JP7219841B1 - Photobioreactor unit - Google Patents

Abstract

The object of the present invention is to provide a photobioreactor unit in which devices necessary for culturing photosynthetic organisms such as microalgae in a closed tubular photobioreactor are made compact and movable. The photobioreactor unit 1 is mounted on two flat carts and movable, and the first flat cart A comprises a glass tube 21 for growing the algae by photosynthesis of a culture solution containing algae. A reactor 2 and an LED light-emitting device 40 that irradiates light are mounted on the second flat truck B. A circulation tank 3 that stores and circulates a culture solution containing algae in the reactor and a culture solution for photosynthesis. Equipped with a heat exchanger 5 that adjusts the liquid temperature to a suitable temperature, a deaeration tank that deaerates supersaturated oxygen from the culture solution discharged from the reactor, and a deaeration tank that returns the deaerated culture solution to the circulation tank. It is [Selection drawing] Fig. 1A

Description

The present invention relates to a photobioreactor unit equipped with a series of equipment necessary for culturing photosynthates such as microalgae in a closed system photobioreactor (PBR).

In recent years, with the promotion of SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), there has been a call for reduction of greenhouse gases and reduction of carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ) emissions. As one method for reducing carbon dioxide emissions, there is a method of culturing algae in which the carbon dioxide generated is absorbed into a culture solution in which algae or the like are cultured, and photosynthesis is carried out.
In one of these methods, closed system culture (cultivation in a device such as a glass tube), when culturing photosynthetic organisms such as microalgae, it consists of equipment that supplies carbon dioxide. There is a tubular closed system photobioreactor.

In such a closed-system photobioreactor, Patent Document 1 discloses that as a device that assists photosynthesis necessary for algae culture and growth, a fluorescent tube that is located in an algae culture apparatus and provides light for photosynthesis reaction, and a culture solution It discloses a catalytic converter using hydrogen to remove oxygen, and a reaction gas (carbon dioxide) supply control using a pH meter.
In addition, in Non-Patent Document 1, a large-scale photobioreactor with a total frame length of 50 m, a height of 3.5 m, a glass tube (reactor tube) outer diameter of 65 mm, and a total tube length of about 5 km is implemented. is disclosed.
When installing such a large-scale closed-system photobioreactor, it is common to install large-sized equipment necessary for culture and growth.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-502158

OP Bio Factory Co., Ltd. website, online [Searched on May 27, 2020] Internet <https://pavlova.jp/photobioreactor/>

However, in the case of such a large-scale closed-system photobioreactor, it is not easy to freely re-install the reactor and large-scale equipment required for culture and growth as necessary after installation. Furthermore, there is a need for algae culture equipment in the medium and small scale, coexisting with the large scale equipment.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a photobioreactor unit in which devices required for culturing photosynthetic organisms such as microalgae in a closed tubular photobioreactor are made compact and movable.

A first invention for achieving the above-mentioned object is a photobioreactor unit related to a tubular closed system photobioreactor that can be moved by being mounted on two flat carts,
On one side of the flat carriage,
a reactor consisting of a glass tube that grows algae in the culture medium by photosynthesis ;
a light emitting device that faces the reactor and irradiates light;
is equipped with
On the other side of the flat truck,
A circulation tank that stores a culture solution containing algae and circulates it through the reactor ;
a pump for pressure-feeding the culture solution in the circulation tank to the reactor;
a heat exchanger that adjusts the temperature of the culture solution from the pump to a solution temperature suitable for photosynthesis;
a degassing tank for degassing supersaturated oxygen contained in the culture solution discharged from the reactor and returning the degassed culture solution to the circulation tank;
is equipped with
The circulation tank is supplied with carbon dioxide necessary for algae culture from a carbon dioxide cylinder via a carbon dioxide flow meter,
The degassing tank is provided adjacent to the circulation tank, and has an aeration for agitating the culture solution in the tank with air for degassing. A communication path is formed to return to the circulation tank,
The upper side of the communication path is provided with a escape passage for exhaust gas such as unnecessary oxygen, and the lower side of the communication path is provided with an inflow passage for the culture solution stirred and degassed by injecting air,
The reactor is formed by connecting a plurality of transparent glass tubes having a plurality of cylindrical culture light-receiving surfaces in a multistage manner ,
The light emitting device is an LED panel in which a plurality of LEDs are arranged in a rectangular shape facing the size of the reactor,
The LED panel is provided on a slider portion that can slide back and forth facing the reactor .
A second invention is characterized in that, in the first invention, the slider portion includes a motor for moving the LED panel back and forth within a predetermined movable range .
A third invention is the first invention or the second invention, wherein a first pipe is a pipe from the pump to a channel inlet of the reactor;
a second pipe that is a pipe from the flow channel outlet of the reactor to the inflow pipe of the degassing tank;
providing a fourth pipe connected between the first pipe and a three-way valve arranged in the second pipe;
The fourth pipe is a pig movement passage for cleaning the inside of the glass tube of the reactor,
The pig is
It has an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the glass tube of the reactor, has a rounded curved surface shape on the front end side, and has a predetermined thickness on the rear end side to prevent liquid from leaking downstream of the pig. It has a water stop member, and a plurality of rotary cut grooves are formed at an angle on the outer peripheral surface near the water stop member, and a plurality of magnets are embedded in the circumferential direction at equal intervals. a bullet-shaped pig,
A cylindrical pig having an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the glass tube of the reactor, having water stop members having a predetermined thickness on both end sides, and having a plurality of magnets embedded in the circumferential direction at equal intervals. including
A magnetic sensor for detecting the magnetic force of the magnet provided in the pig is provided outside the piping of the reactor .
In a fourth aspect based on the third aspect, the magnetic sensor is provided between the flow passage outlet side of the reactor and the first valve, and is either the bullet-shaped pig or the cylindrical pig. The magnetic force of the magnet is sensed when one or both approaches, and the speed of movement of each of the pigs in the reactor tube is controlled.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a photobioreactor unit in which devices required for culturing photosynthetic organisms such as microalgae in a closed tubular photobioreactor are made compact and movable.

1 is an overall view schematically showing a photobioreactor unit according to this embodiment. FIG. It is a figure which shows typically the carbon-dioxide supply which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows typically the circulation tank and degassing tank which concern on this embodiment. 1 is a functional block diagram of a control system according to this embodiment; FIG. It is a schematic diagram of a light irradiation device concerning this embodiment. (a) is a flow diagram of flow control by a pH meter according to this embodiment, (b) is a flow diagram of flow control by a dissolved oxygen meter according to this embodiment, and (c) is a solar radiation amount according to this embodiment. is a flow chart of flow rate control by . BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a figure which shows the shape of one form of the pig which concerns on this embodiment, (a) is a side view, (b) is a back view. It is a figure which shows the shape of another form of the pig which concerns on this embodiment, (a) is a side view, (b) is a back view. It is a schematic diagram of a pig feeding mechanism according to the present embodiment. In this embodiment of FIG. 8A, (a) is the normal time when pig feeding is not performed, (b) is the pig feeding state of the pig feeding mechanism, and (c) is the pig feeding mechanism. 4A and 4B are diagrams each showing a state of starting cleaning by feeding a pig; FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a pig delivery mechanism according to another embodiment; In another embodiment of FIG. 9A, (a) is the normal time when pig feeding is not performed, (b) is the pig feeding state of the pig feeding mechanism, and (c) is the pig feeding mechanism. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the state of starting cleaning by feeding pigs in . It is a figure which shows other pig feeding in the pig cleaning which concerns on this embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another pig insertion in pig cleaning according to the present embodiment; It is a figure which shows the pig movement in the reactor of the pig cleaning which concerns on this embodiment.

