USDA-ARS-MWA, 1815 N. University St., Peoria, IL 61604

66 -- B. BRAUN BIOSTAT D FERMENTOR Sol. 8-5114-95. Contact Point: Rebecca A. Holzinger, Contract Specialist, 309-681-6615. This synopsis is a notice of intent to enter into a contract with B. Braun Biotech, Inc., USA, Allentown, PA for more B. Braun Biostat D-30 liter working volume fermentor. The fermentor will be used to support three existing Biostat D-100 fermentors. The entire system will be used for the evaluation, optimization, and scaling of industrially interesting microbial processes. The fermentor system must hav compatability with B. Braun Micro-MFCS supervisory computer system hardware and software; compatibility with existing Biostat D-100 units will respect to valves, gauges, pumps, probes, and spare parts; a top drive stainless steel vessel designed for 30 1 working volume that is steam-jacketed, has a 2.2:1 geometric aspect ratio compatible with vessels of U.S. fermentation industry, and is equipped with a double mechanic seal. The vessel must have removable baffles and accomodate entry from bottom or sides for temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen probes; fully automatic sterilization in place of vessel and both inlet and exhaust filters; a manual backpressure control valve; modular instrumentation which allows individual circuit boards to be easily removed and sent for repair; a programmable system which automatically controls normal process parameters (temperature, pH, stirrer speed, dissolved oxygen, etc.) without requiring an operator on 224-h basis; a thermal mass flow air measurement/control system (1.5 to 65 L/min range); the ability to control dissolved oxygen via aeration and/or stireing rate compensation and to prioritize aeration versus stirring control; conductivity sensing for liquid or foam level and control of foam via dosing pump; the ability to control pH by liquid (or optimal gas) dosing and provide on-line calculations of total flows; the ability to control vessel temperatures in the range of 8 degrees C above cooling water temperature to 90 degrees C for fermentation mode and 100-130 degrees C for sterilization mode; the ability to accomodate a future optical density probe (bottom or side-entry) and utilize the signal as a premise for feedback control; and the ability to be expanded to implement other experimental control systems such as power consumption, nutrient concentration, etc. This is not a request for competitive proposals, hoever, interested persons may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement. Written proposals received by COB June 9, 1995 will be considered by the Government. See numbered Note 22. (121)

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