inside the mixing unit and coupled to a driving shaft of the motor, the driving shaft extended to the mixing unit, so as to be rotated with the driving shaft, to generate flow in outward radial direction upon rotation, an air inflow unit having one side end located in front of the impeller and serving as an air inflow pipe for introducing air to the mixing unit; and an auxiliary intake unit located on front side of the impeller to be rotated with the driving shaft of the motor and inserted into the air inflow unit to allow fluid in the air inflow unit to flow backward upon rotation.

The present application provides a high-gravity device for generating nano/micron bubble and a reaction system. In the device, the liquid phase is continuous phase and the gas phase is dispersed phase. A gas enters the interior of the device from a hollow shaft, and the gas is subjected to primary shearing under a shearing effect of aerating micropores to form bubbles; then, the bubbles rapidly disengage from the surface of a rotating shaft under the effect of the rotating shaft rotating at a high speed, and are subjected to secondary shearing under the high-gravity environment with the strong shearing force formed by the rotating shaft to form nano/micron bubbles. The device has the advantages of fastness, stability, and small average particle size. The average particle size of the formed nano/micron bubbles is between 800 nanometers and 50 microns, and the average particle size of the bubbles can be regulated in a range by adjusting the rotating speed of the rotating shaft.

The invention relates to an agitator device having a static unit and a rotational unit which is in the form of an agitator shaft and, in an assembled state, forms together with the static unit at least one common fluid channel for a fluid. It is proposed that a flow cross-section of the fluid channel, viewed along a main course of flow, is at least substantially constant at least in a coupling region between the static unit and the rotational unit.

A rotor for use in a slurry separation flotation cell having a tank within which the rotor is contained. The rotor has a shaft that has a conduit adapted to communicate a fluid, preferably a gas such as air, therethrough. The rotor also has impeller blades extending radially from the shaft and a baffle adjacent the bottom of the impeller blades. The baffle extends from an end of the shaft to at or near an outer edge of the impeller blades, directing the gas to the outer edges of the impeller blades for dispersion into the slurry. The rotor is located adjacent a floor of the tank and, in use, draws slurry downwards into the impeller portion and forces it outwards with the gas being mixed therein.

Bioreactors are provided that include a vessel and a jet mixer disposed in the vessel. Methods that utilize the bioreactors are provided, involving placing a microorganism or cells and a fluid medium in the bioreactor.

Biomass feedstocks (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) are processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems are described that can convert feedstock materials to a sugar solution, which can then be fermented to produce ethanol. Biomass feedstock is saccharified in a vessel by operation of a jet mixer, the vessel also containing a fluid medium and a saccharifying agent.