[Photobioreactor unit]
The photobioreactor unit according to the present embodiment (hereinafter simply referred to as a unit; the same applies hereinafter) is a unit related to a tubular closed system photobioreactor that is movable and mounted on two flat carts with wheels, On one side of the flat cart, a bioreactor (hereinafter simply referred to as a reactor, the same shall apply hereinafter) consisting of a glass tube for growing the algae by photosynthesis of a culture solution containing algae, and an LED light emitting device facing the reactor for irradiating light. The other side of the flat truck is equipped with a circulation tank that stores and circulates the culture solution containing algae in the reactor, a pump that pressure-feeds the culture solution in the circulation tank to the reactor, and the culture solution from the pump for photosynthesis. It is equipped with a heat exchanger that adjusts the liquid temperature to a suitable temperature, and a degassing tank that deaerates the supersaturated dissolved oxygen contained in the culture solution discharged from the reactor and returns the degassed culture solution to the circulation tank. ing. A detailed description will be given below based on diagrams in which these main devices and incidental gauges and the like are laid out and modeled.

FIG. 1A is an overall view schematically showing a photobioreactor unit according to this embodiment. First, as shown in FIG. 1A, the unit 1 of the present invention includes a reactor 2 that grows the algae by photosynthesis of a culture solution M containing algae, and an LED light emitting device 40 that faces the reactor and irradiates light. , is mounted on a first flat carriage A arranged on the left side of the drawing. A circulation tank 3 for storing and circulating a culture solution containing algae in the reactor 2 is arranged on the right side of the drawing opposite to the reactor 2 and mounted on the second flat carriage B. On the second flat carriage B, a pump 4 for pumping the culture solution in the circulation tank 3 to the reactor 2 is arranged below the channel outlet of the circulation tank 3, and the culture solution from the pump 4 is used for photosynthesis in the reactor 2. A heat exchanger (heater chiller) 5 for adjusting the liquid temperature to a suitable liquid temperature is arranged below the flow channel inlet side of the reactor and between the pump 4 and the reactor 2, and the culture liquid discharged from the upper outlet of the reactor 2 is A degassing tank 6 for degassing contained dissolved oxygen is arranged on the right end side of the drawing. These series of devices are physically connected to pipes (first pipe 7, second pipe 8, third pipe 9, and fourth pipe 10) that serve as communication channels for the culture solution M. As shown in FIG. In this embodiment, two flat trucks are used, but the number of flat trucks is not limited to this.

A first pipe 7 is a pipe from the pump 4 to the channel inlet 2 a of the reactor 2 . The second pipe 8 is a pipe from the channel outlet 2 b of the reactor 2 to the degassing tank lid 62 to the inflow pipe 63 . The third pipe 9 is a pipe branched to form a flow path from the second pipe 8 to the first pipe 7 . The fourth pipe 10 is a pipe to which a position between the valve 73 of the first pipe 7 and the heat exchanger 5 and one switch (tributary direction) of the three-way valve 81 of the second pipe 8 are connected. be.

First, the first flat truck A on which the reactor 2 is mounted has wheels a with stoppers and is rectangular and has a size of about 3 m x about 1 m. The reactor 2 is fixedly supported on the flat truck A by a reactor frame 22 .
In addition, the second flat carriage B, which carries a series of equipment other than the reactor 2, has wheels b with stoppers, is rectangular in shape with a series of equipment arranged in series, and has a length of about 3 m. , with a width of about 1 m. A series of devices are fixed on the second flat carriage B by fixing means such as bolts and nuts.

As a result, the second flat carriage B carrying a series of equipment can be placed at the position as it is, and only the first flat carriage A can be moved to adjust the orientation of the reactor 2 in the direction of high solar radiation. In this way, the flat truck A and the second flat truck B can be freely moved independently because they are separate bodies. is also possible. In addition, it can be moved and transported by using the first flat truck A and the second flat truck B, and can be easily handled.

The reactor 2 is formed in a cylindrical tubular shape using a glass tube that is a material capable of transmitting light for photosynthesis to the algae contained in the culture medium M, and 12 glass tubes with a length of 2.5 m and a diameter of 65 mm. are connected with a U-tube. As a result, a volume of about 100 L can be cultured and grown.
In addition, pipes (flow paths) are formed in multiple stages in the vertical direction by connecting the ends of the cylindrical pipes with U-shaped pipes. The joints between the pipes of the reactor 2 are connected so that, for example, a cleaning pig for the pipes (see FIG. 7, which will be described later) can move smoothly through the pipes without causing any gaps or steps. It is

In FIG. 1A, the glass tubes 21 of the reactor 2 are arranged sideways (horizontal direction orthogonal to the vertical axis direction) in multiple stages. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. The transparent glass tube 21 having a plurality of cylindrical culture light-receiving surfaces is formed into a multistage structure to form a compact unit. In other words, it is not just a matter of forming and arranging a plurality of reactor tubes in a horizontal, vertical, or spiral fashion.

Thus, by connecting the cylindrical glass tubes 21 with a U-tube and arranging them in a multistage inclined manner, the surface area of the reactor 2 can be increased while reducing the installation area of the reactor 2 . As a result, it is possible to irradiate the algae with a larger amount of light having a wavelength capable of photosynthesis.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the multi-stage form in which the glass tubes 21 are inclined, and depending on the type of algae, the capacity of the reactor, and the installation location, a form in which a plurality of reactor tubes are arranged side by side or in a spiral shape. It is good as

The glass tube 21 of the reactor 2 here uses a silicic acid (SiO ₂ ) glass tube that has a high softening temperature, a small coefficient of thermal expansion, and is chemically stable. A light-transmissive resin material such as plastic (LDPE) may be used.
In addition, the lowermost pipe line is connected to the first pipe 7 to supply the culture solution to the flow channel inlet 2a to the reactor 2, and is connected to the second pipe 8 to discharge the culture solution from the reactor 2. A channel outlet 2b is provided.

The circulation tank 3 is a tank for storing and circulating the culture solution M containing algae in the reactor. The tank body 31 is a tank-like space and is supported by a circulation tank frame 36 . The circulation tank frame 36 is fixed to the second flat carriage B by fixing means such as bolts and nuts.
The circulation tank lid 32 is, for example, plate-shaped, and closes the top of the tank main body 31 to prevent foreign matter such as dust from entering.

Further, the circulation tank 3 is filled with the culture solution M containing algae up to the liquid level indicated by the symbol "▽" in Fig. 2 . Therefore, a liquid level meter (not shown) detects the liquid level of the culture medium M in the circulation tank 3, and based on the detection result of this liquid level meter, the liquid level of the culture medium M (symbol “▽”) can be controlled so that it is constantly within a predetermined value range. A liquid thermometer (not shown) detects the liquid temperature of the culture medium M in the circulation tank 3, and based on the detection result of the liquid thermometer, the liquid temperature is kept within a predetermined value range. controllable to

The circulation tank 3 is provided with an exhaust pipe 33 having a U-shaped pipe projecting from the circulation tank lid 32 . As a result, impurities such as nitrogen, oxygen, and residual carbon dioxide that adversely affect the culture solution that has flowed into the circulation tank 3 from the degassing tank 6 are released into the atmosphere. A filter 33a is provided at the outer tip of the exhaust pipe 33 to prevent foreign matter from entering from the outside. At the outlet of the circulation tank 3, a sluice valve 37 for stopping the flow of culture solution from the circulation tank 3 is provided.

