Continuous or semi-continuous flow photobioreactor and method of use
OwnerJean-Louis Roux Dit Buissoninventor
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to a photobioreactor for continuous or semi-continuous flow culturing photosynthesizing biomass and related method. In particular, the invention relates to a photobioreactor for continuous or semi-continuous flow culturing photosynthesizing algal biomass and related method. The photobioreactor comprises a gas feeding portion (60), a biomass-directing flow propulsion device (47) on a lighting system (5).
Claims18
1-12. (canceled)
A photobioreactor for continuous or semi-continuous flow culturing photosynthesizing biomass, the photobioreactor including a housing (2) defining an interior chamber (58) comprising a culture chamber portion (8) and a gas feeding chamber portion (60), a temperature regulation system (9), a flow-regulating system (3) comprising a culture mixing and concentrating entity (23) comprising a biomass-directing flow propulsion device (47) and a lighting system (5), the culture chamber portion comprising a culture concentrating zone (18) and a culture harvesting zone (19), the temperature regulation system, the flow-regulating system being within the culture chamber portion, the lighting system being within the culture concentrating zone and the biomass-directing flow propulsion device causing an at least partially vertical flow of culture medium contained in the housing such that the biomass is concentrated in the culture concentrating zone.
A method for growing photosynthesizing biomass on a continuous or semi continuous mode comprising:
- (i) providing a photosynthesizing culture in an aqueous culture medium into a temperature-regulated culture chamber portion;
- (ii) feeding the photosynthesizing culture with nutrients;
- (iii) mixing and concentrating the said photosynthesizing culture into a culture concentrating zone from the said culture chamber portion;
- (iv) homogeneously providing nutrient gas to the photosynthesizing culture medium;
- (v) homogeneously providing a controlled light exposure to the said photosynthesizing culture in the concentrating zone from inside the culture medium;
- and
- (vi) continuously or semi-continuously harvesting a biomass from the said photosynthesizing culture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.