Biofuel production from algae
AssigneePhycal, Inc.
InventorsChristoper Don Lane, Andrew Keith Swanson, Aaron Bradford Brister, Thomas F.C. Allnutt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The use of acoustic focusing together with a non-destructive extraction process for obtaining lipids from oleaginous algae is described. Acoustic focusing can be used to concentrate oleaginous algae before they are subjected to non-destructive extraction, or acoustic focusing can be used as part of the non-destructive extraction process itself by moving the algae from the algae culture to the extracting solvent. The use of acoustic focusing for removing extraneous particulate matter from algae cultures is also described, as well as the use of non-destructive extraction for controlling levels of algae predators.
Claims23
A method of concentrating and extracting lipid from oleaginous algae in an algae culture, comprising
- providing a portion of algae culture including an oleaginous algae from an algae culture source;
- concentrating the oleaginous algae by acoustic focusing;
- mixing the concentrated oleaginous algae with a lipid-extracting solvent to form an algae-solvent mixture;
- and
- separating the solvent-algae mixture to obtain a solvent-lipid fraction and an extracted algae fraction.
A device for extracting lipid from an oleaginous algae, comprising:
- a container defining a liquid flowpath therein;
- a first acoustic focusing device in operative relationship with a first treatment zone in the flowpath;
- a second acoustic focusing device in operative relationship with a second treatment zone in the flowpath, the second treatment zone being spaced from the first treatment zone;
- algae flow means for directing the flow of a liquid algae culture including an oleaginous algae along the flowpath;
- solvent flow means for directing the flow of a lipid-extracting solvent along the flowpath in a manner so that the liquid algae culture and the lipid-extracting solvent contact one another without substantial mixing;
- wherein the first acoustic focusing device is structured to cause the oleaginous algae to move out of the liquid algae culture and into the lipid-extracting solvent in the first treatment zone for extracting lipid from the oleaginous algae, thereby releasing lipid into the lipid extracting solvent and converting the oleaginous algae to extracted algae, and further
- wherein the second acoustic focusing device is structured to cause extracted algae to move out of the lipid-extracting solvent and back into the liquid algae culture in the second treatment zone.
A method of extracting lipid from an oleaginous algae using acoustic focusing comprising:
- providing a flow of a liquid algae culture including oleaginous algae that is in contact with but does not substantial mix with a flow of a lipid-extracting solvent;
- applying acoustic energy from a first acoustic focusing device to move the oleaginous algae from the flow of liquid algae culture into the flow of lipid-extracting solvent, allowing the oleaginous algae to remain in the lipid-extracting solvent for an amount of time sufficient for the lipid-extracting solvent to extract the lipid thereby converting the oleaginous algae into extracted algae;
- applying acoustic energy from a second acoustic focusing device to move the extracted algae from the lipid-extracting solvent to the flow of liquid algae culture;
- and
- collecting the lipid-extracting solvent that includes the extracted lipid.
A method of reducing the levels of algae predators and/or algae competitors in an algae culture of a target algae species, comprising
- mixing at least a portion of the algae culture with a lipid-extracting solvent to obtain a solvent-algae mixture;
- separating the solvent-algae mixture to obtain a solvent-lipid fraction and an extracted algae fraction that includes a decreased level of algae predators and/or algae competitors and a relatively unaffected level of target algae species;
- and
- returning the extracted algae fraction to the algae culture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.