In addition, a CO ₂ meter 38 that measures the carbon dioxide concentration near the outlet of the exhaust pipe 33 of the circulation tank 3 is provided outside, and the measurement result is input to the control system 11, and if the concentration is not the predetermined concentration I am getting an alert. With this CO2 meter 38, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the gas emitted from the culture medium M can be known.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the circulation tank 3 is provided with a carbon dioxide supply unit 35 that is inserted into the circulation tank main body 31 through the circulation tank lid 32, and the carbon dioxide necessary for algae culture is supplied to the circulation tank. It is supplied from the supply pipe 34 into the main body 31 .
As shown in FIG. 1B, the carbon dioxide supply unit 35 is connected to a liquid carbon dioxide cylinder C installed near the second flat carriage B in this embodiment (symbol *1 in FIG. 1A). and symbol *1 in FIG. 1B are connected). Further, the carbon dioxide supply unit 35 of the circulation tank 3 may be connected to an air diffuser such as an air stone (not shown). The liquid carbon dioxide cylinder C is not placed on the first flat truck A and the second flat truck B.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1B, the carbon dioxide cylinder C is connected to a regulator C2 with an electromagnetic valve C1. This regulator Cc2 has the function of safely decompressing the compressed gas of the liquefied gas filled in the carbon dioxide cylinder C and taking it out. Then, based on a signal input from the control system (control panel) 11, the pressure is adjusted by the _CO2 control valve C3, carbon dioxide is supplied from the carbon dioxide cylinder C, and passed through the _CO2 flow meter C4 to the carbon dioxide supply unit. 35 is discharged. Thereby, carbon dioxide can be supplied into the culture medium M. The pressure from the carbon dioxide bomb C is, for example, 10 M to 0.1 MPa.
In this embodiment, the solenoid valve C1 and the regulator C2 are separate units, but an integrated unit may be used.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1B, a CO ₂ flow meter C4 is attached downstream of the CO ₂ control valve C3, and a data logger (Fig. (not shown) and can be checked by the work manager via the control system 11 . By supplying carbon dioxide in this way, it becomes possible to agitate the culture solution M that has accumulated in the circulation tank 3, so that the growth of microalgae can be promoted.

The degassing tank 6 is a tank for degassing carbonate ions such as dissolved oxygen contained in the culture solution discharged from the outlet of the reactor 2 after completion of photosynthesis. The tank body 61 has a height of about 1 m for unitization, and a deaeration tank lid 62 and an inflow pipe 63 are arranged in the deaeration tank lid 62 . The tank main body 61 is a tank-shaped space, and a drain valve 65 for draining the inside of the tank main body 61 during cleaning is provided on the bottom surface of the tank main body 61 . The tank body 61 is supported by a degassing tank frame 66 . This degassing tank frame 66 is fixed to the second flat truck B by fixing means such as bolts and nuts.
The deaeration tank lid 62 is, for example, plate-shaped and closes the top of the tank main body 61 to prevent foreign matter such as dust from entering.

Further, the degassing tank 6 is filled with the culture solution M containing dissolved oxygen that has flowed in from the second pipe. For this reason, a liquid level meter (not shown) detects the liquid level of the culture medium in the degassing tank 6, and based on the detection result of this liquid level meter, the liquid level of the culture medium M (Fig. 2 symbol “▽”) can be controlled so as to be constantly within a predetermined value range.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the degassing tank 6 is provided with an aeration 64 for agitating the culture solution M in the degassing tank 6 with air for degassing. A connection path 67 is provided for dividing and returning to the circulation tank 3. - 特許庁Specifically, an aeration 64 is installed to supply air from the air compressor 12 into the degassing tank 6 through an inflow pipe 63 passing through the degassing tank lid 62 . As a result, it is possible to stir and deaerate the culture medium M that has accumulated in the deaeration tank 6, and as a result, the supersaturated oxygen inside is removed, so that the growth of microalgae can be promoted. . The air compressor 12 is configured to discharge compressed air having a predetermined pressure of 0.5 to 0.7 MPa.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1A, the *2 of the air compressor 12 is connected to the *2 of the degassing valve 12a, and the foreign matter-free air flows through the filter regulator 12b and the sterilization filter 12c. It is discharged from the aeration 64 via a total of 12d. Thereby, air can be supplied into the culture solution.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1A, *2 of the air compressor 12 is connected to *2 of the valve operating valve 12e, and each valve (valve) is connected from the solenoid valve box 12h via the filter regulator 12f and the manual dryer 12g. Switching is controlled.

As shown in FIG. 2, the degassing tank 6 and the circulation tank 3 are connected to each other through a communication passage 67, and the upper side of the communication passage 67 is a escape passage (arrow symbol p ), the lower side of the communicating passage 67 serves as an inflow passage (arrow symbol q) for the culture solution M stirred and degassed by air injection. The unnecessary gas such as oxygen in the degassing tank 6 to be discharged passes through the escape passage (arrow mark p) and is discharged to the outside (into the atmosphere) through the exhaust pipe 33 of the circulation tank 3. be.

As a result, oxygen can be removed simply by providing aeration in the degassing tank as in the present invention, without adopting a complicated structure such as the catalyst device for removing oxygen using hydrogen in Patent Document 1.

Next, a description will be given of the first pipe 7 to the fourth pipe 10, which communicate between a series of devices and serve as a flow path for the culture medium M, and the devices and the like arranged on these pipes.

A first pipe 7 is a flow path from the circulation tank 3 to the reactor 2 . The pipe material is 2.5S stainless steel sanitary pipe (JIS G3447).
From the pump 4 side to the reactor 2 side, as main equipment for preparing an algae culture environment, a first liquid temperature gauge 71, a pressure gauge (PG gauge) 72, a valve 73, a heat exchanger 5, a second liquid temperature A total of 75 are arranged in order.

The first liquid thermometer 71 is provided on the outlet side of the circulation tank 3 and measures the temperature of the culture solution M in the liquid. This liquid temperature gauge 71 is, for example, a bimetal type industrial liquid temperature gauge that utilizes the expansion of a bimetal. This measurement result is sent to the control system 11 and used as a control signal to an inverter (not shown) for controlling the flow rate of the pump 4 .

The pump 4 pumps and circulates the culture solution M from the circulation tank 3 to the reactor 2 . It is preferable to circulate the culture medium M by using a positive displacement pump that rotates mildly, causing less damage to the algae, and allowing the amount of the circulating liquid to be arbitrarily changed by an inverter. In other words, when the culture medium M is supplied by the strong flow of the rotary pump, depending on the type of microalgae to be cultured, there is a risk that the strong flow will hinder the culture by breaking the algae and preventing the microalgae from solidifying. In order to avoid this, a positive displacement pump that flows only a certain amount in a fixed volume is used to create a gentle flow along with the growth of microalgae. Therefore, a low-speed positive displacement pump is used instead of a high-speed rotary pump.

The pressure gauge (PG) 72 measures pressure of the flow rate of the culture solution M flowing through the first pipe 7 and provides data for calculating the output flow rate of the pump proportional to the pressure measurement result by a predetermined arithmetic program in the control system 11. . As a result, it can be grasped whether the pumping degree of the culture medium M from the pump 4 and the output flow rate match the instructed control. Also, a flow meter may be arranged at the position of the pressure gauge (PG) 72 to directly grasp whether the flow rate from the pump 4 is appropriate.

A valve 73 is for maintenance of the pump 4 .

