The present invention pertains generally to methods for growing algae. More particularly, the present invention pertains to the use of an expanding plug flow reactor to reduce the requirement of using expensive closed system bioreactors for growing algae. The present invention is particularly, but not exclusively, useful as a method for growing algae in an open system comprising an expanding plug flow reactor fed with a medium to maintain a high concentration of algae cells.
As worldwide petroleum deposits decrease, there is rising concern over shortages and the costs that are associated with the production of hydrocarbon products. As a result, alternatives to products that are currently processed from petroleum are being investigated. In this effort, biofuel such as biodiesel has been identified as a possible alternative to petroleum-based transportation fuels. In general, a biodiesel is a fuel comprised of mono-alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids derived from plant oils or animal fats. In industrial practice, biodiesel is created when plant oils or animal fats are reacted with an alcohol, such as methanol.
For plant-derived biofuel, solar energy is first transformed into chemical energy through photosynthesis. The chemical energy is then refined into a usable fuel. Currently, the process involved in creating biofuel from plant oils is expensive relative to the process of extracting and refining petroleum. It is possible, however, that the cost of processing a plant-derived biofuel could be reduced by maximizing the rate of growth of the plant source. Because algae is known to be one of the most efficient plants for converting solar energy into cell growth, it is of particular interest as a biofuel source. Importantly, the use of algae as a biofuel source presents no exceptional problems, i.e., biofuel can be processed from oil in algae as easily as from oils in land-based plants.
While algae can efficiently transform solar energy into chemical energy via a high rate of cell growth, it has been difficult to create environments in which algae cell growth rates are optimized. Currently, the production of biofuel from algae is limited by a failure to maximize algae cell growth. Specifically, the conditions necessary to facilitate a fast growth rate for algae cells in large-scale operations have been found to be expensive to create. For instance, while providing high rates of algae cell growth, closed sterile environments such as inoculant tanks and controlled bioreactors are expensive to maintain and limited in scale. On the other hand, outdoor large-scale open systems, such as open runways, are plagued by contaminant organisms which fight the selected algae cells for nutrients and sunlight and reduce the rate of algae cell growth. Specifically, these contaminants include non-selected, i.e., “weed”, algae, viruses, bacteria, and grazers. Until now, it has been virtually impossible to prevent contaminant organisms from causing microbial instability and reducing selected algae cell growth rates in open systems. In fact, standard open systems typically provide only one to two days of microbial stability.
In light of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for minimizing the need for closed system inoculation of algae cells in a biofuel production system. Another object of the present invention is to maximize the cell growth rate of selected algae cells in an open system. Another object of the present invention is to provide an expanding plug flow reactor for supporting logarithmic growth of algae cells. Another object of the present invention is to selectively pump medium into the expanding plug flow reactor to maintain a high concentration of algae and a selected shallow depth of medium. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method and system for growing selected algae cells in an open system in which contaminants cannot compete with the selected algae cells. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a system and method for growing selected algae cells that is simple to implement, easy to use, and comparatively cost effective.
In accordance with the present invention, a system is provided for growing selected algae cells in a medium and for preventing the growth of contaminants in the medium. In this endeavor, the system relies on the initial use of a closed reactor to grow an inoculum of microalgae. Importantly, the closed reactor is five times smaller than those used in known algae production systems. Specifically, the closed reactor comprises 0.4% of the present system while closed reactors typically comprise about 2% of known systems. For purposes of the present invention, the closed reactor is a continuous flow reactor such as a photobioreactor. Further, the closed reactor is designed to grow the inoculum of microalgae to a full concentration.
After the closed reactor grows microalgae to full concentration, the inoculum of microalgae is passed in an effluence to an open system. Specifically, the open system comprises an expanding plug flow reactor and a standard plug flow reactor. For the present invention, the expanding plug flow reactor continuously receives the effluence containing the inoculum of algae cells from the closed reactor. Further, the expanding plug flow reactor includes a conduit for continuously moving the effluence downstream under the influence of gravity with little back mixing. Preferably, the expanding plug flow reactor is an open raceway.
