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 by means of a voltage source with the aid of electrically conductive second fibres. This alternating field can act on electrically charged particles.

Apparatus, systems and methods are provided for the improved use of waste heat recovery systems which utilize the organic Rankine cycle (ORC) to generate mechanical and/or electric power from heat sources generating power from biofuel such as biogas produced during the anaerobic digestion process. Waste heat energy obtained from heat source(s) is provided to one or more ORC system(s) which may be operatively coupled to electric generator(s). A heat coupling subsystem provides the requisite condensation of ORC working fluid by transferring heat from ORC working fluid to another process or system, such as anaerobic digester tank(s), to provide heat energy that enhances the production of fuel for the prime mover(s) without requiring the consumption of additional energy for that purpose.

An integrated modular biomass to electric power generation system is disclosed. The system comprises various subsystem modules including components which may be prefabricated and mounted on separate and portable self-supporting liftable platforms in a factory controlled environment. The modules may include biomass to biofuel conversion and refinement process related modules and power generation modules. The modules may be transported from the factory to a power generation site, which in some non-limiting examples may comprise part of an agricultural or farming site that produces animal and/or agricultural wastes which may be converted to biofuel. The modules are positioned on site and fluidly coupled together to form a complete biofuel powered electric generation system. A plurality of standardized size subsystem modules of several different process or electrical capacities may be provided for selection to form the complete system. The system may include a biogas production process, biodiesel production process, or both.

A portable renewable energy microgeneration system is disclosed. The system comprises one or more holding tanks that are configured to perform anaerobic digestion on waste in a multi-phase process using bacteria, an odor management system that is configured to remove odors from gas generated during anaerobic digestion, and a controller configured to automatically control the multi-phase process and to re-use the bacteria. The controller re-uses the bacteria by removing at least a portion of the liquid from the waste after anaerobic digestion is performed on the waste and using the at least a portion of the liquid to wet other waste and repeat the multi-phase process.

The present invention is to provide, in a combined system of a bioethanol producing device and an SOFC, a method that is capable of further enhancing the electric power generation efficiency of the SOFC, and is also capable of achieving further reduction of the energy required for distillation of the fermented liquid. A part of an anode off-gas is refluxed to the water-containing ethanol vapor line from the mash column to the reforming device at a reflux ratio ((flow rate of reflux gas)/(flow rate of (anode off-gas)(reflux gas))) of from 1 to 2. The ethanol concentration of the water-containing ethanol vapor is controlled by refluxing, to a range of from 25 to 35% by weight with water contained in the anode off-gas of the solid oxide fuel cell.

The invention relates to a solar lens panel (2) comprising a number of light collecting elements (2) placed next to one another and a number of light guides (4) corresponding to the number of light collecting elements (3); one light guide (4) including a light incident surface (5) is assigned to each light collecting element (3), and each light guide (4) is retained in a holding element (14) at a distance (8) from the light collecting elements (3); said distance (8) between the light collecting elements (3) and the light incident surfaces (5) of the light guides (4) corresponds at least approximately to the focal length of the light collecting elements (3). The light incident surfaces (5) of the light guides (4) are located inside the holding elements (14).

The disclosure provides devices and methods to produce electrical energy from microorganisms capable of metabolizing methane.

The invention relates to a photobioreactor for cultivating photosynthetic micro-organisms, comprising: a) at least one cultivation container (1) for containing the culture medium (3) of the micro-organisms, b) photovoltaic cells (2) isolated from the culture medium (3), emitting light towards the culture medium (3), and c) means (4) for powering the photovoltaic cells (2) in order to operate the photovoltaic cells in light emission mode.

An organic waste material processing system includes a waste material holding tank and a slurry-producing device configured to process organic waste material into a slurry. A waste processing section has at least one pressurizeable tank connected to the waste material holding tank receiving slurry therefrom. The pressurizeable tank includes a slurry temperature adjusting part and a first hydrocarbon capturing structure configured to capture hydrocarbon vapors produced by the slurry at a predetermined temperature. A hydrocarbon vapor processing section collects captured hydrocarbon vapors from the waste processing section such that an electric power producing apparatus generates electricity using collected hydrocarbon vapor and provides electric power to at least the pretreatment section and the waste processing section. A waste post-processing section is configured to receive processed slurry produce salable organic materials, nutrient enhanced media and recycled water.

A deepwater photobioreactor system including a vertical stack extending between an ocean surface and an ocean floor. The vertical stack includes an inlet conduit and an outlet conduit where the inlet conduit is arranged to transport at least seawater and the outlet conduit is arranged to transport at least a biomass. The system includes a first photobioreactor in fluid communication with the inlet conduit and the outlet conduit that is connected to the vertical stack via the inlet and outlet conduits at a first position along the vertical stack below the ocean surface. The first bioreactor is arranged to cultivate the biomass. The system also includes a mooring system arranged to anchor the vertical stack to the ocean floor and arranged to receive the biomass via the outlet conduit and output the biomass to a harvest pipeline.