Next, the photobioreactor unit 1 of the present invention includes a first pipe 7, which is a pipe from the pump 4 to the flow channel inlet 2a of the reactor 2, and a flow channel outlet 2b of the reactor 2 to the inflow pipe of the degassing tank. A second pipe 8 which is the pipe of 63 and a fourth pipe 10 connected between the first pipe 7 and a three-way valve arranged in the second pipe 8 are provided, and the fourth pipe 10 is connected to the reactor 2. It is characterized by being a pig moving passage for cleaning the inside of the glass tube 21 . This will be explained below.
The fourth pipe 10 is connected to the position of the first pipe 7 between the valve 73 and the heat exchanger 5 and one of the switching points of the three-way valve (also referred to as a three-way switching valve) 81 of the second pipe 8 (in the tributary direction). )It is connected to the. The pipe material is, for example, 2.5S stainless steel sanitary pipe (JIS G3447). This fourth pipe 10 is a pig movement passage arranged for the purpose of passing a microalgae scraping pig 101 and a chemical cleaning pig 102 in the glass tube 21 of the reactor 2, and is a glass tube of the reactor 2. 21 to form a loop that can be circulated. In this case, the pig moves from the three-way valve 81 of the second pipe to the first pipe 7 via the fourth pipe 10 (Fig. 1 shows the arrow pointing downward and the pig 100).

Further, as shown in FIG. 1A, the fourth pipe 10 is connected to the first pipe 7 while being inclined (see reference numeral 10c) before being connected to the first pipe 7. As shown in FIG. As a result, the pig can smoothly transfer from the fourth pipe 10 to the first pipe 7 without colliding with it.

The fourth pipe 10 is provided with a water supply 13 so that the pigs 101, 102 are pushed out towards the reactor 2 by pumping tap water. Fresh water is supplied while a valve 13a is provided in the pipe connected to the fourth pipe 10 and the flow rate of water is controlled by an electromagnetic valve. Therefore, the position for inserting and withdrawing the pig is set closer to the first pipe 7 than the connecting place to which the water is supplied on the fourth pipe 10 .
In addition, even when the concentration of the culture solution M increases, fresh water can be supplied, and the liquid temperature of the fresh water is adjusted by a downstream heat exchanger (also referred to as a heater chiller, the same shall apply hereinafter) 5 . In this embodiment, the water supply unit 13 is connected to the fourth pipe 10, but is not limited to this, and may be placed on the first pipe 7 at a position where the temperature can be adjusted by the heat exchanger 5. .

A communication passage is provided between the fourth pipe 10 and the third pipe 9, and an electromagnetic valve 10a is arranged in the communication passage. By opening and closing the solenoid valve 10a, the culture medium M from the fourth pipe 10 flows to the third pipe 9 side. Then, the condition of the culture solution M in the fourth pipe 10 can be found by opening the electromagnetic valve 10b and collecting and sampling.

The heat exchanger 5 is arranged below the reactor 2 and in front of the channel inlet 2 a in order to adjust the temperature of the culture solution from the pump 4 to a temperature suitable for photosynthesis in the reactor 2 . Thereby, the liquid temperature of the culture solution M flowing inside the heat exchanger 5 can be controlled to an arbitrary temperature.

The reason why the heat exchanger 5 is provided is that in the case of a large-scale photoreactor for outdoor use, it is possible to cool the glass tube 21 by separately providing a sprinkler device and spraying the reactor 2 with water. This is because the unit 1 of the present invention can be made compact without providing such a sprinkler, and can be mounted on the first flat truck A and moved. Thus, one of the features of the present invention is that the provision of the heat exchanger 5 does not include means for cooling by sprinkling water.

A heater (not shown) is installed inside the heat exchanger 5, and the heater power supply is turned on based on a signal input from the control system 11, and the culture solution M is heated to heat the culture solution M. You can raise the temperature.
A chiller 5 a for cooling is connected to the heat exchanger 5 . Then, the temperature of the culture medium M can be lowered by turning on the chiller power supply based on the signal input from the control system 11 and cooling the medium.
Thus, the temperature control function using the heat exchanger 5 is configured to control the temperature to a predetermined temperature (for example, 20° C. to 23° C.) that is preferable with respect to environmental factors for algae culture.

Also, since the heat exchanger 5 is generally large in volume and weight, it is downsized in unitization so as not to take up an arrangement space. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1A, cold water may be supplied separately from the chiller 5a for cooling. (not shown).

Furthermore, the culture measured by the first liquid thermometer 71 installed in the first pipe 7 serving as the inlet of the heat exchanger 5 and the second liquid thermometer 75 provided on the outlet (downstream) side of the heat exchanger 5 In comparison with the measured data of the temperature of the liquid M, the control system 11 designates the temperature as a reference for controlling the ON/OFF of the power supply of the heater or the cooler, and the time interval between the ON/OFF control of the power supply. Automatic control can be performed by setting and registering in the schedule management section 11d. Alternatively, the temperature of the heat exchanger 5 may be controlled simply based on the temperature measured by the second liquid thermometer 75 .

As a result, even if there is a large temperature difference between summer and winter, microalgae can be cultured and grown regardless of the season without installing a sprinkler for cooling the culture solution M.

The second liquid temperature gauge 75 is, for example, a bimetal type industrial liquid temperature gauge that utilizes the expansion of a bimetal. This measurement result is sent to the control system 11 to be described later, compared with the measurement result of the first liquid thermometer 71 , and used as a control signal for an inverter (not shown) for controlling the flow rate of the pump 4 .

A second pipe 8 serves as a flow path from the reactor 2 to the degassing tank 6 . The pipe material is, for example, 2.5S stainless steel sanitary pipe (JIS G3447).
A three-way valve 81 that can be electromagnetically controlled is provided in the second pipe 8 from the reactor 2 toward the deaeration tank 6, and by switching the three-way valve 81, the main line of the flow path to the deaeration tank 6 is branched. A flow path is formed to the fourth pipe 10 serving as a branch line. The fourth pipe 10 is the pig passage for the cleaning means of the reactor 2, as described above.

The third pipe 9 is a pipe branched to form a flow path from the second pipe 8 to the first pipe 7 . The material is, for example, a 1.5S stainless steel sanitary tube (JIS G3447). The third pipe 9 is equipped with a dissolved oxygen meter 91 for measuring dissolved oxygen concentration, which is an internal environmental factor, a pH meter 92 for measuring pH, and a turbidity meter (also referred to as a "turbidity meter") 93 for measuring suspended matter. measuring instruments (sensors) are arranged. These measuring devices are of a type embedded in the third pipe 9 that does not use a measuring tank in order to reduce the size and weight for unitization.

By constantly monitoring these measuring instruments, it is possible to optimize the photosynthetic efficiency (production efficiency) of microalgae and to change the circulation flow rate suitable for algae culture, which is used as a control signal for the pump 4. .
The measuring instruments for measuring the dissolved oxygen concentration meter 91 , the pH meter 92 and the turbidity meter 93 may be arranged in the second pipe 8 instead of being provided in the third pipe 9 . In that case, the third pipe 9 is not required.

When the microalgae are exposed to light, the dissolved oxygen concentration meter 91 absorbs carbon dioxide and recovers oxygen, so the dissolved oxygen content is measured. Oxygen dissolved in water (Dissolved Oxygen) can be measured, and its concentration is represented by the amount of oxygen per unit volume (mg/L). Measuring dissolved oxygen in the photosynthetic culture process is a basic and important specification for monitoring the progress of culture. In addition, since it is a dissolved oxygen concentration meter used for normal measurement, description here is abbreviate|omitted.

The pH meter 92 measures the pH value which rises when carbon dioxide is absorbed by photosynthesis and oxygen is recovered. In addition, since it is a pH meter used for normal measurement, description here is abbreviate|omitted.

A turbidity meter (suspension meter) 93 measures the amount of suspended solids that cause turbidity in the culture medium M. Since this is a turbidity meter (suspension meter) that is used in relation to ordinary measurements, the explanation here is omitted.

The measurement results of these instruments are stored in the data logger, notified to the work manager PC via the communication unit of the control system 11 shown in FIG. The control system 11 allows optimization of the photosynthetic efficiency (production efficiency) of microalgae.

