Mobile microalgae harvesting
AssigneeUtah Valley University
InventorKevin Shurtleff
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Abstract
A mobile microalgae harvesting apparatus is disclosed. In one embodiment the mobile microalgae harvesting apparatus includes a harvesting boom coupled to a harvesting vessel, where the harvesting boom skims a microalgae mixture of microalgae and water from a surface of a body of water down to a predetermined depth below the surface. In the embodiment, the mobile microalgae harvesting apparatus also includes a separator aboard the harvesting vessel that separates water from the microalgae mixture and a microalgae collector that collects microalgae from the separator, wherein the microalgae collector deposits the collected microalgae on a transfer vessel coupled to the harvesting vessel. A mobile microalgae harvester and a system for harvesting microalgae are also disclosed.
Claims16
A mobile microalgae harvesting apparatus comprising:
- a harvesting boom coupled to a harvesting vessel, wherein the harvesting boom skims a microalgae mixture of microalgae and water from a surface of a body of water down to a predetermined depth below the surface;
- a separator aboard the harvesting vessel, the separator comprises a filter press that separates the water from the microalgae mixture, wherein a filtride of the separator comprises one or more solid cakes comprising a mixture of concentrated microalgae and a filter aid;
- and
- a microalgae collector that collects the filtride from the separator, wherein the microalgae collector deposits the collected the filtride on a transfer vessel coupled to the harvesting vessel.
A mobile microalgae harvester comprising:
- a harvesting boom coupled to a harvesting boat, wherein the harvesting boom skims a microalgae mixture of microalgae and water from a surface of a body of water down to a predetermined depth below the surface;
- a filter aid assembly that combines a combustible filter aid with the microalgae mixture;
- one or more filter assemblies aboard the harvesting boat, each of the one or more filter assemblies comprising a filter press.
A system comprising:
- a harvesting vessel configured to float and move on a body of water;
- a harvesting boom coupled to the harvesting vessel, wherein the harvesting boom skims a microalgae mixture of microalgae and water from a surface of the body of water down to a predetermined depth below the surface;
- one or more filter aid assemblies aboard the harvesting vessel that combine the microalgae mixture with a filter aid;
- and
- one or more filter assemblies comprising a filter press, the filter assemblies configured to receive the microalgae mixture combined with the filter aid and filter the water from the microalgae mixture to produce:
- a filtride suitable for transfer comprising concentrated microalgae combined with the filter aid;
- and
- a filtrate suitable for discharge to the body of water comprising the filtered water.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.