US 9,315,403 B1Granted

System for algae-based treatment of water

AssigneeEldorado Biofuels, LLC

InventorsPaul Laur, Frank Yates, Jr.

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Abstract

The inventive technology relates to methods for the algae-based treatment of challenged water. Embodiments of the inventive technology include methods for commercially scalable algal-growth in challenged water. Such methods include, for example a step-wise conditioning process to select and condition algae strains for high growth yields in the presence of challenged water generated from the production of oil and gas or other waste water sources. Such algae-based treatment, in addition to removing harmful chemical compounds from this water may also capture and sequester heavy metal contaminants as well as other compounds for later extraction and processing. The invention also may include embodiments for an algae based desalination system of challenged water, resulting in the production of brine salts and the like. The inventive technology also encompasses an algae-based system to capture and sequester carbon-dioxide from gas and other emissions generated from industrial sources.

Claims24

Dependent claims

An algae-based system for treating challenged water comprising the steps of:

transporting challenged water to a location suitable for algae-based treatment;
pre-conditioning said challenged water further comprising the steps of:
desalinating said challenged water;
separating said challenged water;
filtering said challenged water;
adjusting the pH of said challenged water to a target level;
flocculating said challenged water;
and
scrubbing said challenged water;
allowing algal growth in seed water to a pre-determined threshold further comprising the steps of:
establishing a volume of said seed water (X1) in at least one algae conditioning reservoir;
and
inoculating said seed water;
propagating conditioned algae growth in said algae conditioning reservoir further comprising the steps of:
adding a discrete amount of said pre-conditioned challenged water (Y1) to said algae conditioning reservoir generating a hybrid water mix (Y1,X1) of seed and pre-conditioned challenged water;
agitating said hybrid water mix to promote algal growth;
adjusting the pH of said hybrid water mix to promote algal growth;
supplementing said hybrid water mix with nutrients to promote algal growth;
allowing accommodated algal growth in said hybrid water mix to a pre-determined threshold;
step-wise altering the composition of said seed water and said pre-conditioned challenged water forming a series of hybrid water mixes (Yx,Xx) of seed and pre-conditioned challenged water;
step-wise supplementing said hybrid water mix with algal growth promoting components;
allowing accommodated algal growth after each step-wise composition and/or component change;
and
continuing step-wise composition and/or component change until a target conditioned growth profile is achieved;
maintaining algal growth at a target conditioned growth profile to generate a target level of algal biomass;
removing challenged water contaminate components through algal metabolization and/or sequestration;
harvesting said algal biomass from said algae conditioning reservoir;
removing algal treated water from said conditioning reservoir;
and
transporting said treated water for secondary disposition.

27 more elements

A method of algae-based treatment of produced water comprising the steps of:

transporting produced water to a location suitable for algae-based treatment;
pre-conditioning said produced water;
allowing algal growth in seed water to a pre-determined threshold comprising the steps of:
establishing a volume of said seed water (X1) in at least one algae conditioning reservoir;
and
inoculating said seed water;
propagating conditioned algae growth in said algae conditioning reservoir comprising the steps of:
adding a discrete amount of said pre-conditioned produced water (Y2) to said algae conditioning reservoir generating a hybrid water mix (YX,Xx) of seed and pre-conditioned produced water;
allowing accommodated algal growth in said hybrid water mix to a pre-determined threshold;
step-wise altering the composition of said seed water and said pre-conditioned produced water forming a series of hybrid water mixes of seed and pre-conditioned produced water;
step-wise supplementing said hybrid water mix with algal growth promoting components;
and
allowing accommodated algal growth after each step-wise composition change in said hybrid water mix and/or each step-wise growth promoting component change in said of hybrid water mix until a target conditioned growth profile is achieved;
removing produced water contaminate components through algal metabolization and/or sequestration;
removing algal treated water from said conditioning reservoir;
and
transporting said treated water for secondary disposition.

14 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/097,019Filed 4 Dec 2013 · us provisional application
Priority: 4 Dec 2012
Granted: 19 Apr 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

C02F 3/322
Characterised by the animals or plants used, e.g. algae: use of algae
C02F 1/001
Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage: processes for the treatment of water whereby the filtration technique is of importance
C02F 1/56
Using organic material: macromolecular compounds
C02F 1/66
Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage: by neutralisation; pH adjustment