LIGHT AND TEMPERATURE DEVICE FOR OPTIMZING THE PRODUCTION OF BIOMASS IN BIOREACTORS

Abstract

The invention relate to a light and temperature device for increasing and optimizing the production of biomass in bioreactors, said device comprising an LED light arrangement with LED light arrays and cooling fins facing away from the LED light arrays. The light and temperature device further comprising at least one fastening means for removably fastening the light arrangement to a transparent incubation vessel the LED light arrangement being oriented in relation to the incubation vessel such that light radiation emitted by the LED light arrangement in directed towards the incubation vessel.

Claims

1. A light and temperature device for increasing and optimizing biomass production in bioreactors, comprising an LED light arrangement, said LED light arrangement having LED light arrays and cooling fins facing away from said LED light arrays; and at least one fastening means for releasably attaching the light arrangement to a light-transmissive incubation container, wherein the LED light arrangement is aligned with the incubation container such that light radiation emitted from the LED light arrangement is directed towards the incubation container.

2. The light and temperature device according to claim 1, wherein the light and temperature device is formed as a sleeve, said sleeve comprising a shell which is detachably arranged around the incubation container again by means of the fastening means.

3. The light and temperature device according to claim 1 wherein the light and temperature device comprises at least one channel for cooling water or cooling liquid, the channel being arranged in the LED light arrangement.

4. The light and temperature device according to claim 1 wherein the light and temperature device comprises at least one electrical interface for connecting at least one of a measuring device and a monitoring device.

5. The light and temperature device according to claim 4, wherein the at least one of a measuring device and a monitoring device comprise at least one of cameras, CCD cameras, temperature sensors, spectrometers, viscometers, fluorescence/luminescence measuring devices and chlorophyll measuring devices.

6. The light and temperature device according to claim 1 also comprising insulation positioned between and/or laterally of the LED light arrangement and the incubation container and attached in such a way that light irradiation of the LED light arrangement onto the incubation container is not influenced thereby.

7. The light and temperature device according to claim 1 wherein at least one LED light arrangement is arranged around a longitudinal axis of the incubation container in angular steps from 1 degree to 360 degrees.

8. The light and temperature device according to claim 1 wherein the LED light arrangements are configured to emit a fixed light spectrum.

9. The light and temperature device according to claim 1 wherein the light and temperature device is designed for detachable attachment to a tubular, cylindrical, cuboidal, prismatic, pentahedral, hexahedral, heptahedral, octahedral or other geometric incubation container.

10. The light and temperature device according to claim 1 wherein the fastening means is a clamp.

11. The light and temperature device of claim 5 wherein the at least one of a measuring device and a monitoring device are designed for measuring at least one of fluorescence, luminescence, radiation, fluidity, color changes and chlorophyll content.

12. The light and temperature device according to claim 1 also comprising insulation that encases the entire incubation container with the exception of the LED light arrangement.

13. The light and temperature device according to claim 1 wherein at least one LED light arrangement is arranged around a longitudinal axis of the incubation container in angular steps of 90 degrees, 135 degrees or 180 degrees.

14. The light and temperature device according to claim 1 wherein the LED light arrangements are configured to emit a variable light spectrum, each light color having a separate channel for controlling light output from 0%-100%.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] The invention is described in further detail below with reference to specific embodiments and figures in which:

[0033] FIG. 1 shows a schematic three-dimensional illustration of the light and temperature device according to the invention in accordance with an advantageous embodiment in the attached state around an incubation container;

[0034] FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of a cross-section of the light and temperature device according to the invention shown in FIG. 1;

[0035] FIG. 3 shows an enlarged schematic illustration of the LED light arrangement, which is attached to the incubation container according to the section X of FIG. 2;

[0036] FIG. 4 shows a schematic side view of the light and temperature device according to the invention as shown in FIG. 1;

