Photobioreactors, Solar Energy Gathering Systems, And Thermal Control Methods

• US 20110217692A1
• Filed: 07/28/2010
• Published: 09/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joule Unlimited Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Joule Unlimited Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Morgan, Frederick M., Walsem, Johan van, Jacobson, Stuart A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,304,232 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/3
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 21/02 Photobioreactors culturing algae A01G33/00, A01H4/001, C12N1/12
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 23/04 Flat or tray type, drawers C12M23/10, C12M23/12, C12M23/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 23/26 flexible flexible containers for laboratory use B01L3/505
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 37/00 Means for sterilizing, maintaining sterile conditions or avoiding chemical or biological contamination C12M23/38 takes precedence; filtration in general and filters per se B01D24/00-B01D41/00; autoclaves B01J3/04; treatment of microorganisms with electrical or wave energy C12N13/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 41/18 Heat exchange systems, e.g. heat jackets or outer envelopes

Abstract

The present invention provides photobioreactors, solar energy gathering systems, and methods for thermal control of a culture medium containing a prototrophic organism in a photobioreactor, that allow temperature control in a cost effective manner, reducing the energy required for temperature control of a culture medium containing phototrophic microorganisms in a photobioreactor.

Claims

1. A photobioreactor comprising:

(a) a reactor chamber for enclosing a phototrophic microorganism for the production of a fuel or carbon-based product and culture medium therefor;

(b) a heat energy system;

wherein at least part of the reactor chamber is transparent for light of a wavelength that is photosynthetically active in the phototrophic microorganism, and the reactor chamber and heat energy system are in controllable thermal contact;

(c) thermal control layer, wherein the thermal control layer provides the controllable thermal contact; and

wherein the thermal control layer comprises an enclosure for containing a fluid.

8. The photobioreactor of claim 1, wherein the fluid is a gas and the enclosure is flexible to allow significant structural and thermal contact between the reactor chamber and the heat energy system in the absence of the gas and reduced or no structural and thermal contact in the presence of the gas.

9. The photobioreactor of claim 8, wherein the reactor chamber is made of a flexible material in an area that is in contact with the thermal control layer.

10. The photobioreactor of claim 1, wherein part of the reactor chamber is a plastic layer, the plastic layer being also part of the enclosure of the thermal control layer.

12. The photobioreactor of claim 1, wherein the fluid is a liquid, and thermal contact is provided, through the enclosure and liquid, between the reactor chamber and the heat energy system;

and in the absence of the liquid, reduced or no thermal contact is provided.

14. The photobioreactor of claim 12, wherein the heat exchange chamber is made of a flexible material in an area that is in contact with the thermal control layer.

89. The photobioreactor of claim 1 comprising one or more reactor chambers, wherein the controllable thermal contact is provided by an inflatable thermal control layer comprising a plurality of volumes.

90. The photobioreactor of claim 89, wherein the volumes are adapted to be filled to different extents with liquid to provide a tilt of the reactor chambers.

92. The photobioreactor of claim 1 comprising one or more reactor chambers, wherein the controllable thermal contact is provided by an inflatable thermal control layer and the heat energy system comprises a plurality of inflatable heat exchange chambers.

93. The photobioreactor of claim 92, wherein the heat exchange chambers are adapted to be filled to different extents with liquid to provide a tilt of the reactor chambers.

2-7. -7. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

15-45. -45. (canceled)

46. A method for thermal control of a culture medium containing a phototrophic organism for the production of a fuel or carbon-based product in a photobioreactor comprising:

(a) measuring the temperature of the culture medium contained in a reactor chamber of the photobioreactor, the reactor chamber being positioned substantially horizontally to provide a headspace above the liquid culture;

wherein at least part of the reactor chamber is transparent for light of a wavelength that is photosynthetically active in the phototrophic microorganism;

(b) measuring the temperature of a heat exchange liquid contained in a heat exchange chamber, the heat exchange chamber and the reactor chamber being structurally coupled to a thermal control layer, the thermal control layer being positioned between the heat exchange chamber and the reactor chamber;

wherein the thermal control layer is adapted to contain a fluid;

(c) determining if a change in thermal contact between the reactor chamber and the heat exchange chamber is desired; and

(d) changing fluid presence in the thermal control layer if a change in thermal contact is desired;

wherein changing the fluid presence comprises inflating the thermal control layer with a gas, if reduced thermal contact between the heat exchange chamber and the reactor chamber and, therefore, reduced heat exchange between the culture medium and the heat exchange liquid is desired.

48. The method of claim 46, wherein changing the fluid presence further comprises deflating the thermal control layer, if thermal contact between the heat exchange chamber and the reactor chamber and, therefore, heat exchange between the culture medium and the heat exchange liquid is desired.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the thermal control layer has a flexible enclosure allowing the thermal control layer to collapse upon deflating to establish thermal contact between the heat exchange chamber and the reactor chamber.

50. The method of claim 46, wherein changing the fluid presence further comprises filling the thermal control layer with a liquid, if thermal contact between the heat exchange chamber and the reactor chamber and, therefore, heat exchange between the culture medium and the heat exchange liquid is desired.

47. (canceled)

51-81. -81. (canceled)

82. A photobioreactor comprising:

(a) a reactor chamber for enclosing a phototrophic microorganism for the production of a fuel or carbon-based product and culture medium therefor; and

(b) a heat energy system;

wherein at least part of the reactor chamber is transparent for light of a wavelength that is photosynthetically active in the phototrophic microorganism, and the reactor chamber and heat energy system are in controllable thermal contact;

wherein the controllable thermal contact is provided by an inflatable thermal control layer.

83. The photobioreactor of claim 82, wherein the reactor chamber is flexible to adapt to inflation of the inflatable thermal control layer.

84. The photobioreactor of claim 83 comprising a plurality of reactor chambers that are flexible to adapt to the inflation of the inflatable thermal control layer.

85. The photobioreactor of claim 84, wherein the reactor chambers abut the inflatable thermal control layer.

86. The photobioreactor of claim 82, wherein the inflatable thermal control layer abuts the heat energy system on the side of the inflatable thermal control layer opposite to the reactor chambers.

87. The photobioreactor of claim 86, wherein the reactor chambers are compactable when empty, and form raised enclosures in the presence of significant amounts of culture medium in the reactor chambers.

88. (canceled)

91. (canceled)

94-96. -96. (canceled)