The present disclosure relates to algae cultivation including the integration of liners for large-scale open algal biomass to facilitate algae facility commercial scale-up operations. Liners include those having a first portion having a first thickness and a second portion comprising a second thickness, wherein the first thickness and the second thickness are different. Liners also include those having a first portion having a first thickness, a second portion comprising a second thickness, and a third portion comprising a third thickness, wherein the first thickness, the second thickness, and the third thickness are different.

The present invention is related to an anaerobic photobioreactor and a method for active biomass cultivation, wastewater treatment, nutrients recovery, energy production and high-value products synthesis. Phototrophic bacteria are cultured in the anaerobic photobioreactor lighted with solar or artificial irradiation where certain light wavelengths are selectively discarded with a light selector installed on the top of the photobioreactor. In this light-based process wastewater treatment and resources recovery, like nutrients and high-value bioproducts (fertilizers, polymers and proteins) present in wastewater are performed simultaneously. Cultured biomass is treated by anaerobic digestion for biofuel production, including optative hydrolytic pre-treatment, and/or valuable bioproducts can be obtained in a downstream process.

A method of treating microbial biomass includes mixing the microbial biomass in a liquid to form a suspension, the microbial biomass having an initial color, and exposing the suspension to light to form treated microbial biomass, the treated microbial biomass having a treated color. The treated color is lighter than the initial color. The microbial biomass can also have an initial taste and odor that are stronger than a treated taste and odor of the treated microbial biomass.

A method of treating microbial biomass includes mixing the microbial biomass in a liquid to form a suspension, the microbial biomass having an initial color, and exposing the suspension to light to form treated microbial biomass, the treated microbial biomass having a treated color. The treated color is lighter than the initial color. The microbial biomass can also have an initial taste and odor that are stronger than a treated taste and odor of the treated microbial biomass.

A system for growing and reproducing microorganisms that includes a basin system that includes a number of basins, where each basin has a vertical meandering system which is formed by partitions and which can be illuminated, each basin is filled with a nutrient suspension, at least one outer wall of each basin is double-walled such that a cavity is formed, a temperature control medium for controlling the temperature of the nutrient suspension can flow through the cavity.

The present invention relates to a microalgae culture system under external conditions that comprises a shallow-depth culture container, a rotation system for the generation of light-darkness cycles and re-suspension, which maximises the photosynthetic efficiency of the microalgae and homogenises the nutrients supplied such that the microalgae may adequately grow in all the areas of the photobioreactor, a gas exchange and temperature control system, which makes it possible to control and maintain the culture parameters under the optimal microalgae growth conditions, a filtration and self-cleaning system, an energy control and saving system, which makes it possible to maintain the desired conditions with the lowest energy expenditure, and a cover system, which filters ultraviolet and/or infrared radiation and makes it possible to control contaminations, the temperature and the evaporation.

System and methods for monitoring the growth of an aquatic plant culture and detecting real-time characteristics associated with the aquatic plant culture aquatic plants. The systems and methods may include a control unit configured to perform an analysis of at least one image of an aquatic plant culture. The analysis may include processing at least one collected image to determine at least one physical characteristic or state of an aquatic plant culture. Systems and methods for distributing aquatic plant cultures are also provided. The distribution systems and methods may track and control the distribution of an aquatic plant culture based on information received from various sources. Systems and methods for growing and harvesting aquatic plants in a controlled and compact environment are also provided. The systems may include a bioreactor having a plurality of vertically stacked modules designed to contain the aquatic plants and a liquid growth medium.

Microalgae cultivation equipment for the cultivation of microalgae is provided in which a raceway is modified so as to contain multiple generally upright photobioreactor columns spaced apart along its length so as to increase the total surface area of liquid growth medium directly exposed to light and to improve the transfer of CO.sub.2 from the gas-phase to the liquid-phase by providing adequate height inside the vertical photobioreactor columns. The lowermost ends of the photobioreactor columns are immersed inside the liquid growth medium in the raceway component and are fed with liquid growth medium by a circulation promoting facility circulating the liquid growth medium from the raceway through the photobioreactor columns to become discharged back into the raceway. Gas inlets provide CO.sub.2 containing gas bubbles passing upwards in each of the photobioreactor columns. One or more paddle wheels or jet pumps induce a flow of liquid growth medium within the raceway.

A multi-wavelength laser diode based optical sensor system capable of monitoring the dynamics and physiological changes of a microorganism culture in real-time. The microorganism culture from a microorganism production chamber is pumped to a flow chamber. Laser diodes emit light at certain wavelengths through the flow chamber, which is sensed by photodiodes. A laser control circuitry is operatively connected to the laser diodes and a signal conditioning circuitry is operatively connected to the photodiodes. A microprocessor reads and records voltage signals corresponding to the wavelengths. A data acquisition system converts said voltage signals into measurements of biological parameters, which are displayed on a graphical user interface and allow a user to monitor the measurements in real time.

Disclosed herein are methods and systems for membrane carbonation for cultivating microalgas and other microorganisms that utilize a gaseous substrate, as well as to upgrade the quality of mixed-gas streams.