In one embodiment, an algae cultivation system includes a basin that contains a liquid and a photobioreactor at least partially immersed in the liquid of the basin, the photobioreactor comprising a closed container including multiple panels that together define an interior space in which algae can be cultivated, at least one of the panels being transparent, the photobioreactor further comprising an inflatable float associated with the container that can be filled with a gas to change one or both of the position and orientation of the container within the liquid.

A device (1) for accommodating a disposable container (44) has a receptacle (10) with at least one receptacle wall (16) that defines an interior of the receptacle (10) for accommodating the disposable container (44). The device includes a temperature control unit for controlling the temperature of the receptacle wall (16). A lighting device (50) is located on an inner face of the receptacle wall (16) that faces the interior of the receptacle (10) and that has the temperature controlled by the temperature control unit. The lighting device (50) is designed to emit light into the interior of the receptacle (10).

The present invention relates to a method for growing aquatic organisms capable of photosynthesis in a controlled aqueous environment and a system for carrying out said method. The invention provides a method and system for growing aquatic organisms capable of photosynthesis under controlled conditions and which uses low energy input.

The invention relates to a method for characterizing the activity of a culture comprising microalgae, the method comprising the steps of: supplying a sample of the culture from a bioreactor to a chamber fluidically connected to the bioreactor; illuminating the sample in the chamber; measuring the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the sample in order to determine a rate of oxygen production by the illuminated sample. The invention also relates to a device and an apparatus for characterizing a culture comprising microalgae.

A system for growing algae includes a gas concentrator configured to receive a first gas containing CO2 at a first concentration and discharge a second gas containing CO2 at a second concentration higher than the first concentration, and a photobioreactor containing algae in an algae slurry and fluidically coupled to the gas concentrator to receive the second gas. A recycling line extends from a gas outlet on the photobioreactor to remove a third gas from the photobioreactor for future use in the photobioreactor.

Some embodiments are directed to a system for the efficient cultivation of algae using both cultivation media and growth media. The system can include: discrete biomass receptacles, each receptables being configured to contain the cultivation medium and the algae; a supplier configured to supply the cultivation media to each of the receptacles, the supplier being configured to provide the growth media to each of the multiple receptacles, the supplier defining an orifice through which at least one of the cultivation media and the growth medium is provided to each of the receptables; sensors, one sensor being disposed at each of the multiple receptacles to sense conditions therein; and a controller that is in communication with each of the sensors, the controller being configured to control an amount of growth media supplied to each receptacle based on sensed conditions so as to enhance algae growth within each of the receptacles.

Disclosed herein are a microalgae harvesting apparatus and method. The microalgae harvesting apparatus includes: a gantry crane including traveling towers configured to move along traveling tracks extending along lengthwise directions on both sides of an arrangement of microalgae incubators, a jib installed in the widthwise direction of the traveling towers, a hoist installed on the jib, and a crossbar configured to be selectively lowered and elevated by the hoist; a plurality of harvesters installed to form an N×M array in widthwise and lengthwise directions with respect to the crossbar, and provided with respective doors in the bottom surfaces thereof; a conveyor means configured to move along a lengthwise direction at a height between the microalgae cultivators and the harvesters; and a control panel configured to control the operations of the microalgae harvesting apparatus.

Embodiments of the present invention provide an automatic micro algae culturing device and system for self-cleaning, continual automatic algae culturing and irradiant optimizing. The culturing device includes a photosynthesis tubular reactor for micro algae culturing, with transparent cleaning particles to scrape off any unwanted particles or components such as including and not limited to formation of biofilm. The tubular reactor has multiple double-walled glasses. Inner walls of the tubes in the tubular reactor may be coated with superhydrophobic coating to avoid bio film formation, or sticking of any hydro dirt or dust particles. Because the cleaning particles are transparent, they wont block any sunlight for photosynthesis in the tubular reactor.

The invention relates to a method for a photochemical process, such as a photocatalytic and/or photosynthetic process, in particular for the culture and production or the hydroculture of microorganisms. A reaction medium (6) is conducted in a meandering manner in a reactor element (2) which is made of at least two upright and connected pipes (3) or chambers (13). Multiple reactor elements (2) are serially connected into a bio solar reactor (1), and a reaction medium (6) flow which is stress-free for the microorganisms is generated in the bio solar reactor (1) using hydrostatic pressure and level compensation. Inlet and outlet openings (4, 5) are arranged on the lower face (8) of each individual reactor element (2) on each of the outermost pipes (3) or chambers (13). The reaction medium (6) flows around all of the connections in the lower region, in particular the inlet opening (4), the outlet opening (5), and the introduction inlet (17). The invention also relates to a device for carrying out the method and to a bio solar reactor.

A modular kit for integration and installation of one or more bioreactors for microalgae cultivation includes: —at least one bioreactor for microalgae cultivation, in the form of a vertically arranged transparent tubular column; —a supporting structure adapted to integrate and support the base of the at least one bioreactor, and also adapted to internally house a first connection to a system for loading and unloading a cultivation vector fluid into/from the at least one bioreactor, and a second connection to a system for supplying CO2-supplemented air into the at least one bioreactor; —multiple modules forming respective frames with internal empty spaces and adapted to be connected to one another to house, in the empty spaces, the at least one bioreactor; the multiple modules being also so shaped as to convey filtered light into the at least one bioreactor.