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US 2013/0295649 A1Published application
Photobioreactor System with High Specific Growth Rate and Low Dilution Rate
AssigneeArizona Board of Regents for and on behalf of Arizona State University
InventorsBruce Rittmann, Chao Zhou, Raveender Vannela
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Abstract
Systems and methods for growing photosynthetic cells that may be used to produce a biomass. The systems and methods recycle liquid and can produce a high cell concentration harvested biomass.
Claims4
A method of concentrating a biomass of photosynthetic cells, the method comprising:
- supplying a liquid slurry containing photosynthetic cells into a membrane separation device;
- contacting liquid slurry with a membrane filtration system;
- generating a biomass concentrate;
- generating filtered permeate;
- removing the biomass concentrate from the membrane separation device;
- and
- recycling the filtered permeate back to the source of the photosynthetic biomass.
4 more elements
A membrane separation device (MSD) for simultaneously removing biomass and recycling the liquid medium permeate within a photobioreactor system for growing photosynthetic cells, comprising:
- a housing;
- a liquid slurry inflow line comprising a conduit for conducting liquid slurry, further comprising:
- an inner volume;
- a first end;
- and
- a second end;
- said inflow line connected at the first end to said photobioreactor and at the second and to said housing, and containing within inner volume liquid slurry;
- a recycle filtered permeate outflow line comprising a conduit for conducting recycle filtered permeate, further comprising:
- an inner volume;
- a first end;
- and
- a second end;
- said outflow line connected at the first end to said photobioreactor and at the second end to said housing, and containing within inner volume recycle filtered permeate;
- a biomass concentrate exit port in said housing, comprising a portal for conducting biomass concentrate from said housing;
- and
- a membrane filtration system disposed within housing, configured to filter the liquid slurry and separate a harvested biomass concentrate and recycle filtered permeate.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.