Raceways for Cultivating Algae

• US 20100031561A1
• Filed: 07/10/2009
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Old Dominion University Research Foundation
• Original Assignee: Old Dominion University Research Foundation
• Inventors: Stubbins, Aron, Hatcher, Patrick G., Salmon, Elodie
• Application Number:
  US12/500,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20100031561A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 47/1.400
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 33/00 Cultivation of seaweed or algae
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 21/02 Photobioreactors culturing algae A01G33/00, A01H4/001, C12N1/12
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 33/10 by centrifugation centrifuges in general B04B; Cyclones cyclones in general B04C
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/80 in fisheries management

Abstract

A raceway for cultivating algae in a liquid medium, comprising one or more precipitators positioned along the raceway, and at which precipitators the algal biomass produced in the raceway is precipitated from the liquid medium and concentrated.

Claims

1. A raceway for cultivating algae in a liquid medium, comprising one or more precipitators positioned along the raceway, and at which precipitators algal biomass produced in the raceway is precipitated from the liquid medium and concentrated.

2. The raceway of claim 1, wherein the one or more precipitators are cyclone precipitators.

3. The raceway of claim 2, wherein two or more cyclone precipitators are positioned successively along the raceway, a first one of said two or more cyclone precipitators occupies a first vertical position, and each successive one of the two or more cyclone precipitators occupies a successively lower vertical position than the first vertical position, and wherein further the raceway is characterized in that the liquid medium flows downwardly into each cyclone precipitator.

4. The raceway of claim 1, further comprising means for selectively removing the concentrated algal biomass from each of the one or more precipitators.

5. The raceway of claim 4, further comprising outlet passageways communicating with each of the one or more precipitators, and wherein the means for selectively removing the concentrated algal biomass from each of the one or more precipitators are positioned between each of the one or more precipitators and each outlet passageway.

6. The raceway of claim 5, wherein each of the outlet passageways communicating with each of the one or more precipitators further communicates with a common outlet passageway.

7. A raceway for cultivating algae in a liquid medium, the raceway comprising a plurality of cyclone precipitators positioned successively along the raceway, at which precipitators algal biomass produced in the raceway is precipitated from the liquid medium and concentrated, wherein a first one of said plurality of cyclone precipitators occupies a first vertical position, and each successive one of the plurality of cyclone precipitators occupies a successively lower vertical position than the first vertical position, and wherein further the raceway is characterized in that the liquid medium flows downwardly into each cyclone precipitator.

8. The raceway of claim 7, further comprising means for selectively removing the concentrated algal biomass from each of the one or more precipitators.

9. The raceway of claim 8, further comprising outlet passageways communicating with each of the one or more precipitators, and wherein the means for selectively removing the concentrated algal biomass from each of the one or more precipitators are positioned between each of the one or more precipitators and each outlet passageway.

10. The raceway of claim 9, wherein each of the outlet passageways communicating with each of the one or more precipitators further communicates with a common outlet passageway.

11. In a raceway for cultivating algae in a liquid medium, the improvement comprising providing one or more precipitators positioned along the raceway, at which precipitators algal biomass produced in the raceway is precipitated from the liquid medium and concentrated.

12. The improved raceway of claim 11, wherein the one or more precipitators are cyclone precipitators.

13. The improved raceway of claim 12, wherein two or more cyclone precipitators are positioned successively along the raceway, a first one of said two or more cyclone precipitators occupying a first vertical position, and each successive one of the two or more cyclone precipitators occupying a successively lower vertical position than the first vertical position, and wherein further the raceway is characterized in that the liquid medium flows downwardly into each precipitator.

14. The improved raceway of claim 13, further comprising means for selectively removing the concentrated algal biomass from each of the one or mote precipitators.

15. The improved raceway of claim 14, further comprising outlet passageways communicating with each of the one or more precipitators, and wherein the means for selectively removing the concentrated algal biomass from each of the one or more precipitators are positioned between each of the one or more precipitators and each outlet passageway.

16. The improved raceway of claim 15, wherein each of the outlet passageways communicating with each of the one or more precipitators further communicates with a common outlet passageway.

17. The improved raceway of claim 11, further comprising means for selectively removing the concentrated algal biomass from each of the one or more precipitators.

18. The improved raceway of claim 17, further comprising outlet passageways communicating with each of the one or more precipitators, and wherein the means for selectively removing the concentrated algal biomass from each of the one or more precipitators are positioned between each of the one or more precipitators and each outlet passageway.

19. The improved raceway of claim 18, wherein each of the outlet passageways communicating with each of the one or more precipitators further communicates with a common outlet passageway.