Fine algae culture device

• US 6,348,347 B1
• Filed: 02/17/2000
• Issued: 02/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bioreal, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micro Gaia Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hirabayashi, Seishiro, Prilutsky, Alexander, Sadamatsu, Hisato
• Primary Examiner(s): Beisner, William H.
• Application Number:
  US09/424,707
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 435/257.1, 435/257.3, 435/292.1, 435/296.1, 47/14, 210/220, 261/121.1, 261/123, 261/124, 239/722, 239/754, 239/263, 239/264, 239/229, 239/233
• US Class Current: 435/292.1
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 21/02 Photobioreactors culturing algae A01G33/00, A01H4/001, C12N1/12
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 23/06 Tubular C12M23/08, C12M23/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 29/06 Nozzles; Sprayers; Spargers; Diffusers per se B01F23/231, B01J19/26
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 31/02 located outside the reactor

Abstract

This invention relates to a culture device of a domed shape, a conical shape, or a cylindrical shape of a closed type used for culture of microalgae, and a gas discharge device set so as to be movable in the culture device. The culture device is basically composed of a transparent inside member (a semispherical dome, a conical peripheral wall, or a cylindrical peripheral wall), a transparent outside member, and a bottom portion connecting the lower ends of the two members, a cylindrical opening portion is provided at the top part of the outside member, and a gas introducing member and a discharging member of a culture solution are provided in the bottom portion. The gas discharge device is basically composed of two opposed rectangular base plates, a bubble guide member, and a discharge nozzle. The culture solution can be agitated without mechanical agitation and the culture can be carried out in high concentrations.

Claims

1. A culture device of microalgae, said device being one of either shape selected from a domed shape, a conical shape, and a cylindrical shape,

wherein the culture device of the domed shape comprises an outside semispherical dome of a transparent material, an inside semispherical dome of a transparent material, and a bottom portion connecting lower ends of the two domes, a cylindrical opening portion is provided at top part of the outside semispherical dome, and an introducing member of air and/or carbonic acid gas and a discharging member of a culture solution are provided in the bottom portion,

wherein the culture device of the conical shape comprises an outside conical peripheral wall of a transparent material, a transparent inside conical peripheral wall, and a bottom portion connecting lower ends of the two peripheral walls, a cylindrical opening portion is provided at top part of the outside conical peripheral wall, and an introducing member of air and/or carbonic acid gas and a discharging member of a culture solution are provided in the bottom portion,

or, wherein the culture device of the cylindrical shape comprises an outside cylindrical peripheral wall having an upper wall of a transparent material, an inside cylindrical peripheral wall having an upper wall a transparent material, and a bottom portion connecting lower ends of the two peripheral walls, a cylindrical opening portion is provided in central part of the upper wall of the outside cylindrical peripheral wall, and an introducing member of air and/or carbonic acid gas and a discharging member of a culture solution are provided in the bottom portion.

2. The culture device according to claim 1, wherein the shape of the culture device is the domed shape.

3. The culture device according to claim 1, wherein the shape of the culture device is the conical shape.

4. The culture device according to claim 1, wherein the shape of the culture device is the cylindrical shape.

5. The culture device according to claim 1, wherein the transparent material is acrylic resin.

6. The culture device according to claim 1, wherein a member for water sprinkling is further provided outside the cylindrical opening portion and a sprinkled water receiver is further provided around the outside periphery of the bottom portion.

7. The culture device according to claim 1, wherein an artificial light source is further provided in an inside space of the inside semispherical dome, the inside conical peripheral wall, or the inside cylindrical peripheral wall.

8. A gas discharge device for use in a culture device of microalgae, the gas discharge device comprising two opposed rectangular base plates, a bubble guide member of a -shaped cross section opening down, and a discharge nozzle, wherein the bubble guide member is set as inclined with respect to upper surfaces of the rectangular base plates, an inclined wall as an upper surface of the bubble guide member is bent at an upper end thereof to form an upper wall extending substantially horizontally, the bubble guide member has side walls hanging down from both side edges of the inclined wall and the upper wall, lower ends of the both side walls are joined to the upper surfaces of the rectangular base plates, and the discharge nozzle is rotatably mounted through a through hole bored in a lower portion of the inclined wall.

