Photo bioreactor and cultivation system for improved productivity of photoautotrophic cell cultures

• US 20110070632A1
• Filed: 09/18/2009
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Biocetane, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Biocetane, Inc.
• Inventors: Katoch, Anand Swarup, Katoch, Rakhi Anand
• Application Number:
  US12/586,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20110070632A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/286.6
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 1/30 by movement of cleaning members over a surface
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 5/02 Cleaning by the force of jets, e.g. blowing-out cavities airguns or nozzles per se B05B1/005
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 21/02 Photobioreactors culturing algae A01G33/00, A01H4/001, C12N1/12
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 23/18 Open ponds; Greenhouse type or underground installations
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 27/02 Stirrer or mobile mixing elements
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 31/02 located outside the reactor
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 31/08 by conducting or reflecting elements located inside the reactor or in its structure
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 39/00 Means for cleaning the apparatus or avoiding unwanted deposits of microorganisms apparatus for cleaning laboratory receptacles or instruments B01L13/02; cleaning in general B08B
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 41/10 Filtering the incident radiation
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 41/34 of gas

Abstract

This invention relates to open or close top photobioreactor apparatus for improved productivity with a small footprint, that can be placed in varied temperature zones, above or below ground on land or in water or use in space-station for conducting aqueous aerobic or anaerobic; continues or batch wise cultivation and harvesting of photoautotrophic organism'"'"'s.

More particularly this invention concerns with a novel means and process for uniform optical dispersion and optical enhancement by utilizing a solar energy collection unit attached to a photo-emitting system which emits full spectrum or specific wavelength light substantially uniformly and radially along its length.

Claims

1. A close top photobioreactor for mass cultivation of photoautotrophic organism in liquid pool, comprising a core support structure which is upstanding and substantially raceway shape with a liquid inlet and outlet port.

2. The photobioreactor according to claim 1 further comprises an air inlet port that is linked to the injector sparger gas system that provides a controlled carbon dioxide delivery.

3. The photobioreactor according to claim 1 further comprises a plurality of fiber optic light guide or hybrid light emitting guides in tubular or flat shape that are immersed into the growth media, and mounted within the container extending in a substantially parallel way from the said first wall to said second wall such that the light source can illuminate the liquid pool uniformly.

4. This light guide as mentioned in claim 3 can be installed in photobioreactor directly or within a housing and the space in-between the light guide and the housing is filled with a light filtering fluid for spectral control.

5. Said hybrid light emitting guide in claim 3 are connected to at least one hybrid solar collector installed on a circular or trough shaped primary mirror to deliver full spectrum or selective wavelength of solar energy in accordance to the algae needs by efficiently concentrating cool light and utilizing the remaining infrared energy for electricity generation.

6. The photobioreactor according to claim 1 further comprises an automatic hybrid light emitting guide cleaning adaptor that is installed over the light guides or housing and operates without shutting down the process for cleaning the buildup on the light guides that could result in reducing the efficiency of light transmission.

7. The photobioreactor according to claim 1 further comprises a sliding or moving device similar to endless screw actuator and ball-nut assembly that is rotated by gear and drive to move the cleaning adaptor preferably along the entire length of the light guide or housing.

8. The photobioreactor according to claim 1 further comprises of a geothermal heat exchange tubes made of smooth heat transferring material, within the support structure wall to control the photobioreactor temperature.

9. The photobioreactor according to claim 1 further comprises at least one fluid moving equipment such as paddle wheel, stirrer, wave maker to keep the photoautotrophic organism suspended near the light source.

10. A cleaning adaptor according to claim 6 where the inner side comprises a cleaning means such as brush, rake or high pressure air nozzle for cleaning the outer surface of the light guide or its housing.

11. The photobioreactor according to claim 1 further comprises a lid for hermetically enclose the liquid pool in said vessel of said photobioreactor. Over the lid at least one hybrid solar collector as in claim 5 is installed and access ends for the fiber optic strands and electro luminescence are provided with protective cover.

12. An alternate embodiment of claim 1 where the photobioreactor is an open top mass cultivation system and has the injector sparger gas system according to claim 2, light guide according to claim 3, light guide housing according to claim 4 hybrid solar collector according to claim 5, guide cleaning adaptor according to claims 6 and 10, moving device for cleaning adapter according to claim 7, geothermal heating exchange tubes according to claim 8, fluid moving equipment according to claim 9.

13. An alternate embodiment of claim 12 where the open top floating photo-bioreactor system is on ocean surface. The walls of the photobioreactor are made of air filled polymer bag or any other high strength light weight material that is water resistant and can hold in air pressure. The system has plurality of floating solar trough floating on air filled support.

18. The photo-bioreactor according to claim 14 further comprises at least one cleaning adaptor according to claims 6, 7 and 10 for cleaning the outer surface of the housing.

20. The photobioreactor according to claim 1, claim 12, claim 13, claim 14 can have continues delivery of full spectrum or selective wavelength of solar energy or delivered as flashing light in accordance to their light and dark cycle requirement of the photoautotrophic organism or suspension density. For organism needing extended light requirement beyond the daylight period, electro luminescence shall be an economical source of light.

21. The photobioreactor according to claim 1, claim 12, claim 13, claim 14 consist of off the shelf hybrid solar collectors to deliver full spectrum or selective wavelength of infrared filtered cool solar light.

14. A second preferred embodiment of an above ground sealed photobioreactor assembly preferably cylindrical shape, having outer and inner tank, the outer tank is covered with insulation. In-between the two tanks there is a heating or cooling coil as a means of temperature control.

15. An inner tank according to claim 14, to accommodated fluid media is being provided with (i) one dosing port and one product collection port (ii) one air pipe with safety valve and compressor that supplies air to the annular gas emitter pipe which is circular or coil shape with nozzles directed obliquely downward. (iii) agitator shaft and agitator vanes driven by electric motor to uniformly disperse gas into nutrient medium, and keep the algae suspended in close contact of the light source, (iv) computer controlled system and probes to continuously monitor pH, DOT, hydrogen, nitrogen, light meter, pressure, temperature and inline biomass detector.

16. A photobioreactor tank assembly according to the claim 14 has securely mounted minimum one hybrid solar collector and minimum one optically transparent fiber optic or hybrid optic light guide.

17. Each light guide according to claim 16 is placed directly into the tank or placed into a transparent housing and the space between the light guide and the housing shall be filled by light filtering fluid for spectral control.

19. The photo-bioreactor according to claim 14 further comprises close loop venting line connected to Carbon dioxide or Oxygen concentration detector and a catalytic converter into which hydrogen is introduced in a controlled manner to react with molecular oxygen in the presence of catalyst. The water vapor formed by combustion reaction is collected into the condenser and the oxygen free air is mixed with controlled dose of Carbon dioxide from the carbon dioxide tank before it enters the reactor again.