Photobioreactor systems positioned on bodies of water
US7980024B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 25, 2008 |
| Grant date | Jul 19, 2011 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 23, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC12M41/18
- WIPO fieldBiotechnology
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
Certain embodiments and aspects of the present invention relate to a photobioreactor including photobioreactor units through which a liquid medium stream and a gas stream flow. The photobioreactor units are floated on a body of water such as a pond or a lake. The liquid medium comprises at least one species of phototrophic organism therein. Certain methods of using the photobioreactor system as part of fuel generation system and/or a gas-treatment process or system at least partially remove certain undesirable pollutants from a gas stream. In certain embodiments, the photobioreactor units are formed of flexible, deformable material and are configured to provide a substantially constant thickness of liquid medium. In certain embodiments, a barrier between the photobioreactor unit and the body of water upon which the unit is floated facilitates thermal communication between the liquid medium and the body of water.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.