In addition, two valves 9a and 9b for stopping the flow path are arranged in the third pipe 9 before and after these instruments are arranged. The outlet of the circulation tank 3 is connected to the front of the liquid temperature gauge 71 at the tip of the valve 9 b , and the culture medium M from the gauges joins so as to return to the first pipe 7 .

This embodiment includes a control system (control panel) 11 that can perform various controls using the above-described equipment provided in the unit 1 to create an environment suitable for compact microalgae culture. . Specifically, it is a box-shaped box containing a computer and has a door on its surface. A control system (control panel) 11 is arranged on the left side of the second flat truck B in FIG. 1A and performs various control processes shown in FIG. Input information and output information (control signals) of the control system 11 correspond to each control program, as shown in FIG. Examples of control programs are as follows.

(1) Light amount determination control: Input from the light meter 50 enables control of an LED (panel) that irradiates the reactor 2 with light.
(2) Flow rate determination control: If the measurement results of the dissolved oxygen concentration meter 91, the pH meter 92, and the turbidity meter 93 are unfavorable values, the inverter control is enabled to increase the flow rate of the pump 4. In addition, inverter (INV) control is enabled in order to increase the flow rate of the pump 4 when the temperature is above a predetermined temperature by comparing the outside air temperature gauge 52 and the liquid temperature gauge 71 .
(3) _CO2 determination control: If the carbon dioxide required for photosynthesis is insufficient by the pH meter 92, the _CO2 control valve can be controlled to increase the flow rate.
(4) Air compression control: If the dissolved oxygen concentration meter 91 indicates that the air required for degassing is insufficient, the degassing valve can be controlled to increase the air flow rate.
(5) Chiller determination control: By comparing the outside air temperature gauge 52 and the liquid temperature gauge 71, the temperature of the heat exchanger 5 can be controlled if the temperature is not a predetermined temperature.
(6) Pig cleaning control: Turbidity meter 93 allows proximity sensor (not shown) for pig movement to control pig solenoid valve for pig operation during cleaning by pig 100 .
(7) It is possible to pneumatically control the automatic valve associated with the operation of the equipment provided in the unit according to the above control program.

As shown in FIG. 3, the control system 11 includes an input unit 11a, which is an input interface for the measurement results of the measuring instruments described above, and a storage unit for storing control programs and the like in addition to storing and converting them into a data logger. 11b, an output unit 11c for outputting a control command to each device for control based on the control program calculation result, a schedule management unit 11d for setting a timer for starting and ending the control program, and the input, output and control status of these A display unit 11e for displaying, an operation console 11f that can be directly operated by the work manager, a communication unit 11g for transmitting and receiving control signals to and from the work manager PC, and a power supply unit 11h for supplying power to these departments. The power supply unit 11h also has an emergency battery in addition to the external power supply.

Thus, the control system 11 is a computer having PWM output and wireless communication functions for outputting control signals to various devices for controlling the environment for culturing the culture solution M. FIG. A data logger is also connected to collect and store various measurement data related to the culture environment. In the control system 11, the work manager can use the software of the personal computer or mobile communication terminal to arbitrarily set the microalgae culture conditions and perform the culture process.

Furthermore, in addition to the software of the work manager's personal computer (PC) or mobile communication terminal, an artificial intelligence (AI) program enables selection of control using a control signal suitable for the control system. By using the input of various measurement data related to the culture environment and the control output thereof as a teacher signal, it is possible to increase the reliability by adapting to various different algae.

Further, the operator can directly control the control console 11f while checking the display section 11e of the control panel, instead of using a personal computer or a mobile communication terminal. For example, it is possible to check and set various parameters related to the culture conditions on the screen of the display unit 11e. can display graphs in time units.

Embodiments of the main control functions of the present invention will now be described in detail.
[Adjustment of LED light intensity by photometer]
FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a light irradiation device (hereinafter referred to as an LED light emitting device) 40 automatically controlled based on the light meters 50 and 51. A plurality of LEDs 41 irradiate the glass tube of the reactor 2 with light. You can see the situation (light arrow symbol). The LED light emitting device 40 is equipped with a plurality of LEDs 41 and can be operated in combination with sunlight.

The light meter 50 is arranged near the upper part of the reactor 2 , and the light meter 51 is arranged near the lower part of the reactor 2 . Either one of these photometers 50 and 51 may be used, but a plurality of photometers 50 and 51 are preferably provided from the reactor 2 and the LED panel 44 in order to obtain detailed data.

The LED light emitting device 40 has an LED panel 44 in which a plurality of LEDs 41 are arranged on a slider portion 45 that can slide back and forth facing the reactor 2 . That is, as shown in FIG. 4, this LED light-emitting device 40 is mounted on the first flat truck A together with the reactor 2. Assuming that the side of the reactor 2 that receives sunlight is the front side (the right side in the drawing), They are arranged facing the rear side (left side in the drawing). On the first flat carriage A, the reactor frame 22 of the reactor 2 and the LED panel 44 on which the LEDs 41 constituting the LED light emitting device 40 are arranged are slid forward and backward (marked arrows X1 and X2) within the movable range. A slider portion 45 is provided on the side of the ceiling portion 43 so as to be able to move.

The LED light emitting device 40 is interlocked with the photometers 50 and 51, and can adjust the LED light intensity for algae during cloudy weather and at night. Therefore, the LED panel 44 is moved back and forth along the slider portion 45 within a movable range so that the algae are irradiated with light of a wavelength capable of photosynthesis and the light can be supplied efficiently. motor (not shown). Further, the LED panel 44 is adapted to move forward and backward (arrow mark X) by transmitting the driving force from the motor through the transmission mechanism. Control of this motor is performed by signals from the control system 11 . In this embodiment, automatic control is performed by the control system 11, but the LED panel 44 may be moved back and forth manually using a manual switching device (not shown) or by remote control operation.

The LED panel 44 has a rectangular shape in which a plurality of LEDs 41 are arranged vertically and horizontally, and aluminum is used as a reflector on the mounting side of the LEDs 41 .
The LEDs 41 are white light diodes including wavelengths effective for photosynthesis, and as an example, have a photosynthetic photon flux density PPFD of 600 μmol/m 2 ·s and 22 W×28 LEDs. The dimming method is the PWM method.

As an example of LED control, for example, a number-priority mode of LEDs and a mode of irradiation distance are prepared. In FIG. 4, in the number-of-LEDs priority mode, when the amount of light is insufficient even when the number of LEDs is maximum, the LED panel 44 is automatically slid from X1 to X2 to bring the LEDs 41 closer to the reactor 2. to increase the amount of light impinging on the glass tube 21.
In order for the photosynthesis to be performed uniformly in the reactor 2, it is preferable that the LED 41 illuminates the entire surface.

In the irradiation distance priority mode, the slider portion 45 can be automatically slid between the positions indicated by X1 and X2 within the movable range to adjust the amount of light striking the glass tube 21 of the reactor 2 . Furthermore, the number of LEDs 41 can be increased when the amount of light is insufficient.

Also, as an example of different LED control, for example, the measurement data from the light meters 50 and 51 are divided into five levels from intensity to weakness, and the front and rear distances of the LED panel 44 adapted to the five levels of light intensity are similarly adjusted to five levels. set in stages. By sequentially updating the measurement data from the photometers 50 and 51 and inputting them to the control system 11, the output drives the motor forward or reverse to automatically move the LED panel 44 back and forth. ing.

As a result, the reactor 2 can obtain a uniform amount of light necessary for photosynthesis. Such LED control is programmed in the control system 11 .

As a result, in Patent Document 1, the fluorescent tube is fixed inside or outside the photobioreactor, so the degree of light provision cannot be adjusted and controlled. Control is possible.

