Apparatus for culturing microalgae
First Claim
1. An apparatus for culturing minute algae, characterized by comprising:
- a horizontal flow path for containing liquid and allowing it to be irradiated with sun beams and held in contact with ambient air, said flow path being substantially horizontal and having a first flow path end and a second flow path end;
a first vertical flow path substantially vertical and communicating with said first flow path end;
a second vertical flow path substantially vertical and communicating with said second flow path end;
a storage tank for storing the liquid contained in said horizontal flow path, said storage tank communicating with said first vertical flow path and said second vertical flow path and being provided with an air discharge mechanism and airtightly closed at the upper end thereof; and
a pressurized gas feeder arranged within said storage tank for feeding gas;
the upper limit of the height of the communicating path at the boundary section between said first vertical flow path and said storage tank being made higher than the upper limit of the height of the communicating path at the boundary section of said second vertical flow path and said storage tank.
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Abstract
An apparatus for culturing microalgae is characterized by comprising:
(1) a waterway a to be filled with a suspension containing a culture solution and microalgae and adapted to be irradiated with sun beams while being held in contact with ambient air;
(2) an upper hermetically sealed storage tank b for storing said suspension to avoid any contact between the latter and ambient air, said storage tank being provided with a deaeration and a switch valve;
(3) an aeration pipe c arranged and apertured in the storage tank b for feeding pressurized gas into the storage tank b; and
(4) a pressurized gas feeder d;
the upstream end and the downstream end of the waterway a and the storage tank b being linked at the bottom of the storage tank b by way of a water conduit f to form an endless waterway; the upstream end and the downstream end of the waterway a and the storage tank b being linked at the bottom of the storage tank b so as to allow pressurized gas fed through the aeration pipe c to burst out from the bottom of the storage tank b toward the upstream end of the waterway a through the inside of the storage tank b.
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Citations
8 Claims
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1. An apparatus for culturing minute algae, characterized by comprising:
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a horizontal flow path for containing liquid and allowing it to be irradiated with sun beams and held in contact with ambient air, said flow path being substantially horizontal and having a first flow path end and a second flow path end; a first vertical flow path substantially vertical and communicating with said first flow path end; a second vertical flow path substantially vertical and communicating with said second flow path end; a storage tank for storing the liquid contained in said horizontal flow path, said storage tank communicating with said first vertical flow path and said second vertical flow path and being provided with an air discharge mechanism and airtightly closed at the upper end thereof; and a pressurized gas feeder arranged within said storage tank for feeding gas; the upper limit of the height of the communicating path at the boundary section between said first vertical flow path and said storage tank being made higher than the upper limit of the height of the communicating path at the boundary section of said second vertical flow path and said storage tank. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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Specification
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- Resources
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Current AssigneeToshirou Sekine
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Original AssigneeToshirou Sekine
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InventorsSekine, Toshirou
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Primary Examiner(s)Redding, David A.
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Application NumberUS09/343,720Time in Patent Office258 DaysField of Search435/286.5, 435/289.1, 435/292.1, 435/293.1, 47/60, 47/1.4, 47/DIG. 6US Class Current435/292.1CPC Class CodesA01G 33/00 Cultivation of seaweed or a...C12M 21/02 Photobioreactors culturing ...C12M 23/18 Open ponds; Greenhouse type...C12M 27/20 Baffles; Ribs; Ribbons; Aug...C12M 29/08 Air liftC12M 29/20 Degassing; Venting; Bubble ...Y02A 40/80 in fisheries managementY10S 47/06 Plant growth regulation by ...
