Containment and facility systems for offshore porous floating bioreactors that contain algae water slurries in saltwater environments. A containment system may include a containment boom system, a containment silt curtain system, a containment marineworks system, or a combination thereof. Facility systems include an offshore porous floating bioreactor in fluid communication with at least an onshore algae harvesting system. Algae cultivation may occur at an onshore algae cultivation system or within a porous floating bioreactor, and algae lipid production occurs within a porous floating bioreactor. The lipid induced algae is received by the onshore algae harvesting system for further processing.

A culture apparatus includes an inner box for housing a culture, an outer box surrounding the inner box, and a first vibration prevention mechanism that is disposed between the inner box and the outer box, and is configured to prevent the inner box from vibrating due to the vibration of the outer box.

Floating ponds for the cultivation of algae are disclosed. The floating ponds consist of a buoyant framework, a liner, a culture, and a mooring system. Submersible floating ponds are disclosed with a buoyant framework built from tubes that may be filled or partially filled with, for example, air, or water, or the surrounding water, or the culture, and thereby the present invention provides a framework in which the buoyancy may be modulated. Use of submerging lines and spools are disclosed to control the orientation and depth of the floating pond during submersion.

A system for producing microalgae in the form of biofilm, including a frame, a motor, at least one support and a web designed to receive the biofilm and in which the frame is configured to support the motor, the motor is configured to impart a rotational movement on at least one support, the at least one support is configured to have a rotational movement about an axis of rotation and to support and impart the rotational movement on the web, and the web is configured to at least partially surround the at least one support, wherein that the support is configured to have a non-negative buoyancy in a liquid.

The invention relates to a buoyant photobioreactor arrangement, wherein the photobioreactor arrangement is buoyant on a surface water, and comprises a) a transparent photobioreactor container, b) a floating body that is buoyant on the surface water and c) a holding device arranged at or on the floating body holding the transparent photobioreactor container, the photobioreactor container being able to be lowered into the surface water by means of the holding device.

Floating ponds for the cultivation of algae are disclosed. The floating ponds consist of a buoyant framework, a liner, a culture, and a mooring system. Submersible floating ponds are disclosed with a buoyant framework built from tubes that may be filled or partially filled with, for example, air, or water, or the surrounding water, or the culture, and thereby the present invention provides a framework in which the buoyancy may be modulated. Use of submerging lines and spools are disclosed to control the orientation and depth of the floating pond during submersion.

An anaerobic digestion device based on self-sustained air flotation includes an anaerobic digestion tank unit, a self-sustained air flotation screening unit and a biogas measurement and collection unit. The self-sustained air flotation screening unit includes an air flotation screening part, a material sedimentation part, a reflux part and a three-phase separation part connected sequentially from bottom to top. A digested material in the anaerobic digestion tank unit is pumped into the air flotation screening part, overflows into the material sedimentation part, and then is raised to the reflux part. Gas passing through the three-phase separation part and gas produced in the anaerobic digestion tank unit enter the biogas measurement and collection unit to be measured and collected.

The present invention provides a culture vessel and a measuring device for measuring a cell sheet thickness nondestructively during culturing. A culture vessel having a lid 4 has a float 8 installed in the interior and the float is structured so as to be uplifted by a culture medium in the culture vessel. Further, a cell sheet thickness measuring device having a sensor head 10 having a light-emitting element 10A and a light-receiving element 10B to detect a positional variation of the float in the vertical direction and a controller 11 to process a signal of the sensor head is configured.

The present invention provides a culture vessel and a measuring device for measuring a cell sheet thickness nondestructively during culturing. A culture vessel having a lid 4 has a float 8 installed in the interior and the float is structured so as to be uplifted by a culture medium in the culture vessel. Further, a cell sheet thickness measuring device having a sensor head 10 having a light-emitting element 10A and a light-receiving element 10B to detect a positional variation of the float in the vertical direction and a controller 11 to process a signal of the sensor head is configured.

An apparatus for harvesting algae from an open body of water includes a boat having a pair of spaced apart parallel flotation members and a deck disposed on and connected to the members. The spaced apart members define an area therebetween forming a process channel. A separating mechanism disposed on the boat separates the process channel into a plurality of process channel sections arranged in series. The process channel sections are disposed intermediate the flotation members. Each of the process channel sections include a deflector plate, a scum beach, a scum trough, and diffused air piping. The diffused air piping is in fluid communication with a dissolved air flotation system.