In addition, although not shown in the figure, a plurality of cameras are arranged near the reactor 2, and the situation inside the glass tube 21 of the reactor 2, for example, the state of solidification of algae and the degree of contamination, can be monitored by the work manager. The image is magnified to a high magnification remotely on a PC so that it can be viewed as a microscopic image. Furthermore, captured images are stored and saved in a data logger.

[Control of circulation flow rate of culture solution]
In Unit 1, when culturing photosynthetic organisms such as microalgae, it is necessary to expose them to sunlight as much as possible in order to promote photosynthesis and grow and proliferate. However, on the other hand, the culture solution is also warmed, and in the summer, the outside temperature rises by about +10°C. Therefore, if the liquid temperature rises to the extent that the cultured organisms die in extreme heat, the culture and growth itself must be stopped, which poses a problem.

In particular, in the closed tubular photobioreactor, unlike the raceway, the dissolved carbonate ions do not escape as gas because they are not in contact with the outside air. difficult to place in For this reason, considering the sedimentation, buoyancy, and flocculation properties of the alga species to be cultured, the flow rate inside the glass tube 21 of the reactor 2 is the minimum flow rate that should be maintained in the glass tube 21 so that the microalgae do not settle or stay. It is required to ensure

That is, while microalgae of about several microns are washed away depending on the flow rate, large algae may solidify and settle if there is no flow rate, and if it is moving algae, it may move arbitrarily. In addition, when the amount of sunlight is low or when it is raining, photosynthesis is suppressed, so there is no need to increase the flow rate.

Therefore, it is necessary to maintain a minimum flow rate and circulate with a short residence time according to the weather and culture concentration so that the carbon dioxide consumed in photosynthesis will not run short. However, if the pump 4 always gives a high flow rate, it consumes power and also causes biological damage to the microalgae, so it is desirable to control the flow rate of the pump 4 as necessary.

Therefore, considering the residence time of the entire reactor 2 so that the shortage of carbon dioxide in the glass tube 21 of the reactor 2 does not occur locally while ensuring the minimum flow rate, the inverter (not shown) of the motor 4 By automatically varying the pump flow rate and performing feedback control to the inverter that controls the rotation of the pump 4, the circulation flow rate is automatically controlled to achieve a more accurate and appropriate flow rate. In the present embodiment, the minimum number of rotations of the inverter is set as the minimum flow rate of the circulating culture solution.

Next, among instruments for measuring environmental factors, control for varying the pump flow rate based on the input results of the dissolved oxygen concentration meter 91, the pH meter 92, and the photometers 50 and 51 will be described in FIG. Description will be made using the flow of b) and (c). This FIG. 5 (a) is pH, (b) is dissolved oxygen (DO), and (c) is light intensity (insolation). .

The main measurement items of these instruments are used for control either singly or in combination. Although not shown in the figure, it is set whether or not the main measurement items used for control are reflected in the pump 4 that automatically controls the circulation flow rate, and the order of priority when reflecting the main measurement items is set. For example, of the target pH in FIG. 5 (a) and the target dissolved oxygen (DO) in (b), the first place is the target dissolved oxygen (DO is within the range, and the second place is outside the target pH range. The target pH is preferentially controlled to be within the range.

First, in this embodiment, in FIG. 5(a), when the target pH value is below an arbitrary value and becomes insufficient, the flow rate is increased step by step, and conversely, the flow speed is returned step by step as the target pH value returns to an arbitrary value. is. The automatically controlled pump 4 is a positive-displacement pump that flows only a certain amount of a constant volume, with Xm ³ /h increasing the flow rate and Ym ³ /h decreasing the flow rate every predetermined unit of time. It should be noted that the flow rate increase of Xm ³ /h and the flow rate decrease of Ym3/h for each predetermined time unit differ depending on the algae to be grown.

In the flow chart, if the target pH value is less than or equal to an arbitrary value in step S1, the circulation flow rate is increased (Xm ³ /h) in step S2, and the inverter is operated in step S3 to reach an arbitrary value at a predetermined time according to the timer setting. The flow rate of the pump is controlled step by step, and the process returns to step 1 to make a decision again. On the other hand, in the flow chart, if the target pH value is equal to or greater than an arbitrary value in step S1, the circulation flow rate is decreased (Ym ³ /h) in step S4, and the value is returned to an arbitrary value at a predetermined time by timer setting in step S5. Then, the flow rate of the pump is controlled step by step by inverter control, and the process returns to step S1 to repeat the determination.

When the pH meter 92 detects that the pH value has risen above the target value, the control system 11 opens the opening/closing valve of the _CO2 control valve C3 to supply carbon dioxide gas to the culture solution (Fig. 1B). reference.).

Next, in FIG. 5(b), when the oxygen generation amount increases so that the dissolved oxygen (DO) does not exceed an arbitrary value, the flow rate is increased stepwise, and when the dissolved oxygen tends to decrease It returns the flow velocity step by step. The automatically controlled pump 4 is a positive displacement pump that flows only a certain amount in a constant volume, and the flow rate increase is indicated by Xm ³ /h and the flow rate decrease is indicated by Ym ³ /h for each predetermined time unit.

In the flow chart, if the target dissolved oxygen (DO) value (mg/l) is an arbitrary value or more in step S11, the circulating flow rate is increased (Xm ³ /h) in step S12, and a predetermined time is set by timer setting in step S13. The flow rate of the pump is operated step by step by inverter control so as to obtain an arbitrary numerical value, and the process returns to step S11 to make a determination again. On the other hand, in the flow chart, if the target dissolved oxygen (DO) value (mg/l) is less than an arbitrary value in step S11, the circulation flow rate is decreased (Ym ³ /h) in step S14, and the timer is set in step S15. The flow rate of the pump is operated stepwise by inverter control so as to return to an arbitrary value at a predetermined time, and the flow returns to step S11 to repeat the determination again.

When the dissolved oxygen concentration meter 91 detects that the dissolved oxygen concentration has risen above the target value, the opening/closing valve of the _CO2 control valve C3 is opened under the control of the control system 11 to supply carbon dioxide gas to the culture medium M ( See Figure 1B).

Next, in FIG. 5 (c), when the amount of solar radiation shows an increasing tendency in the morning, the flow velocity is increased in stages, and when it tends to decrease in the afternoon, the flow velocity is gradually returned, and the minimum flow rate is set at night. . The automatically controlled pump 4 is a positive displacement pump that flows only a certain amount in a constant volume, and the flow rate increase is indicated by Xm ³ /h and the flow rate decrease is indicated by Ym ³ /h for each predetermined time unit.

In the flow chart, if the target amount of light (photons) is equal to or greater than an arbitrary numerical value in step S21, the circulating flow rate is increased (Xm ³ /h) in step S22, and in step S23 an arbitrary numerical value is reached at a predetermined time by timer setting. Then, the flow rate of the pump is controlled step by step by inverter control, and the process returns to step 21 to make a decision again. On the other hand, in the flow chart, if the target light amount (photons) is less than an arbitrary numerical value in step S21, the circulation flow rate is reduced (Ym ³ /h) in step S24, and in step S25 an arbitrary numerical value is set at a predetermined time by timer setting. The flow rate of the pump is operated step by step by inverter control so as to return to , and the process of returning to step 1 and determining again is repeated.

As for these flow controls, the process of commanding and whether or not the situation was normal are fed back to the control system 11 each time and stored as a record in the storage device of the work manager's PC.

In this way, when culturing photosynthetic organisms such as microalgae, while preventing the carbon dioxide from disappearing while the culture solution M circulates in the glass tube 21 of the transparent reactor 2, the carbon dioxide supplied for the extrusion flow It is possible to control the flow rate of the pump 4 as necessary so that the culture medium M can be returned to the carbon dioxide supply port before the carbon is exhausted.