10. The gas discharge device selected from claim 8 or 9, wherein at least one of the two opposed rectangular base plates is bent in the same direction at a front end portion and/or at a rear end portion.

11. The gas discharge device selected from claim 8 or 9, wherein at least one of the two opposed rectangular base plates is provided with weight adjusting means.

9. A gas discharge device for use in a culture device, comprising two opposed rectangular base plates, a bubble guide member of an inverse-U-shaped cross section opening down, and a discharge nozzle, wherein the bubble guide member is set as inclined with respect to upper surfaces of the rectangular base plates, an upper end of a semicircular inclined wall as an upper surface of the bubble guide member is bent to form an upper wall extending substantially horizontally as keeping the semicircular shape, the bubble guide member has side walls hanging down from both side edges of the inclined wall and the upper wall, lower ends of the both side walls are joined to the upper surfaces of the rectangular base plates, and the discharge nozzle is rotatably mounted through a through hole bored in a lower portion of the inclined wall.

12. A microalgae culture apparatus comprising a culture device body and a gas discharge device,

wherein the culture device body is a culture device of a domed shape, a conical shape, or a cylindrical shape,

wherein the culture device of the domed shape comprises an outside semispherical dome of a transparent material, an inside semispherical dome of a transparent material, and a bottom portion connecting lower ends of the two domes, a cylindrical opening portion is provided at top part of the outside semispherical dome, and a discharging member of a culture solution are provided in the bottom portion,

wherein the culture device of the conical shape comprises an outside conical peripheral wall of a transparent material, a transparent inside conical peripheral wall, and a bottom portion connecting lower ends of the two peripheral walls, a cylindrical opening portion is provided at top part of the outside conical peripheral wall, and a discharging member of a culture solution are provided in the bottom portion,

or, wherein the culture device of the cylindrical shape comprises an outside cylindrical peripheral wall having an upper wall of a transparent material, an inside cylindrical peripheral wall having an upper wall of a transparent material, and a bottom portion connecting lower ends of the two peripheral walls, a cylindrical opening portion is provided in central part of the upper wall of the outside cylindrical peripheral wall, and a discharging member of a culture solution are provided in the bottom portion,

wherein the gas discharge device comprises two opposed rectangular base plates, a bubble guide member of a -shaped cross section or an inverse-U-shaped cross section opening down, and a discharge nozzle, the bubble guide member is set as inclined with respect to upper surfaces of the rectangular base plates, an inclined wall as an upper surface of the bubble guide member is bent at an upper end thereof to form an upper wall extending substantially horizontally, the bubble guide member has side walls hanging down from both side edges of the inclined wall and the upper wall, lower ends of the both side walls are joined respectively to the two upper surfaces of the rectangular base plates, and the discharge nozzle is rotatably mounted through a through hole bored in a lower portion of the inclined wall.

13. The culture apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the transparent material of the culture device body is acrylic resin.

14. The culture apparatus according to claim 12, wherein an introducing member of air and/or carbonic acid gas is further provided in the bottom portion of the culture device body.

15. The culture apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the culture device body further comprises a water sprinkling member outside the cylindrical opening portion and a sprinkled water receiver around the outside periphery of the bottom portion.

16. The culture apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the culture device body further comprises an artificial light source in an inside space of the inside semispherical dome, the inside conical peripheral wall, or the inside cylindrical peripheral wall.

17. The culture apparatus according to claim 12, wherein at least one of the rectangular base plates of the gas discharge device is bent in the same direction at a front end portion and/or at a rear end portion.

18. The culture apparatus according to claim 12, wherein at least one of the two rectangular base plates of the gas discharge device is provided with weight adjusting means.