SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND METHODS FOR BIOMASS PRODUCTION
First Claim
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1. A bioreactor system for cultivating photosynthetic organisms, comprising:
- a container having an exterior surface and an interior surface, the interior surface defining an isolated space configured to retain a plurality of photosynthetic organisms and cultivation media; and
a first lighting system comprising one or more light-emitting substrates received in the isolated space of the container, each having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the one or more light-emitting substrates configured to supply a first amount of light from the first surface and a second amount of light from the second surface to at least some of a plurality of photosynthetic organisms retained in the isolated space.
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Abstract
Systems, devices, and methods for releasing one or more cell components from a photosynthetic organism. A bioreactor system is operable for growing photosynthetic organisms. Some of the methods include contacting the photosynthetic organism with an energy-activatable sensitizer, and activating the energy-activatable sensitizer, thereby releasing a cellular component from at least one of, for example, a membrane structure, tubule, vesicle, cisterna, organelle, cell compartment, plastid, or mitochondrion, associated with the photosynthetic organisms.
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Citations
77 Claims
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1. A bioreactor system for cultivating photosynthetic organisms, comprising:
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a container having an exterior surface and an interior surface, the interior surface defining an isolated space configured to retain a plurality of photosynthetic organisms and cultivation media; and a first lighting system comprising one or more light-emitting substrates received in the isolated space of the container, each having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the one or more light-emitting substrates configured to supply a first amount of light from the first surface and a second amount of light from the second surface to at least some of a plurality of photosynthetic organisms retained in the isolated space. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method of operating a bioreactor system for providing light energy to a substantial portion of a plurality of photosynthetic organisms in liquid growth media within a bioreactor, comprising:
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providing a plurality of photosynthetic organisms and a cultivation media to an isolated space defined by an interior surface of a bioreactor containment structure; vertically mixing the photosynthetic organisms included in the liquid growth media; and operating a plurality of light-energy-supplying substrates received within the isolated space of the bioreactor, each of the light-energy supplying substrates having a first side and a second side opposite to the first side, the first and the second sides including one or more light-energy-supplying elements that form part of a light-energy-supplying area to supply an effective amount of light energy from the light-energy-supplying substrates to a substantial portion of the plurality of photosynthetic organisms in the isolated space. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A photosynthetic biomass cultivation system, comprising:
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a controller configured to automatically control at least one process variable associated with cultivating a photosynthetic biomass; and a bioreactor comprising; a structure having an exterior surface and an interior surface, the interior surface defining an isolated space configured to retain the photosynthetic biomass suspended in cultivation media; and a lighting system comprising one or more light-emitting elements including a light-emitting area received in the isolated space of the structure, the light-emitting area forming part of a light-emitting-area to reactor-volume interface. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A bioreactor system configured to adjust a light exposure of photosynthetic organisms located in the bioreactor, the bioreactor comprising:
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at least a first level to support a first surface layer of photosynthetic organisms; a second level to support a second surface layer of photosynthetic organisms, the first level physically separated from the second level; and a lighting system arranged to direct a first amount of light toward the first surface layer of photosynthetic organisms and further arranged to direct a second amount of light toward the second surface layer of photosynthetic organisms. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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53. A method for increasing a ratio of light-emitting-area to a photobioreactor-volume interface of a photobioreactor, the method comprising:
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directing an effluent stream to the photobioreactor, the photobioreactor comprising a structure having an inner surface defining a photobioreactor volume; separating the effluent stream to direct one portion of the effluent stream to a first region of the photobioreactor, the first region holding a first amount of algae and to direct another portion of the effluent stream to a second region of the photobioreactor, the second region holding a second amount of algae; and directing light from a light source toward at least some of the algae in the bioreactor to encourage a photosynthetic reaction in the algae, the light source comprising one or more light-emitting elements including a first and a second light-emitting area, the first and the second light-emitting areas forming part of a light-emitting-area to photobioreactor-volume interface. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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61. A bioreactor system for producing biofuel from algae, the system comprising:
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a bioreactor vessel; a lighting system retained within the bioreactor vessel and arranged to direct an amount of light on at least some algae located within the bioreactor vessel, the lighting system respectively oriented within the bioreactor vessel to increase a photosynthetic process of the algae; a control system configured to monitor and/or control at least one environmental condition within the bioreactor vessel; and a light source optically coupled to the lighting system. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74)
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75. A method of cultivating algae in a bioreactor, the method comprising:
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placing a first species and a second species of algae together in a portion of the bioreactor, wherein the first species includes a first light absorption capacity and the second species includes a second light absorption capacity; and controllably directing light toward the first and the second species of algae. - View Dependent Claims (76)
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77. The method of claim 77 wherein directing light having a first wavelength includes controllably selecting the wavelength of the light to increase a number of photosynthetic reactions in the first and the second species of algae.
Specification