[Another embodiment of flow rate control]
Another embodiment of flow rate control in the unit 1 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 1A, the configuration of this embodiment includes a reactor 2 that grows algae-containing culture medium M by photosynthesis. If the difference between the liquid temperature of the liquid temperature gauge 71 of the culture medium M and the outside temperature of the outside temperature gauge 52 provided outside the reactor 2 is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, the inverter capable of controlling the flow rate is automatically and a control system 11 for increasing the pump flow rate.

For example, if the temperature of the culture fluid M exceeds an arbitrary temperature (for example, 35° C.) depending on the type of algae, and the temperature difference from the outside temperature is 5° C. or more, automatic control is performed by the control system 11 via the inverter of the pump 4. It is something to do.

Specifically, the work manager first sets a predetermined temperature equal to or higher than an arbitrary liquid temperature because it is necessary to suppress the difference between the liquid temperature and the outside air temperature. This is because when the reactor 2 receives solar radiation, the temperature of the glass tube 21 rises and the temperature of the culture solution M in the glass tube 21 also rises.

The control system 11 determines whether the difference between the liquid temperature and the outside air temperature (30° C.) is equal to or higher than a predetermined liquid temperature (eg, 25° C.), and if so, the inverter to increase the rotation speed of the pump 4 to increase the flow rate.

As for these controls, the background of the command and whether or not the situation was normal are fed back to the control system 11 each time and stored as a record in the storage device of the work manager's PC.

As a result, it is possible to control the flow rate by the pump 4 as necessary so as to prevent the liquid temperature of the culture medium M from becoming too high and inhibiting the cultivation and growth of photosynthetic organisms such as microalgae.

[Chiller control]
Temperature control of the heat exchanger 5 in the unit 1 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 1A, the configuration of this embodiment is such that a liquid temperature gauge 71 and a liquid temperature gauge 75 are arranged in front of and behind the heat exchanger 5, and if the difference in liquid temperature according to the measurement result is equal to or greater than a predetermined temperature, and a control system 11 that automatically controls the heating and cooling of the heat exchanger 5 .

For example, when the liquid temperature of the liquid thermometer 71 (for example, 30° C.) or higher and the difference between the liquid temperature of the liquid thermometer 72 and the liquid temperature of the liquid thermometer 72 is 5° C. or higher as a predetermined temperature, the control system 11 automatically control.

Specifically, the operation manager first sets an arbitrary predetermined temperature, for example, 23° C., which is preferable for algae culture. When the reactor 2 receives solar radiation, the temperature of the glass tube 21 rises, especially in extreme heat, and the liquid temperature of the culture solution M in the glass tube 21 also rises.

The control system 11 determines whether or not the difference between the liquid temperature of the culture solution M and the outside temperature (30° C.) is an arbitrary temperature (eg, 5° C.) or higher at a predetermined liquid temperature (eg, 23° C.) or higher. , if so, a command is sent to the heat exchanger 5 to cool it.

As for these controls, the background of the command and whether or not the situation was normal are fed back to the control system 11 each time and stored as a record in the storage device of the work manager's PC.

As a result, it is possible to perform temperature and cooling control by the heat exchanger 5 as necessary so as to avoid the liquid temperature of the culture solution M becoming too high and inhibiting the cultivation and growth of photosynthetic organisms such as microalgae. Become.

The temperature difference control of the culture medium M based on the measurement of such a temperature difference can be performed in combination with the flow rate control of the pump 4 described above, thereby reducing the load on the heat exchanger 5 and obtaining preferable control. .

[Automatic control of carbon dioxide supply]
An embodiment of automatic control of _CO2 supply in unit 1 is illustrated in FIG. 1A. The configuration of the present embodiment supplies carbon dioxide gas to the culture medium M based on the output results of the dissolved oxygen concentration meter 91 and the pH meter 92 at the outlet of the glass tube 21 of the reactor 2 to dissolve the carbon dioxide gas in the liquid. The amount of carbon dioxide gas supplied from the carbon supply unit 35 is controlled, and furthermore, based on the output result of the pressure gauge 72 that measures the flow rate of the culture solution M pumped from the pump 4 from the pressure, the output result is fed back to the control system 11 and the pump 4 flow rate control is possible.

A carbon dioxide supply unit 35 of the circulation tank 3, which is a carbon dioxide gas supply unit, is provided for supplying carbon dioxide to the culture solution M and dissolving it in the solution. Then, the culture solution M in which the carbon dioxide concentration is increased by dissolving carbon dioxide in the culture solution is pumped into the culture solution in the reactor 2 in which the dissolved oxygen is high and the carbon dioxide is low. However, depending on the type of fine algae, rapid feeding of the culture solution M into the reactor 2 may have the opposite effect on the culture and growth of the algae. Therefore, it is desirable to adjust the flow rate according to the type of algae. Therefore, in this embodiment, a pressure gauge 72 is provided to measure the flow rate from the pressure at which the culture medium M is pumped from the pump 4, and the output result of the pressure gauge 72 is fed back to the control system 11 to control the flow rate of the pump 4. It is possible.

As for these controls, the background of the command and whether or not the situation was normal are fed back to the control system 11 each time and stored as a record in the storage device of the work manager's PC.

As a result, if the control system 11 determines that the culture solution M has less carbon dioxide and more dissolved oxygen, carbon dioxide is supplied from the control system 11 to the carbon dioxide gas supply unit 35 and dissolved in the culture solution. , it is possible to control the flow rate of algae culture and growth.

[Pig cleaning control]
Cleaning with a pig is performed to remove dirt from the inner surface of the glass tube 21 of the reactor 2 of the unit 1 . In the conventional cleaning method using a pig, the piping is removed during pig cleaning, and the device is not used, and the pig cleaning is not considering the closed system photobioreactor (PBR) of the culture device. . That is, it is preferable to have a structure in which the pig can be introduced and recovered while maintaining the culture solution so that the pig can be washed while the culture is being performed.

Therefore, the pig cleaning of the present invention removes dirt from the reactor, cleans and maintains it easily so that light can always pass through the inside of the transparent tube, and enables culture.

The pig passage of the fourth pipe 10 is equipped with a pig infeed and withdrawal section not shown in FIG. 1A. This pig feeding/recovering section has two valves 103a and 103b capable of stopping water in the flow path on both end sides of an attachment (also referred to as an attached member, hereinafter the same) 103c into which the pig 100 is inserted. Also, the pig 100 is divided into two types: a cannonball-shaped pig 101 for scraping off algae and a cylindrical pig 102 for chemical cleaning.

The pig 100 in this embodiment is a shell-shaped or cylindrical carrier that passes through the inside of the glass tube 21 of the reactor 2, and is also called a pig ball. The cannonball-shaped pig 101 is used for scraping microalgae cultured by photosynthesis, and the cylinder-shaped pig 102 is used for chemical cleaning.

The material of the pig 100 is sponge-like, and the material is, for example, a resin foam or molded body such as polyethylene, polyurethane, melanin, or rubber. The size of the pig 100 is about 1.1 to 1.5 times the inner diameters of the first connecting pipe 7 and the second connecting pipe 8 when the cylindrical diameter (d) of the glass tube 21 of the reactor 3 is about 1.1 to 1.5 times. The length (L) of 100 is approximately 1.5 to 3 times the cylinder diameter (D).
By making the cylinder diameter larger than the inner diameters of the glass tube 21 of the reactor 3, the first pipe 6 and the second pipe 87, the contact with the inner peripheral surface inside the pipe increases appropriately, and the microalgae are scraped off. and cleaning to ensure that there are no leaks.

