PHOTOBIOREACTOR

Abstract

The invention discloses a photobioreactor featuring a microalgae cultivation chamber in the form of a closed flat duct irradiated by sunlight. The flat duct is constructed from an inflatable sleeve made of transparent polymer film. This inflatable sleeve is sandwiched between a bank of frames with wire nettings, plates of foamed plastic, a variable air pressure mattress located underneath the inflatable sleeve, and a thermo-insulating transparent inflatable mattress and glass panes above. The variable air pressure mattress facilitates mixing of the microalgae suspension with the gaseous medium containing carbon dioxide and regulates the temperature of the microalgae suspension in the flat duct.

Claims

1. A photobioreactor for cultivation of microalgae or cyanobacteria comprising a support structure with two parallel rows of posts and supporting inclined angle profiles installed on said posts; said supporting inclined angle profiles support a bank of abutted in-line frames, wherein each said abutted inline frame is equipped with wire nettings, two longitudinal Z-profiles and two transverse cross-bar and wherein there are transparent or translucent glass panes fastened on the upper shelves (flanges) of said Z-profiles; a bank of following longitudinal elements sandwiched between said frames and said transparent or translucent glass panesin the following order: said bank of abutted in-line said frames provided with said wire nettings, plates of foamed plastic, above said frames, a variable air pressure-mattress (or mattresses) above said foamed plastic plates which are configured to prevent mechanical abrasion to the said variable air pressure mattress, an inflatable transparent or translucent sleeve above said variable air pressure mattress, an inflatable mattress in its inflated state above said inflatable transparent or translucent sleeve, and said glass panes on top of said inflatable mattress; wherein said inflatable transparent or translucent polymer sleeve includes inlet and outlet ports and wherein said inflatable transparent or translucent polymer sleeve forms in its inflated state a flat duct, which is inclined at an angle determined by the inclination of said abutted frames; and wherein said support structure includes two parallel rows of said posts and two parallel rows of said inclined supporting angles secured to said posts, and wherein said angles support said bank of said abutted in-line frames; and wherein said flat duct of said inflatable transparent or translucent polymeric sleeve is in fluid communication with first and second headers via said inlet and outlet ports for supplying and removing culturing media and gaseous medium containing carbon dioxide into and out of said flat duct; in such a way, said photobioreactor for cultivation of microalgae or cyanobacteria is operating in the following manner: diluted suspension of microalgae or cyanobacteria is entering into said inlet port and flows as a thin layer in said flat duct and is removed from said flat duct via said outlet port; gaseous medium containing carbon dioxide is entering into said inlet port and flows in said flat duct above said thin layer of suspension of microalgae or cyanobacteria and are removed from said duct via said outlet port.

2. The photobioreactor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first header further includes a level gauge and a controller for monitoring the level of microalgae suspension within said photobioreactor.

3. The photobioreactor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frames and the supporting angles include aligning screws for preventing misalignment of said frames.

4. The photobioreactor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first header supplies the microalgae suspension into the flat duct by the inlet port and wherein the second header supplies the gaseous medium with carbon dioxide into said flat duct via the outlet port, such that the suspension and the gaseous medium flow in opposite directions in the flat duct, with the inlet and outlet ports being interchangeable depending on the desired direction of flow.

5. The photobioreactor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the angle of inclination of said supporting angles is gradually increasing along the direction of flow of the microalgae suspension in the flat duct.

6. (canceled)

7. (canceled)

8. The photobioreactor as claimed in claim 1, wherein supply of the gaseous medium into the flat duct from the first (or second) header is applied with pulsating pressure through a commercially available external pulsating device, which is configured to interface with the photobioreactor and control the pressure modulation independently of the internal components.

9. The photobioreactor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the variable air pressure mattress is configured with a section comprising channels for passage of a cooling (or heating) liquid, separate from the channels that inflate the mattress, and wherein said variable air pressure mattress is provided with inlet and outlet connections for supply and withdrawal of said cooling (or heating) liquid.