Structurally, the expanding plug flow reactor increases in width from its first end to its second end. Also, the expanding plug flow reactor is provided with a plurality of pumps along its length for introducing a growth medium to the conduit. Initially, the pumps dilute the effluence until the algae reaches a high concentration. For purposes of the present invention, “high concentration” is defined as at least about 0.5 grams per liter of fluid. Thereafter, as fluid evaporates and the algae cells grow, the pumps add growth medium to maintain the high concentration of algae. Further, the growth medium includes the nutrients necessary to support the desired growth of the algae cells.
Importantly, the pumps are controlled in response to the growth rate of the algae cells. For instance, the algae growth rate may decrease due to a reduction in the amount of sunlight received and lower air temperatures. As a result, in order to ensure a high concentration of algae as the expanding plug flow reactor widens, the pumps will provide less medium. Therefore, the depth of the medium will decrease slightly, and the flow rate of the algae cells will decrease due to the viscosity of the algae cells. With the reduced flow rate, the algae cells are provided with enough time to grow sufficiently to remain at a high concentration as the expanding plug flow reactor widens. Because the selected algae is maintained at a high concentration, the nutrients provided in the growth medium are rapidly consumed by the selected algae. As a result, the time available for growth of contaminants is limited.
When the selected algae cells reach the end of the expanding plug flow reactor, they have reached the desired level of growth. Thereafter, the algae cells are transferred to a standard plug flow reactor. Typically, the standard plug flow reactor will have the same width as the downstream end of the expanding plug flow reactor. Further, a trigger medium may be fed into the standard plug flow reactor to activate production of oil in the algae cells. Alternatively, no medium may be fed into the standard plug flow reactor. This alternative method is effective to trigger oil production because algae cells will convert stored energy to oil when being starved of certain, or all, nutrients. Further, as the medium evaporates in the standard plug flow reactor, the depth of the medium will be reduced until the algae naturally flocculates. In this manner, the standard plug flow reactor may be designed to self-flocculate when optimal oil production has been achieved.
For an alternate embodiment of the present invention, a system for growing algae cells includes a plurality of open ponds. In combination, open ponds in this plurality are connected for selective fluid communication with each other, and they are arranged in sequence from a first upstream pond to a last downstream pond. In a variation from the expanded plug flow reactor (EPFR) described above, this alternate embodiment of the invention establishes each downstream pond with an exponentially greater surface area relative to its adjacent upstream pond.
Structurally, the alternate embodiment of the present invention includes a first transfer conduit for transferring inoculum from an inoculum source into the first upstream pond. A culture is thereby created for algae growth in the first upstream pond. A subsequent transfer of the culture can then be made from the first upstream pond to successive downstream ponds for further algae growth. For the present invention, such transfers are periodically accomplished in a controlled manner, and algae is allowed to grow for a predetermined time in each of the successive ponds. Eventually, fully grown algae cells are transferred from the last downstream pond to an oil formation pond via a last transfer conduit.
Each open pond in the system, regardless of its relative size, will preferably have a fluid circulating device, such as a paddle wheel or circulation pump, that can be used to establish liquid flow in the pond.
Preferably, each pond will also have a medium addition conduit for adding medium into the culture in the pond. Further, as envisioned for the present invention, the transfer of culture from an upstream pond to its adjacent downstream pond can be accomplished in either of two ways. For one, each pond may include a transfer pump for transferring the culture downstream from the pond to its adjacent downstream pond. For another, the ponds can be terraced so that a gravity flow can be established from an upstream pond to a downstream pond.
As implied above, a fixed multiplier is determined to establish a ratio of the surface areas for adjacent ponds. More specifically, the surface area of each pond relative to the surface area of an adjacent upstream or downstream pond will be established by this multiplier. In practice, the value of the multiplier may vary from system to system. Specifically, in each case the multiplier will be determined by the growth rate of the algae that is being used for cultivation in the particular system.
In an operation for the alternate embodiment of the present invention, a transfer sequence is periodically performed in accordance with a set procedure. Specifically, the transfer sequence is initiated by first transferring fully grown algae from the last downstream pond to an oil formation pond. Once this is done, and the last downstream pond has been emptied, culture from the adjacent upstream pond is then transferred into the now-empty, last downstream pond. As the culture is transferred, additional medium can also be transferred into the last downstream pond for further algae growth in the last downstream pond. The now-empty, immediately upstream pond can then receive culture transferred from its respective adjacent upstream pond. This process of transfer from an upstream pond to an emptied adjacent downstream pond continues until the first upstream pond has been emptied and subsequently refilled with inoculum from the source of inoculum. After an entire transfer sequence has been completed, the cultures in all of the open ponds are individually circulated to promote algae growth. Once algae growth in the respective ponds has been completed, the entire transfer sequence can then be repeated. Preferably, transfer sequences for the alternate embodiment of the present invention are accomplished during the nighttime.
