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US 2017/0321184 A1Published application
Biological and algae harvesting and cultivation systems and methods
OwnerDavid A. Hazlebeck, William Rickmaninventors
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Abstract
Algae harvesting and cultivating systems and methods for producing high concentrations of algae product with minimal energy. In an embodiment, a dead-end filtration system and method includes at least one tank and a plurality hollow fiber membranes positioned in the at least one tank. An algae medium is pulled through the hollow fiber membranes such that a retentate and a permeate are produced.
Claims48
An algae harvesting system comprising:
- at least one treatment tank;
- at least one membrane filtration module positioned inside the at least one treatment tank, the at least one membrane filtration module including a plurality of hollow fiber membranes defining lumens;
- and
- wherein the system is configured to:
- (a) perform dead-end filtration of an algae slurry contained in the at least one treatment tank by pulling a substantially algae-free permeate through pores of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes so that the permeate flows inside the lumens of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes and a retentate of the algae slurry is produced outside the lumens of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes, and
- (b) perform a backwash sequence in which a backwash fluid flows inside the lumens of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes and is pushed through the pores of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes to remove any foulants that have accumulated on the plurality of hollow fiber membranes, the backwash sequence including an off-line period of less than about twelve seconds.
3 more elements
An algae harvesting system comprising:
- at least one treatment tank;
- at least one membrane filtration module positioned inside the at least one treatment tank, the at least one membrane filtration module including a plurality of hollow fiber membranes defining lumens;
- and
- wherein the system is configured to:
- (a) perform dead-end filtration of an algae slurry contained in the at least one treatment tank by pulling a substantially algae-free permeate through pores of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes so that the permeate flows inside the lumens of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes and a retentate of the algae slurry is produced outside the lumens of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes, and
- (b) perform a backwash sequence in which a backwash fluid flows inside the lumens of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes and is pushed through the pores of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes to remove any foulants that have accumulated on the plurality of hollow fiber membranes, the backwash sequence including an interval of less than about three minutes, and the interval including the time between the start of one backwash cycle and the start of a next backwash cycle.
3 more elements
An algae harvesting method comprising:
- in a dead end filtration process, pulling a substantially algae-free permeate from an algae slurry through pores of a plurality of hollow fiber membranes positioned inside at least one treatment tank so that the permeate flows inside lumens of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes and a retentate of the algae slurry is produced outside the lumens of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes;
- and
- in a backwash sequence, pushing a backwash fluid through pores of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes to remove any foulants that have accumulated on the plurality of hollow fiber membranes, wherein the backwash sequence includes (i) an interval of less than about three minutes, the interval including the time between the start of one backwash cycle and the start of a next backwash cycle and (ii) an off-line period of less than about twelve seconds.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.