10. (canceled)

11. The photobioreactor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the variable air pressure mattress is fabricated from transparent or translucent polymer and the plates from white coloured foamed plastic to reflect light passing through the sleeve and mattress.

12. The photobioreactor as claimed in claim 1, wherein one or more temperature sensors are placed between the variable air pressure mattress and the inflatable transparent or translucent sleeve, said temperature sensors being configured to monitor and regulate the temperature of the microalgae suspension, thereby ensuring optimal growth conditions.

13. The photobioreactor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the photobioreactor comprises auxiliary equipment further comprising of pumps for pumping the microalgae suspension, either fans or blowers for the supply of the gaseous medium containing carbon dioxide, either 4-way valves or 3-way valves, and a control unit, wherein these components are configured to interact with the inflatable sleeve which conducts the microalgae suspension, enhancing the controlled environment for optimized growth condition.

14. The photobioreactor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operating pressures of air in the variable air pressure mattress (or mattresses) and the inflatable mattress are higher than the operating pressure of the gaseous medium containing carbon dioxide in the inflatable sleeve, wherein the differential pressure is configured to enhance the stability and integrity of the inflatable sleeve during operation.

15. The photobioreactor as claimed in claim 9, wherein the operating pressure of the cooling or heating liquid in the variable air pressure mattress is higher than the operating pressure of the gaseous medium containing carbon dioxide in the inflatable sleeve, wherein the differential pressure is configured to enhance the stability and integrity of the inflatable sleeve during operation.

16. The photobioreactor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the variable air pressure mattress is fabricated from white polymer film with a high reflection coefficient in the visible range of the spectrum, configured to reflect light and optimize light distribution for microalgae cultivation

17. The photobioreactor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the variable air pressure mattress is designed as a comb structure, its inflatable sections are separated by idle sections, and wherein pressurized air is supplied into said variable air pressure mattress via a 3-way valve, the comb structure being configured to enhance mixing and distribution of the microalgae suspension.

18. The photobioreactor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame situated last downstream comprises an adjustable inclination configured to operate as an adjustable weir, thereby regulating the height of the microalgae suspension in the flat duct.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0071] FIG. 1 demonstrates a side view of supporting angles installed on posts.

[0072] FIG. 2a and FIG. 2b show elevation and cross-section views of a frame with Z-profiles used for the construction of the longitudinal sides of the frame.

[0073] FIG. 2e shows a cross-section of the frame, which is fastened on posts; a wire netting; a plate from foamed plastic; a variable air pressure mattress in its non-operation condition; a non-inflated polymer sleeve; a non-inflated thermo-insulating transparent mattress.

[0074] FIG. 2d shows a cross-section of the frame, which is fastened on the posts; the wire netting; the plate from foamed plastic; the variable air pressure mattress; the inflated polymer sleeve in the form of a flat duct; the inflated thermo-insulating transparent mattress.

[0075] FIG. 3a shows a cross-section of a frame with the application of angle profiles for the construction of the longitudinal sides of the frame.

[0076] FIG. 3b shows a cross-section view of a frame with two angle profiles used for the construction of the longitudinal sides of the frame.

[0077] FIG. 4 shows a cross-section of a frame with the application of U-profiles for the construction of the longitudinal sides of the frame.

[0078] FIG. 5 shows an elevation view of the photobioreactor including two headers.

[0079] FIG. 6 shows an elevation view of the first version of a variable air pressure mattress.

[0080] FIG. 7 shows an elevation view of the second version of a variable air pressure mattress, which includes a heat exchanging section.

[0081] FIG. 8 shows an elevation view of a variable air pressure mattress designed as a comb structure, wherein its inflatable sections are separated by idle sections, and pulsating pressurized air is supplied into the variable air pressure mattress via a 3-way valve.

[0082] FIG. 9 shows an elevation view of an inflatable transparent mattress for thermo-insulating the inflated polymer sleeve from above.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERABLE EMBODIMENTS

[0083] FIG. 1 demonstrates a side view of supporting angles installed on posts. It comprises posts 101 with cross-bars 102; a supporting angle 103 and transverse channel bars 104.

