System for harvesting algae in continuous fermentation
AssigneeMissing Link Technology, LLC
InventorSamuel L. Shepherd
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Abstract
The present invention is a system for harvesting algae in continuous fermentation. There is a harvester including a main moving belt, a plurality of rollers, and a motor for driving the main moving belt. There is a reactor tank and a vacuum extractor for applying a vacuum over a width of the main moving belt to extract biomass and to dry the main moving belt. The main moving belt has one end in the reactor tanks and another end extended into the vacuum extractor. The algae contained in the reactor tank is collected for further processing, including oil extraction. With algae harvested in the large-scale manner of the present invention, a more efficient oil extraction method can be used because the concentration, temperature, and pressure can be more easily controlled.
Claims9
A system for harvesting algae in continuous fermentation, said system comprising:
- a harvesting means being comprised of a main moving belt, a plurality of rollers, and a motor means for driving said main moving belt;
- a reactor tank, said main moving belt having one end within an interior of said reactor tank and having at least one roller placed along a predetermined length of said reactor tank;
- a vacuum extraction means for applying a vacuum over a width of said main moving belt to extract a biomass and to dry said main moving belt, said main moving belt having another end extended into said vacuum extraction means;
- a stabilizing means being comprised of at least two belts, said main moving belt being placed between said at least two belts in said vacuum extraction means;
- and
- a collection means for holding extracted biomass.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.