The novel features of this invention, as well as the invention itself, both as to its structure and its operation, will be best understood from the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanying description, in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts, and in which:
Referring initially to
As shown in
Referring now to
Importantly, the fluid growth medium 36 and algae 38 flow through the EPFR 24 under the influence of gravity. For purposes of the present invention, this gravity flow is accomplished using a structured gradient. A preferred embodiment of a structured gradient for use with the EPFR 24 is shown in
An important aspect of the EPFR 24 for the present invention will be appreciated with reference to
In cross-reference to
In
For the present invention, it is to be appreciated that all of the open ponds 62 in the system 60 are substantially similar to each other. The exception here is only in the size of their respective surface areas. Accordingly, each pond 62 will have a fluid circulating device 64 that is provided for moving (stirring) algae 38 around in the pond 62. Functionally, this is done to promote the growth of algae 38 while there is a culture of the algae 38 in the particular open pond 62. Examples for a suitable fluid circulating device 64 would be a standard circulation pump or a paddle wheel. Both of these types of devices are well known in the pertinent art.
It will also be seen in
In addition to the specific structural components of the system 60 described above, inoculum algae 16 in an inoculum medium 14 can be fed into the first upstream open pond 62(1) via a first transfer conduit (represented by the arrow 70). At the downstream end of the system 60, after traversing the system 60, the now fully grown algae 38 can be removed from the last downstream open pond 62(n) via a last transfer conduit (e.g. transfer pump 68(n).
In the operation of the system 60, algae 38 are progressively grown as they are selectively passed from one open pond 62 to another. The actual time spent by the algae 38 in each open pond 62 in the series will be substantially the same, and will depend on the type of algae 38 that is being cultivated. As a practical matter, the time spent by algae 38 in a particular open pond 62 can be as much as several (e.g. 3) days. In the event, the transfer of algae 38 through the system 60 is done methodically. And preferably, the transfer will be accomplished at nighttime when the growth of algae 38 is delayed due to a lack of sun light.
A transfer sequence for moving algae 38 through the system 60 begins by first emptying the last downstream pond 62(n). To do this, the fully grown algae 38 therein are transferred through a transfer conduit (e.g. transfer pump 68(n)) to an oil formation pond (i.e. SPFR 26). Next, the contents of the adjacent upstream open pond 62(n-1) are then emptied into the now-empty last downstream open pond 62(n). At this time, additional medium can be added to the last downstream open pond 62(n) via the medium addition conduit 66(n). Specifically, this is done to establish proper conditions for further growth of algae 38 in the open pond 62(n). In turn, the contents of open pond 62(n-2) (not shown) are emptied into open pond 62(n-1), and an appropriate amount of medium is added. This continues, in sequence, with the contents of each upstream open pond (e.g. pond 62(2)) being transferred into the just-emptied adjacent downstream open pond (e.g. pond 62(3)). The transfer sequence finally ends when the contents of the first upstream open pond 62(1) have been emptied into open pond 62(2) and the now-empty upstream open pond 62(1) has been refilled with inoculum of algae 16. The system 60 then continues to grow algae 38 in respective open ponds 62 until another transfer sequence is initiated.
While the particular Method and System for Growing Microalgae in an Expanding Plug Flow Reactor as herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable of obtaining the objects and providing the advantages herein before stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown other than as described in the appended claims.
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 12/821,943, filed Jun. 23, 2010, which is currently pending. The contents of application Ser. No. 12/821,943 are incorporated herein by reference.
The U.S. Government has a paid-up license in this invention and the right in limited circumstances to require the patent owner to license others on reasonable terms as provided for by the terms of Contract No. HR0011-09-C-0034 awarded by DARPA.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 12821943 | Jun 2010 | US |
Child | 14256803 | US |