[0084] FIG. 2a and FIG. 2b shows cross-section and elevation views of frame 200 with Z-profiles, which are used for the construction of the longitudinal sides of frame 200.

[0085] Frame 200 comprises Z-profiles 201 and a transverse cross-bar 202.

[0086] Each Z-profile comprises a bottom shelf 203, an upper shelf 204 and a middle section 205.

[0087] FIG. 2c shows a cross-section of the frame, which is fastened on the posts with angles, with the wire netting, the plate from foamed plastic, the variable air pressure mattress in its non-operating condition, non-inflated polymer sleeve, and the thermo-insulating transparent mattress in its non-inflated condition.

[0088] It comprises frame 200 with Z-profiles 201 supported by angles 211 and posts 212, the transverse cross-bars 202, the wire netting 206 with plate 207 from foamed plastic, the variable air pressure mattress 208 in its non-inflated state and the non-inflated polymer sleeve 209, the non-inflated transparent mattress 210, the glass pane 214 and fasteners 213.

[0089] FIG. 2d shows a cross-section of the photobioreactor with the inflated polymer sleeve.

[0090] It comprises Z-profiles 201, the transverse cross-bars 202, the wire netting 206, plate 207 from foamed plastic and the variable air pressure mattress 208, the inflated polymer sleeve 209, the inflated transparent mattress 210, a glass pane 214, supporting angles 211, posts 212 and fasteners 213.

[0091] FIG. 3a shows a cross-section of frame 300 with the application of angle profiles for the construction of the longitudinal sides of frame 300.

[0092] It comprises longitudinal angle profile 301, which is bonded with strips 302 with bowed terminal sections 303.

[0093] FIG. 3b shows a cross-section view of a frame with two angle profiles used for the construction of the longitudinal (lateral) sides of the frame.

It comprises a transverse cross-bar 304, first angle profiles 305, and second angle profiles 306.

[0094] FIG. 4 shows a cross-section of frame 400 with the application of U-profiles for the construction of the longitudinal sides of frame 400. It comprises longitudinal U-profiles 402, which is joined with strip 401.

[0095] FIG. 5 shows an elevation view of a photobioreactor including two headers.

[0096] It comprises: header 501 with housing 502, a gas inlet connection 503, a broth (microalgae suspension) inlet connection 504, a gas-broth outlet port 505; header 506 with housing 507, an gas outlet connection 508, a broth outlet connection 509, an inlet gas-broth port 510; posts 511; supporting angles 512; Z-profiles 513 of non-terminal frames; glass panes 514; terminal frames 515; a polymer sleeve 516 with an inlet and outlet ports 517 and 518.

[0097] FIG. 6 shows an elevation view of the first version of a variable air pressure mattress 600.

[0098] It comprises the variable air pressure mattress 600 itself with idle sections 601, alternatingly operating sections 602 and 603, inlet/outlet connections 604 and 605, and a four-way valve 606.

[0099] FIG. 7 shows an elevation view of the second version of a variable air pressure mattress. It comprises the variable air pressure mattress 700 itself with heat exchanging section 701, alternatingly operating sections 702 and 703, inlet/outlet connections 704 and 705, a four-way valve 706, inlet and outlet connections 707 and 708 for supply and withdrawal of cooling or heating liquid medium.

[0100] FIG. 8 shows an elevation view of a variable air pressure mattress designed as a comb structure, wherein inflatable sections are separated by idle sections, and pressurized air is supplied into the variable air pressure mattress via a 3-way valve.

[0101] It shows the variable air pressure mattress 800 itself with header 801, an inlet/outlet connection 802, inflatable sections 803, idle sections 804, and 3-way valve 805.

[0102] FIG. 9 shows an elevation view of an inflatable mattress for thermo-insulating the inflated polymer transparent or translucent sleeve from above.

[0103] It comprises the inflatable mattress 900 itself with a header section 901, inflatable channels 902, and an inlet/outlet connection 903.