BREEDING AND REPRODUCTION SYSTEM FOR LIGHT-INTENSIVE MICROORGANISMS (SUCH AS ALGAE)

• US 20110078949A1
• Filed: 12/06/2010
• Published: 04/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: PanAlgaea Swiss GmbH
• Original Assignee: Alge Oil GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Kurzweil, Horst, Schuster, Juergen
• Application Number:
  US12/960,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20110078949A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 47/1.4
• 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 27/20 Baffles; Ribs; Ribbons; Auger vanes
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 31/08 by conducting or reflecting elements located inside the reactor or in its structure
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 31/10 by light emitting elements located inside the reactor, e.g. LED or OLED

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for the breeding and reproduction of microorganisms, comprising a basin system (10) and a nutrient suspension (12) disposed in the basin system (10), wherein the basin system (10) comprises a vertical meandering system formed by partition walls (14) in order to achieve a substantially vertical flow of the nutrient suspension (12) in the basin system (10). The invention further relates to a method for the breeding and reproduction of microorganisms by means of a system in which light is introduced into a basin system (10) comprising a nutrient suspension (12), wherein the introduction of the light is carried out by way of partition walls (14) projecting into the nutrient suspension (12), said walls being filled with a dispersive liquid. In this manner an improved yield of microorganisms per hectare can be obtained.

Claims

1. A system for the breeding and reproduction of microorganisms, characterized as a basin configured to have at least one pool;

and

a nutrient suspension medium (12);

at least one partially transparent partitions (14) delimiting a vertical flow path to direct the flow of the nutrient suspension medium;

wherein the partitions (14) are hollow and contain a dispersive liquid capable of directing and discharging electromagnetic energy into the nutrient suspension.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that pool is characterized as possessing adjacent side walls (18), with each pool (16) having a partition (14) located within the pool and the side walls (18) of adjacent basins (16) forming an overflow area for the movement (20) of the nutrient suspension (12) from one pool the an adjacent pool.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein at least one pool (16) is arranged in a ring.

4. The plant according to any of claims 1-3, characterized in that a lift arrangement (24) for introducing the nutrient suspension (12) into the basin system (10) is provided and further characterized in that a nutrient suspension reservoir is accessed by means of an elevator assembly located on the outside of a side wall of a first tank (16) of the basin system (10), and is configured to direct nutrient suspension medium into the basin system.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the side wall (32) between the elevator assembly (24) and the first reservoir (16) is an essay (34).

6. The system according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the lift arrangement is further characterized in possessing that a tube connecting a first reservoir (16), to a last pool of the basin system (10), through which can flow the nutrient suspension (12).

7. The System according to claim 6, wherein the connecting tube is a screw conveyor, which can be regulated and/or controlled by a motor.

8. The plant according to any of claims 1-3, wherein the nutrient suspension (12) is by means of a pump (44) located within the basin system (10) is introduced.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the partitions (14) possess a tube assembly (42), by which the dispersive fluid can be circulated between a plurality of partitions.

10. The plant according to claim 1, wherein the partitions (14) an LED array (34).

11. The plant according to claim 1, characterized in that the partitions (14) posses light collectors (36) for collection and concentration of sunlight.

12. Plant according to claim 1, wherein the partitions (16) possesses heating elements and/or cooling elements.

13. Plant according to claim 1, wherein the heating elements and/or cooling elements are arranged in or at the outside walls of the pool.

14. The system characterized according to claim 1, wherein in the basin, the heating and/or cooling elements are arranged outside the boundary walls.

15. Plant according to claims 1, wherein the partitions (16) via a web (38) are connected.

16. Method of rearing and reproduction of microorganisms by means of a system, wherein the light necessary to a nutrient suspension containing basin system is characterized in that the transfer of light into the nutrient suspension protruding partitions is that dispersive with a liquid-filled.

17. The method of claim 16, characterized in that the dispersive liquid has light directing particles.

18. The method of any one of claims 16-17, wherein the dispersive liquid flowing through a tube in the partition walls arranged arrangement.