Algae bioreactor using submerged enclosures with semi-permeable membranes
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for producing at least one micro-organism (“
- μ
org”
), the method comprising;
providing a closeable enclosure, having an enclosure interior and being defined by first and second opposed enclosure surfaces that are joined together;
partially or fully immersing the enclosure in a first type liquid;
partially filling the enclosure with the at least one μ
org and a second type liquid;
closing the enclosure with the second type liquid and the at least one μ
org contained in the enclosure interior, where at least one of the enclosure first and second surfaces comprises one or more semi-permeable first membranes that are permeable to the second type liquid and are substantially impermeable to the at least one μ
org;
allowing at least a portion of the second type liquid within the enclosure interior to pass through the one or more first membranes into the first type liquid by forward osmosis, to thereby remove at least a portion of the second type liquid in the enclosure interior;
providing at least one of the enclosure first surface and the enclosure second surface with at least one CO2 transport membrane having a CO2 transport rate across the transport membrane that can be changed; and
increasing or decreasing the rate of CO2 transport across the transport membrane into said enclosure, in order to bring a present CO2 concentration value, C(CO2), into closer agreement with a selected CO2 concentration value, C(CO2;
ref).
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods for producing hydrocarbons, including oil, by processing algae and/or other micro-organisms in an aquatic environment. Flexible bags (e.g., plastic) with CO2/O2 exchange membranes, suspended at a controllable depth in a first liquid (e.g., seawater), receive a second liquid (e.g., liquid effluent from a “dead zone”) containing seeds for algae growth. The algae are cultivated and harvested in the bags, after most of the second liquid is removed by forward osmosis through liquid exchange membranes. The algae are removed and processed, and the bags are cleaned and reused.
29 Citations
39 Claims
-
1. A method for producing at least one micro-organism (“
- μ
org”
), the method comprising;providing a closeable enclosure, having an enclosure interior and being defined by first and second opposed enclosure surfaces that are joined together; partially or fully immersing the enclosure in a first type liquid; partially filling the enclosure with the at least one μ
org and a second type liquid;closing the enclosure with the second type liquid and the at least one μ
org contained in the enclosure interior, where at least one of the enclosure first and second surfaces comprises one or more semi-permeable first membranes that are permeable to the second type liquid and are substantially impermeable to the at least one μ
org;allowing at least a portion of the second type liquid within the enclosure interior to pass through the one or more first membranes into the first type liquid by forward osmosis, to thereby remove at least a portion of the second type liquid in the enclosure interior; providing at least one of the enclosure first surface and the enclosure second surface with at least one CO2 transport membrane having a CO2 transport rate across the transport membrane that can be changed; and increasing or decreasing the rate of CO2 transport across the transport membrane into said enclosure, in order to bring a present CO2 concentration value, C(CO2), into closer agreement with a selected CO2 concentration value, C(CO2;
ref). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
- μ
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34. A method for producing at least one micro-organism (“
- μ
org”
), the method comprising;providing a first type liquid; providing a sealable enclosure, having an enclosure interior and being defined by first and second enclosure surfaces; partially filling the enclosure interior with a second type liquid, and providing at least one selected micro-organism (“
μ
org”
) in the enclosure interior;closing the enclosure; positioning the enclosure in the first type liquid; providing at least one of the first and second enclosure surfaces with one or more semi-permeable first membranes that are permeable to at least one of CO2 gas and NH3 gas and are substantially impermeable to the at least one selected μ
org;providing an exterior source of at least one of CO2 gas and NH3 gas in contact with the one or more first membranes; providing a controller that senses a pH value, pH(sens), within the second type liquid, compares the value pH(sens) with a reference value, pH(ref), for the pH value within the second type liquid, and introduces at least one of the CO2 gas and the NH3 gas into the second type liquid in order to bring pH(sens) into closer agreement with pH(ref); providing a semi-permeable second membrane, positioned on at least one of the first and second enclosure surfaces, that is permeable to the second liquid and is not permeable to the at least one μ
