A method of continuously producing microalgae in an aquatic field without a continuous manual presence, said method comprising the steps of:
- deploying a selectively buoyant outer-barrier structure in an aquatic field wherein said outer-barrier structure defines an inner perimeter and an outer perimeter, and wherein said inner perimeter defines an aquatic-area, and wherein said outer-barrier structure is suitably configured to provide waves protection for said aquatic-area;
- deploying a selectively buoyant microalgae processing-and-control assembly in the approximate center of said aquatic-area wherein said microalgae processing-and-control assembly comprises a submerged microalgae-storage tank mechanically associated with and in hydraulic communication with said microalgae processing-and-control assembly;
- deploying a selectively buoyant support-structure in said aquatic-area wherein said support-structure defines an outer perimeter and an inner perimeter and wherein said support-structure at least partially surrounds said microalgae processing-and-control assembly and partitions at least part of said aquatic-area into at least one photo-bioreactor-deployment area and wherein at least part of said outer perimeter is mechanically associated with said outer-barrier structure;
- mechanically associating said support-structure with said microalgae-processing-and-control assembly;
- deploying a continuous-microalgae-production system inside said aquatic-area wherein said continuous-microalgae-production system comprises at least one continuous-production photo-bioreactor disposed submerged in said at least one photo-bioreactor-deployment area and supported by said support-structure at a depth suitable for underwater-light-penetration into said at least one continuous-production photo-bioreactor;
- wherein said at least one continuous-production photo-bioreactor has the dimensional characteristics of an enclosed shallow-box container comprising a substantially flat top section and an opposing substantially flat bottom section connected along their perimeters by a sidewall assembly defining a container depth of about four inches and thereby defining an internal-bioreactor-volume;
- configuring said bottom section with a bottom-membrane assembly defining an underwater-gas-permeable membrane;
- configuring said top section with an top-membrane assembly defining an underwater-gas-permeable and light-transparent membrane;
- configuring said underwater-gas-permeable membranes to allow the indigenous carbon dioxide dissolved in the water surrounding said at least one continuous-production, photo-bioreactor to enter said photo-bioreactor for said photo-bioreactor's photosynthesis related processes and wherein the surface area of said top section and the surface area of said bottom section is larger than the surface area of said sidewall assembly making the introduction of non-indigenous carbon dioxide into said internal-bioreactor-volume or surrounding water unnecessary for said photo-bioreactor's photosynthesis related processes;
- providing a spiral-shaped wall assembly disposed inside said internal-bioreactor-volume wherein said spiral-shaped wall assembly has a constant structural height equal to the structural height of said sidewall assembly, and wherein said spiral-shape wall assembly mechanically connects said top-membrane assembly to the said bottom-membrane assembly;
- configuring said spiral-shaped wall assembly to divide said internal-bioreactor-volume into a microalgae-harvesting zone and a microalgae-continuous-presence;
- deploying a first-return-inlet disposed inside said microalgae-continuous-presence zone wherein said first-return-inlet is in hydraulic communication with said microalgae-processing-and-control assembly;
- configuring said first-return-inlet to recirculate a water-algae-nutrients mixture inside said at least one continuous-production, photo-bioreactor when said photo-bioreactor is operating in a microalgae-growth mode;
- deploying a second-return-inlet located inside said microalgae-harvesting zone wherein said second-return-inlet is in hydraulic communication with said microalgae-processing-and-control assembly;
- configuring said second-return-inlet to return a water-nutrients mixture to said at least one continuous-production, photo-bioreactor when said photo-bioreactor is operating in a microalgae-harvesting mode;
- providing a controller suitably configured to automatically select a mode of operation for said at least one continuous-production, photo-bioreactor;
- and
- configuring said controller to determine the deployment coordinate information and monitor the operational status information for said at least one continuous-production, photo-bioreactor and to transmit a data-signal containing at least part of, and at least one of, said deployment coordinate information and operational status information to a remote device.