Algae growth system for oil production

• US 8,993,314 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2007
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ennesys SAS
• Original Assignee: Ennesys SAS
• Inventors: Eckelberry, Nicholas, Eckelberry, T. Riggs
• Primary Examiner(s): HOBBS, MICHAEL L
• Application Number:
  US11/829,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20090029445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,803 Days
• Field of Search: 435/257.1, 435/259, 435/292.1, 435/293.1, 435/293.2, 435/309.1, 47/14
• 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 27/04 with introduction of gas through the stirrer or mixing element
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 29/26 Conditioning fluids entering or exiting the reaction vessel
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 31/10 by light emitting elements located inside the reactor, e.g. LED or OLED

Abstract

A system for culturing photosynthesizing microorganisms includes a source of a gaseous fluid a mixer that creates micron bubbles within an aqueous medium using the gaseous fluid. The mixing chamber holds the aqueous medium including the micron bubbles before the micron bubbles and aqueous medium are mixed with a culture of photosynthesizing microorganism in a reaction chamber.

Claims

1. A system for culturing photosynthesizing microorganisms, comprising:

a source of a gaseous fluid comprising a nutrient for growing photosynthetic miocroorganisms;

a mixer which creates micron bubbles within an aqueous medium using the gaseous fluid;

a mixing chamber in fluid communication with said mixer, the mixing chamber holding the micron bubbles and aqueous medium and attenuating a shock wave generated from the creation of the micron bubbles;

a reaction chamber holding a culture of photosynthesizing microorganisms, the reaction chamber in fluid communication with said mixing chamber and comprising a fluid dispensing rod that introduces the aqueous medium into the culture of photosynthesizing microorganisms, thereby dispersing the nutrient in the culture of photosynthesizing microorganisms; and

wherein said fluid dispensing rod comprises a tube comprising at least one internal fluid path, a plurality of light conducting panels attached around said tube, and at least one light path that provides for light emission from the light conducting panels.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said mixer comprises a static mixer.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said static mixer comprises a flow constrictor and an entrainment tube immediately upstream thereof, wherein said entrainment tube delivers a gas or a liquid or both into a fluid stream passing through said mixer.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the tube of said fluid dispensing rod comprises a plurality of perforations.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said reaction chamber comprises an inwardly directed minored surface.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one light path is oriented to direct the light emission from the light conducting panels into said reaction chamber.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the light conducting panels comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs).

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the light conducting panels are configured to mix the aqueous medium in the reaction chamber.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a collection tank having fluid connection with said reaction chamber.

10. The system as in claim 1, wherein the micron bubbles have an average diameter of less than 100 microns.

11. The system as in claim 1, wherein the micron bubbles have an average diameter of less than 70 microns.

12. The system as in claim 1, wherein the micron bubbles have an average diameter of less than 40 microns.

13. The system as in claim 1, wherein the nutrient comprises carbon dioxide.

14. The system as in claim 1, wherein the dispensing rod is movable within the reaction chamber thereby dispersing the aqueous medium.

15. A system for culturing photosynthesizing microorganisms, comprising:

a source of a gaseous fluid comprising a nutrient for growing photosynthetic microorganisms;

a mixer which creates micron bubbles within an aqueous medium using the gaseous fluid;

a mixing chamber in fluid communication with said mixer, the mixing chamber holding the micron bubbles and aqueous medium and attenuating a shock wave generated from the creation of the micron bubbles;

a reaction chamber holding a culture of photosynthesizing microorganisms, the reaction chamber in fluid communication with said mixing chamber and comprising a light distributing and fluid dispensing rod that introduces the aqueous medium into the culture of photosynthesizing microorganisms, thereby dispersing the nutrient in the culture of photosynthesizing microorganisms; and

wherein said light distributing and fluid dispensing rod comprises a tube comprising at least one internal fluid path, a plurality of light conducting panels attached around said tube, and at least one light path that provides for light emission from the light conducting panels.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said reaction chamber comprises an inwardly directed mirrored surface.

17. A system, comprising:

a source of a gaseous fluid;

a mixer which creates micron bubbles within an aqueous medium using the gaseous fluid;

a mixing chamber in fluid communication with said mixer, the mixing chamber holding the micron bubbles and aqueous medium and configured to attenuate a shock wave generated from the creation of the micron bubbles;

a reaction chamber in fluid communication with said mixing chamber, the reaction chamber comprising a fluid dispensing rod that introduces the aqueous medium into a culture of photosynthesizing microorganisms following attenuation of the shock wave within the mixing the chamber;

a collection tank in fluid communication with said reaction chamber; and

wherein said fluid dispensing rod comprises a tube comprising at least one internal fluid path, a plurality of light conducting panels attached around said tube, and at least one light path that provides for light emission from the light conducting panels.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said reaction chamber comprises an inwardly directed mirrored surface.