org; andallowing at least a portion of the second type liquid within the enclosure interior to pass through the second membrane, positioned on at least one of the first and second enclosure surfaces, into the first type liquid by forward osmosis, to thereby remove at least part of the second type liquid from the enclosure interior. - View Dependent Claims (35)
- μ
-
36. A method for producing at least one micro-organism (“
- μ
org”
), the method comprising;providing a sealable enclosure, having an enclosure interior and being defined by first and second opposed enclosure surfaces that are joined together; partially or fully immersing the enclosure in a first type liquid; partially filling the enclosure with the at least one μ
org and a second type liquid;closing the enclosure with the second type liquid and the at least one μ
org contained in the enclosure interior, where at least one of the enclosure first and second surfaces comprises one or more semi-permeable first membranes that are permeable to the second type liquid and are substantially impermeable to the at least one μ
org;allowing at least a portion of the second type liquid within the enclosure interior to pass through the one or more first membranes into the first type liquid by forward osmosis, to thereby remove at least a portion of the second type liquid in the enclosure interior; providing the one or more first membranes on the enclosure first surface; and positioning at least one of the one or more first membranes above a surface of the first type liquid in order to reduce or suppress transport of said second liquid through the first membrane into said first type liquid.
- μ
-
37. A method for producing at least one micro-organism (“
- μ
org”
), the method comprising;providing a sealable enclosure, having an enclosure interior and being defined by first and second opposed enclosure surfaces that are joined together; partially or fully immersing the enclosure in a first type liquid; partially filling the enclosure with the at least one μ
org and a second type liquid;closing the enclosure with the second type liquid and the at least one μ
org contained in the enclosure interior, where at least one of the enclosure first and second surfaces comprises one or more semi-permeable first membranes that are permeable to the second type liquid and are substantially impermeable to the at least one μ
org;allowing at least a portion of the second type liquid within the enclosure interior to pass through the one or more first membranes into the first type liquid by forward osmosis, to thereby remove at least a portion of the second type liquid in the enclosure interior; and providing one or more second membranes on at least one of the first enclosure surface and the second enclosure surface, which are permeable to at least one selected nutrient for the at least one μ
org.
- μ
-
38. A method for producing at least one micro-organism (“
- μ
org”
), the method comprising;providing a sealable enclosure, having an enclosure interior and being defined by first and second opposed enclosure surfaces that are joined together; partially or fully immersing the enclosure in a first type liquid; partially filling the enclosure with the at least one μ
org and a second type liquid;closing the enclosure with the second type liquid and the at least one μ
org contained in the enclosure interior, where at least one of the enclosure first and second surfaces comprises one or more semi-permeable first membranes that are permeable to the second type liquid and are substantially impermeable to the at least one μ
org;allowing at least a portion of the second type liquid within the enclosure interior to pass through the one or more first membranes into the first type liquid by forward osmosis, to thereby remove at least a portion of the second type liquid in the enclosure interior; and adding a selected chemical to the second type liquid to promote production of at least one of CO2 and NH3 within the enclosure.
- μ
-
39. A method for producing at least one micro-organism (“
- μ
org”
), the method comprising;providing a sealable enclosure, having an enclosure interior and being defined by first and second opposed enclosure surfaces that are joined together; partially or fully immersing the enclosure in a first type liquid; partially filling the enclosure with the at least one μ
org and a second type liquid;closing the enclosure with the second type liquid and the at least one μ
org contained in the enclosure interior, where at least one of the enclosure first and second surfaces comprises one or more semi-permeable first membranes that are permeable to the second type liquid and are substantially impermeable to the at least one μ
org;allowing at least a portion of the second type liquid within the enclosure interior to pass through the one or more first membranes into the first type liquid by forward osmosis, to thereby remove at least a portion of the second type liquid in the enclosure interior; and applying a process of inverting positions of said enclosure first surface and said enclosure second surface, relative to a surface of said first liquid, to reduce or terminate forward osmosis that has begun across the one or more first membranes.
- μ
Specification