Photobioreactor for microalgae cultivation having arc-type partition structure for forming vortices

• US 9,523,069 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2014
• Issued: 12/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yonsei University Wonju Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation
• Original Assignee: Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation, Chosun University (Chosun University)
• Inventors: Jeong, Sang Hwa, Park, Jong Rak, Kim, Jong Tye, Ahn, Dong Gyu, Park, Jeong Woo
• Primary Examiner(s): Beisner, William H
• Application Number:
  US14/574,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20150175946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 435/292.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 21/02 Photobioreactors culturing algae A01G33/00, A01H4/001, C12N1/12
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 23/04 Flat or tray type, drawers C12M23/10, C12M23/12, C12M23/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 27/20 Baffles; Ribs; Ribbons; Auger vanes
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 29/06 Nozzles; Sprayers; Spargers; Diffusers per se B01F23/231, B01J19/26
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 1/12 Unicellular algae; Culture media therefor as new plants A01H13/00

Abstract

The present invention relates to a photobioreactor for microalgae cultivation having a bubble circulation structure, which allows gas flowing into a cultivation space to generate a vortex and thus circulate microalgae, thereby improving cultivation efficiency of the microalgae.

A photobioreactor for microalgae cultivation according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cultivation panel major body having the cultivation space into which the microalgae are injected to be cultivated; a gas supply pipe provided at a lower portion of the cultivation panel major body to pass through the cultivation space in a transverse direction and thus discharge inflow gas; and at least one vortex forming partition extending in a transverse direction from an internal wall of the cultivation panel major body and formed to have an arc shape and thus cause a vortex to an ascending current of gas supplied through the gas supply pipe.

Claims

1. A photobioreactor for microalgae cultivation, comprising:

a cultivation panel major body having a cultivation space into which microalgae are injected to be cultivated and support ribs formed at regular intervals on an external surface thereof;

a gas supply pipe provided at a lower portion of the cultivation panel major body to pass through the cultivation space in a transverse direction and thus discharge inflow gas; and

at least one vortex forming partition extending in a transverse direction from an internal wall of the cultivation panel major body and formed to have an arc shape and thus cause a vortex to an ascending current of the gas supplied through the gas supply pipe, the support ribs being formed at intervals corresponding to the location of the at least one vortex forming partition, such that the support ribs

prevent deformation of shapes of a front surface cover and a rear surface cover due to a water pressure generated according to filling of a cultivation solution or the microalgae in the cultivation panel major body and distortion of the cultivation panel major body through the ascending current of the gas.

2. The photobioreactor as set forth in claim 1, wherein the gas supply pipe has a plurality of outlets having surfaces expanding at a predetermined pressure or more to supply the gas in a bubble curtain mode through the plurality of outlets so that a constant pressure is maintained in the cultivation panel major body and thus provide bubbles uniformly present over an entire region to an incubator.

3. The photobioreactor as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cultivation panel major body includes a main body formed internally therewithin to have a quadrangular frame shape and including a plurality of fastening units formed at regular intervals on an external surface thereof;

and front and rear surface covers formed of a transparent material and combined at front and rear surfaces of the main body to form the cultivation space each support rib being fixed to the front and rear surfaces of the main body along a horizontal line, the fastening units being configured to fix the support ribs on opposite ends of the horizontal line.

4. The photobioreactor as set forth in claim 3, wherein the vortex forming partition includes

a first vortex forming partition extending in a transverse direction from an internal wall of the main body at a position upwardly spaced apart from the gas supply pipe, formed to have an arc shape so that a spacing distance between a first lower end formed at a position coming into close contact with the rear surface cover and the gas supply pipe is shorter than a spacing distance between a first upper end facing the front surface cover and the gas supply pipe, and formed so that a first spacing distance is maintained between the first vortex forming partition and the front surface of the main body;

and

a second vortex forming partition extending in a transverse direction from an internal wall of the main body at a position upwardly spaced apart from the first vortex forming partition, formed to have an arc shape so that a spacing distance between a second lower end formed at a position coming into close contact with the front surface cover and the gas supply pipe is shorter than a spacing distance between a second upper end facing the lower cover and the gas supply pipe, and formed so that a second spacing distance is maintained between the second vortex forming partition and the rear surface of the main body.

5. The photobioreactor as set forth in claim 4, wherein at least one independent vortex generation blade is attached to internal sides of the first vortex forming partition and the second vortex forming partition to cause a vortex in a predetermined direction.

6. The photobioreactor as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a microalgae injection pipe provided at a side of a lower end of the cultivation panel major body to inject the microalgae into the cultivation space;

a microalgae emission pipe provided at an upper end of a lateral surface the cultivation panel major body to emit the microalgae cultivated in the cultivation space to an outside; and

a gas discharge hole provided at an upper end of the cultivation panel major body to discharge the gas ascending from the cultivation space to the outside.