Photobioreactors, solar energy gathering systems, and thermal control methods
First Claim
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1. 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, the method 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 culture medium and being one of a plurality of channels positioned in parallel and having a substantially longer length than width;
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 liquid being in controllable thermal contact with the culture medium in the reactor chamber through a separating layer;
(c) determining if a change in thermal contact between the culture medium and the heat exchange liquid is desired; and
(d) controlling the thermal contact between the culture medium and the heat exchange liquid by controlling the extent of a gas space above the heat exchange liquid in the heat exchange chamber;
wherein the gas space is thermally insulating.
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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.
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Citations
4 Claims
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1. 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, the method comprising:
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(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 culture medium and being one of a plurality of channels positioned in parallel and having a substantially longer length than width;
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 liquid being in controllable thermal contact with the culture medium in the reactor chamber through a separating layer; (c) determining if a change in thermal contact between the culture medium and the heat exchange liquid is desired; and (d) controlling the thermal contact between the culture medium and the heat exchange liquid by controlling the extent of a gas space above the heat exchange liquid in the heat exchange chamber;
wherein the gas space is thermally insulating. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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Specification