JP2507523Y2 - Floating algae culture device - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a culture device capable of automatically culturing and harvesting planktonic algae.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When artificially culturing floating algae such as Mcrocystis species and Anabena species, the work of separating the grown algae from the culture solution and harvesting them is extremely difficult. Since it is minute, it is extremely complicated and time-consuming and costly. Conventionally, algae are harvested in large-scale culture of planktonic algae by collecting a culture solution in which the concentration of algae has risen to a certain level, and then using a method such as a flocculation method, a centrifugation method, or a foaming floating method. It is carried out by concentrating. However, these conventional methods for concentrating algal cells require a coagulant and mechanical force, and the operation is complicated and requires a lot of manpower.

[0003]

Therefore, the present invention is intended to make it possible to harvest planktonic algae more easily than before without relying on expensive flocculants or mechanical force.

[0004]

The present invention, which succeeds in achieving the above object, has a culture solution supply port at the bottom of a culture tank, and horizontally fixes a gutter at the culture solution surface position in the culture tank. And culturing floating algae, characterized in that the gutter-shaped body is connected to a culture solution outlet so that the excess culture solution in the culture tank overflows together with the algae from the upper edge of the gutter-shaped body. A device is provided.

[0005]

In the culture of the planktonic algae by the culture device of the present invention, the culture solution is intermittently or continuously supplied from the culture solution supply port at the bottom of the culture tank. Almost the same amount of culture solution as the supplied culture solution overflows into the gutter body from the upper edge of the gutter body while containing the grown algae, flows through the gutter body and exits to the culture solution outlet. However, since planktonic algae have the property of naturally floating on the liquid surface, the culture solution overflowed and discharged contains highly concentrated algal cells. Therefore, by collecting this, it is possible to directly harvest the alga body concentrated liquid that can be used as feed for fish and the like.

[0006]

The illustrated embodiment is a small-sized culture device in which a culture tank 1 and a lighting device 2 are supported by a frame 3 and combined into one unit. The tank 1 is made of transparent plastic. The culture tank 1 has a culture solution supply port 4 at the bottom, and a culture solution supply pipe 5 from a culture solution supply device (not shown) is provided therein.
Are connected. The bottom plate 6 of the culture tank 1 has a gentle slope toward the culture solution supply port 4. The outlet 7 for the culture solution is located on the upper side surface of the culture tank 1, but it is not directly opened in the culture tank 1, and the gutter 8 in the culture tank 1 is provided.
It is connected to one end of the and also serves as an outlet for harvested algae. The gutter 8 has its upper edge portion 8a horizontal and is aligned with the expected position of the culture liquid surface L so that the culture tank 1
It is fixed inside.

When culturing planktonic algae with this culturing apparatus, the alga bodies serving as seeds are put in the culture tank 1 and the culture solution supply port 4 is used.
The culture tank 1 is filled with the culture solution supplied from, and the lighting device 2 is turned on to start the culture. The floating algae that have proliferated naturally float up due to the difference in specific gravity and gather near the liquid surface L. If enough algae that have proliferated and emerged are accumulated, thereafter, intermittently,
Alternatively, the culture solution is continuously replenished little by little from the culture solution supply port 4. Since the culture tank bottom plate 6 has the inclined surface as described above, a uniform flow of the culture solution is generated in the culture tank 1 in the upward direction at an extremely slow speed. When the liquid level in the culture tank 1 rises due to the supplement of the culture solution, a part of the culture solution tries to flow into the trough 8 over the upper edge portion 8a, but as described above, the alga bodies accumulate on the liquid surface. Since it has been
The main inflow is algal cells.

According to the above-mentioned principle, if the amount of culture solution replenishment is appropriately selected in consideration of the growth amount of algae, the algal cells that have floated and are highly concentrated are overflowed to the gutter 8 and automatically. Can be collected. The concentrated algal fluid flowing into the gutter 8 flows through the gutter 8 and exits the culture tank 1 through the culture solution outlet 7. This concentrated solution can be used as it is or concentrated by another means.

[0009]

As described above, the culture device of the present invention is provided with the culture solution supply port at the bottom of the culture tank, and horizontally fixes the gutter body at the liquid surface position of the culture solution in the culture tank. It is a simple one that is connected to the culture solution outlet, but it automatically concentrates algal cells by using the property of floating algae that floats up from itself and the liquid level rise due to supplementation of the culture solution from the bottom of the tank. Therefore, by using this device, it is not only necessary to use an aggregating agent or an expensive centrifuge for harvesting algal cells, but also the algal cell separation step, which is the most complicated step in culturing algae. It becomes unnecessary and a remarkable labor-saving effect is achieved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view (perspective view) of the culture tank 1 in the embodiment of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: Culture tank 2: Lighting device
4: Culture solution supply port 7: Culture solution discharge port 8: Gutter

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A culture solution supply port is provided at the bottom of a culture tank, a trough is horizontally fixed at a liquid level position of the culture solution in the culture tank, and the trough is connected to a culture solution outlet to remove excess liquid. A culture device for floating algae, characterized in that the culture solution in the culture tank is overflowed together with the algae from the upper edge of the gutter.