[0037] FIG. 5 shows a schematic top view of the light and temperature device according to the invention as shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0038] The invention is described below with reference to preferred exemplary embodiments and associated figures. It is noted that the figures here are purely schematic and do not allow any conclusions to be drawn as to the exact scale. The figures and the accompanying description merely serve to illustrate the principle of the invention, but these do not limit the invention in any way. In FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of the light and temperature device 10 according to the invention is illustrated in a schematic three-dimensional illustration. Here, the light and temperature device 10 according to the invention is already in the assembled state on an opaque incubation container 40. Here, the incubation container 40 is a Plexiglas tube which may be assembled via deflection modules with other Plexiglas tubes to form a so-called tube photobioreactor. In these particular embodiments, the light and temperature device 10 according to the invention has two opposing LED light arrangements 20. Further, in this embodiment, the light and temperature device 10 according to the invention is in the form of a sleeve. The latter is formed around the incubation container by means of jacket components, in this case quarter shells 70, and clamps provided for this purpose as fastening means.

[0039] FIG. 2 shows the embodiment of FIG. 1 in a schematic cross-sectional view. The two LED light arrangements 20 can be seen, as well as the quarter shells 70. The quarter shells 70 also secure an insulating material 60 around the incubation container 40 by means of the clamps 30.

[0040] FIG. 3 shows, in an enlarged portion, a schematic cross-section of the LED light arrangement 20 of FIG. 2. Here, the LED light arrangement 20 can be seen having cooling fins 22 as well as LED light arrays 21. Further, a connection for water or cooling liquid is visible, which further opens into a channel 50 that extends through the LED light arrangement 20, in this case through the cooling fin profile 22. Also visible is a special clamp 30 for fixing the cooling profile 22 to the incubation container 40.

[0041] The particular embodiment of the light and temperature device 10 according to the invention as shown in FIG. 1 is shown in FIG. 5 in plan view and in FIG. 4 in side view.

[0042] This particular embodiment of the light and temperature device 10 according to the invention described in FIGS. 1-5 is particularly suitable for conception in tubular photobioreactors. Plexiglas tubes, for example, are suitable as incubation containers 40 for this purpose. In the particular embodiment, these tubes 40 are provided with the light and temperature device 10 according to the invention, which has the shape of a sleeve.

[0043] This embodiment is also referred to as a light sleeve. The light sleeves thereby may be placed around the tubes, wherein they are detachably attached again by means of quarter shells 70 and special clamps 30. The light sleeves contain LED light arrangements 20 which can couple light into the tubes directly, on one side or, as in this case, on two sides offset by 180 degrees. Thereby, the light sleeves are preferably made of aluminum or other materials suitable for cooling. In this embodiment, the LED light arrangements 20 have cooling fins 22 on the outside of the light arrangement 20 to allow the waste heat generated by the LEDs to be dissipated to the outside. In addition, the LED light arrangements 20 have cooling channels 50 with connections into which cooling liquid or water may be introduced. The temperature of the cooling liquid may be controlled via a connection to refrigeration systems, heat exchangers or the like. This allows for adjustable and controlled temperatures at the tubes, which has a positive effect on microorganism culture production. The light arrangements 20 equipped with LED light arrays 21 provide the best possible light delivery for the microorganism cultures. In this regard, the LED light arrangement 20 may be of SMD design with a fixed light spectrum or of multichannel design, where each light color is given a separate channel to control light output from 0-100%. Such a spectrum may then be controlled variably, according to demand. The energy input may be reduced by bringing the LED light source as close as possible to the tube. Further, the energy input may be reduced if the specific light spectrum is adjusted to the particular microorganisms to be cultivated. With an arrangement described in this particular embodiment, there is also no inherent shadowing by the tube arrangement itself.

[0044] The light sleeves may be used in different sizes for different tube diameters. The LED light sources may be perfectly tuned to the photosynthesis spectrum of the microorganism cultures, which may be realized, for example, with the aid of various measuring and/or monitoring devices. In order to be able to connect such measuring and/or monitoring devices to the light sleeves, these advantageously have at least one electronic interface.

[0045] For example, a fluorescence measurement may be carried out by means of a mini-camera, which may be used to optimally determine the optimum use of light, the harvesting time and other parameters. A temperature sensor may also be used, for example, to measure the optimum temperature for the microorganism culture and, if necessary, actively adjust it via the cooling channels of the LED light array.