Photobioreactor with mats made from light-decoupling optical fibres and electrically conductive fibres generating a travelling electric field

• US 10,723,985 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2014
• Issued: 07/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Defence and Space GmbH
• Original Assignee: Airbus Defence and Space GmbH
• Inventors: Gobel, Johann, Wagner, Jennifer, Schreiber, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Muromoto, Jr., Robert H
• Application Number:
  US15/100,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20170198244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,071 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 31/00 Soilless cultivation, e.g. hydroponics growth substrates therefor A01G24/00; cultivation of seaweed A01G33/00
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 33/00 Cultivation of seaweed or algae
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 7/04 Electric or magnetic or acoustic treatment of plants for promoting growth
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 21/02 Photobioreactors culturing algae A01G33/00, A01H4/001, C12N1/12
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 31/08 by conducting or reflecting elements located inside the reactor or in its structure
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 33/00 Means for introduction, transport, positioning, extraction, harvesting, peeling or sampling of biological material in or from the apparatus chemical or physical laboratory apparatus in general B01L, devices for taking cell samples A61B10/0045, withdrawing or distributing predetermined quantities of fluid B01L99/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 43/08 Bioreactors or fermenters combined with devices or plants for production of electricity
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/00 Woven fabrics characterised by the material, structure or properties of the fibres, filaments, yarns, threads or other warp or weft elements used
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/275 Carbon fibres
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/283 synthetic polymer-based, e.g. polyamide or polyester fibres cellulose-based artificial fibres D03D15/225
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/292 Conjugate, i.e. bi- or multicomponent, fibres or filaments
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/533 antistatic; electrically conductive
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/547 with optical functions other than colour, e.g. comprising light-emitting fibres
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2101/12 Carbon; Pitch
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/16 antistatic; conductive
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/20 optical

Abstract

A photobioreactor is described for cultivating phototrophic organisms and in particular a mat, as can be used in one such photobioreactor. The mat has a plurality of first fibres which are light conductive along their longitudinal direction and are constructed to decouple light conducted in the longitudinal direction laterally, at least somewhat transversely to the longitudinal direction. The mat furthermore has a plurality of second fibres which are electrically conductive along their longitudinal direction. With the aid of one such mat, light can on the one hand be coupled in the interior of a photobioreactor. On the other hand, a travelling electric alternating field can be generated by applying a suitable polyphase voltage from a voltage source with the aid of electrically conductive second fibres. This alternating field can act on electrically charged particles.

Claims

1. A mat, comprising:

a first plurality of first fibres which are light conductive along a first longitudinal direction and are constructed to decouple light conducted in the first longitudinal direction laterally at least somewhat transversely to the first longitudinal direction; and

a second plurality of second fibres which are electrically conductive along a second longitudinal direction, wherein the second fibres are constructed as carbon fibres or with an electrically conductive polymer; and

means for generating a travelling electrical wave in the first longitudinal direction.

2. The mat according to claim 1, wherein the first and second fibres are interwoven with one another.

3. The mat according to claim 1, wherein the second fibres are constructed as carbon fibres with an electrically conductive polymer.

4. The mat according to claim 1, wherein the second fibres are constructed in a radially internal region using an electrically insulating material and are coated using an electrically conductive layer in a region that is located radially further out.

6. The mat according to claim 1, wherein the second fibres are encapsulated with an electrically insulating layer.

7. The mat according to claim 1, wherein the second fibres are arranged parallel to one another.

8. The mat according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of second fibres has a first, a second, and a third subgroup of second fibres, wherein the subgroups are electrically insulated from one another.

9. The mat according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of second fibres of the first, second and third subgroup are arranged in a cyclical pattern.

5. A mat, comprising:

a first plurality of first fibres which are light conductive along their longitudinal direction and are constructed to decouple light conducted in the longitudinal direction laterally at least somewhat transversely to the longitudinal direction; and

a second plurality of second fibres which are electrically conductive along their longitudinal direction, wherein the second fibres are light-conductive in a radially inner region and coated using an electrically conductive and optically transparent layer in a region that is located radially further out.

10. A light guide mat for use in a container of a photobioreactor, the mat comprising:

a plurality of light-conductive fibers configured to conduct light in a first longitudinal direction, wherein each light-conductive fiber has at least one decoupling region configured to radiate a portion of the light transversely from the light-conductive fiber;

a plurality of electrically-conductive fibers interwoven with the light-conductive fibers to form the light guide mat, wherein each electrically-conductive fiber is configured to conduct an electrical current in a second longitudinal direction, wherein the plurality of electrically-conductive fibers includes a first fiber subgroup, a second fiber subgroup, and a third fiber subgroup which are electrically insulated from one another; and

means for generating a travelling electrical wave in the first longitudinal direction.

11. The light guide mat according to claim 10, wherein the decoupling region comprises a locally curved portion of the first light-conductive fiber.

12. The light guide mat according to claim 10, wherein the decoupling region comprises a local refractive-index variation formed in the light-conductive fiber.

13. The light guide mat according to claim 10, wherein the decoupling region comprises a fiber grating having a local fiber-density variation.

14. The light guide mat according to claim 10, wherein each of the electrically-conductive fibers comprises a light-conducting core configured to conduct light in the second longitudinal direction and an electrically-conductive layer disposed over the light-conducting core and configured to conduct an electrical current in the second longitudinal direction, wherein the electrically-conductive layer is optically transparent such that a portion of the light conducted in the light-conducting core can radiate transversely from the electrically-conductive fiber.

15. The light guide mat according to claim 14, wherein each of the electrically-conductive fibers further comprise an electrically-insulating layer disposed over the electrically-conductive layer, wherein the electrically-insulating layer is optically transparent such that a portion of the light conducted in the light-conducting core can radiate transversely from the electrically-conductive fiber.

16. The light guide mat according to claim 10 wherein the first fiber subgroup, the second fiber subgroup, and the third fiber subgroup are arranged in a cyclical pattern.

17. The light guide mat according to claim 10 wherein the means for generating the travelling electrical wave in the first longitudinal direction comprises:

a first electrode electrically connected to the first fiber subgroup, a second electrode electrically connected to the second fiber subgroup and phase-shifted by 120°

to the first electrode, and a third electrode electrically connected to the third fiber subgroup and phase-shifted by −

120°

to the first electrode and by 120°

to the second electrode; and

a voltage source configured to generate three respective individual currents through the first, second and third electrodes.

18. The light guide mat of claim 17 wherein the first fiber subgroup, the second fiber subgroup, and the third fiber subgroup are arranged in a cyclical pattern.