Among the pigs 100, the pig 101 for scraping off algae has a round curved surface shape on the front end side and a bullet-shaped slant line with a rotary cut groove 101b on the rear end side, as shown in FIG. 6(a). is. In this way, the U-shaped portion of the reactor 2 becomes easy to bend by making the tip end side round. Furthermore, since the oblique rotary notch groove 101b is provided on the rear end side, the mechanism increases the effect of scraping off by the rotation of the pig 101.例文帳に追加

In addition, since the rear end of the pig 101 is provided with a water stop member 101c having a predetermined water stop (liquid stop) processing, the pig 101 moves inside the tube of the reactor 2 and is inside the sponge. to prevent liquid from leaking to the rear. For this waterproofing process, it is preferable to use a material that is resistant to pulling and tearing. As a result, water pressure is applied from the rear of the pig 101 to push out and move the pig 101 inside the tube of the reactor 2 , and this water stop processing is also effective.

As shown in FIG. 7(a), the cleaning pig 102 is cylindrical and has water-stopping (liquid-stopping) processed water-stopping members 102b having a predetermined thickness at both ends. In particular, unlike the pig 101, the tip end side is not rounded, and the inner peripheral surface of the pipe can be cleaned by peeling off the solid matter.

As shown in FIGS. 6(a)(b) and 7(a)(b), magnets 101a and 102b are arranged on the inner circumference of the circumference of the pigs 101 and 102 on the distal end side of the middle portion of the pigs 101 and 102. are embedded at equal intervals. Note that the number of magnets is not limited to 12, and the number may be changed according to the size of the pigs 101 and 102 and the strength of the magnetic force. The magnet material is a samarium-cobalt magnet with excellent corrosion and heat resistance.

By embedding such magnets 101a and 102a in the pigs 100 (101 and 102), a switch operation can be performed using the magnetic force of the magnetic sensor 104e outside the piping of the reactor 2 without contacting the object to be detected. According to this mechanism, the moving speed of the pig 100 (101, 102) in the pipe of the reactor 2 can be arbitrarily controlled. For example, if there is a heavily soiled bend, a control signal is sent to the pump 4 so as to reduce the speed before the position where the pig 100 (101, 102) is collected, and water pressure is applied from the rear of the pig 100 to move the inside of the pipe. A control signal can be sent to the pump 4 to reduce the pumping so as to reduce the speed of pushing and movement to allow thorough cleaning.
The magnetic sensor can be of any type using a reed switch, a Hall element, or a magnetoresistive element.

Next, the pig feeding part and the collecting part are installed on the fourth pipe 10, and valves 103a and 103b are installed so that the water can be stopped on the left and right sides of the pipe (or attachment) having a length into which the pig 100 is inserted. It is The pig feeding part is a mechanism that allows the piping between valves to be easily removed with a ferrule connection or union nut joint. A ferrule is one of the connection methods for connecting pipes or pipes and valves, and it is said that the connection is simple by clamping the connecting parts with a clamp metal ring. The union nut joint is a split type, and it is said that maintenance work for piping with built-in packing is easy.
The pig feeding unit and the collecting unit may be installed on the fourth pipe 10, and the pig feeding unit may be installed on the first pipe 7, and the collecting unit may be installed on the second pipe 8. .

Next, the outline of the pig feeding section will be described with reference to FIG. 8A.
As shown in FIG. 8A, the pig feeding section is a detachable attachment that is provided between the reactor 3 and the water supply section 13 or pump 4 that applies water pressure from the rear of the pig to move the pig 100. Valves 103a and 103b capable of stopping water are provided in flow paths on both end sides of 103c.
Then, when the pig 100 is installed, the pig feeding part is connected to the water supply part 13 or the fourth pipe or the first connecting pipe 6 between the reactor 3 and the water supply part 13 that applies water pressure from the rear of the pig to move the pig. An attachment (103c) into which the pig 100 is inserted is equipped with two valves 103a and 103b capable of stopping water in the flow path on both end sides.

Next, the outline of the pig collection section will be described with reference to FIG. 9A.
As shown in FIG. 9A, the pig collection part is provided in the first connecting pipe 7 on the side of the channel outlet 3b of the reactor 3, and the detachable attachment 103c into which the pig 100 is inserted can be stopped at both ends of the channel. It has valves 103a and 103b.

[Pig delivery and collection procedures]
First, referring to FIG. 8, the procedure from feeding the pig to starting cleaning will be described. FIG. 8B(a) shows the state of the pig feeding section in which pig feeding is not performed (here, referred to as normal time), and FIG. 8B(b) shows the state of pig feeding in the pig feeding section. 8B(c) shows the start of cleaning by pig feeding of the pig feeding section. The valve 103a is provided on the water supply unit 13 or the pump 4 side, and the valve 103b is provided on the reactor 2 side. An attachment 103c is attached between the valve 103a and the valve 103b. The pig 100 shown here is a columnar pig 102 for chemical cleaning, but a cannonball-shaped pig 101 is also within the scope of this embodiment.

First, in FIG. 8B(a), when the pig 100 is not delivered normally, a hollow attachment 103c is attached between the valve 103a and the valve 103b of the pig delivery section, and the valve 103a and the valve 103b The culture solution is pressure-fed from the pump 4 after the cap is opened.

Next, in FIG. 8B(b), before feeding the pig 100 from the pig feeding section, the water supply section 13 or the pump 4 is stopped to stop all circulation of the culture solution. Next, the valves 103a and 103b are closed to prevent leakage of the culture solution, and then the pig 100 is inserted into the cavity of the attachment 103c. When inserting the shell-shaped pig 101 into the attachment 103c, the tip side is attached toward the reactor 2 side. It can be installed facing two sides.

After that, in FIG. 8B(c), the pump 4 is operated with the valves 103a and 103b opened, and the pig 100 passes through the valve 103b from the attachment 103c by pumping the water supply unit 13 or the pump 4, and the reactor 2 sequentially move to As the pig 100 moves in the reactor 2 , it slides on the inner wall of the glass tube 21 of the reactor 2 , and the peeled solids of microalgae attached to the inner wall of the glass tube 21 and foreign matter are removed.

FIG. 9B(a) shows the state in which pig collection is not performed (here, normal time), FIG. 9B(b) shows the state of pig collection, and FIG. 9B(c) shows the state of completion of cleaning by pig collection. , respectively. The valve 103a is a gate valve (gate valve) that simply opens and closes the flow path to control the flow of the culture fluid, like the valve 103a in FIG.

In FIG. 9B(b), the valve 103a remains open, and when the pig 100 approaches the valve, the magnetic sensor 104e senses the magnet 101a (102a) of the pig 100 and the flow to the circulation tank 3 of the valve 103b is detected. commanded and controlled to block the passage

Then, in FIG. 9B(c), when the pig 100 stops in the hollow attachment 103c between the valves 103a and 103b, the pump 4 is stopped to stop the circulation of the culture solution. Next, after the valve 103b is also closed to prevent leakage of the culture solution, the attachment 103c is removed and the pig 100 is collected.

After collecting the pig 100, the hollow attachment 103c is mounted between the valves 103a and 103b, the valves 103a and 103b are opened again, and the pump 4 is operated to supply the culture solution to the reactor 2. to fill. By circulating the pig 100 inside the glass tube 21 of the reactor 2 in this manner, the inside of the reactor 2 can be easily cleaned without disassembling the reactor 2 .

[Another embodiment 1 of washing a plurality of pigs]
One pig 100 is inserted into the attachment 103c for pig cleaning. Here, an embodiment of pig cleaning 1 using a plurality of pigs in which a plurality of pigs 100 are inserted into one attachment 104 is shown. 10 and FIG. 11. FIG. As a result, scraping and cleaning can be performed at once, and even in a single cleaning, pre-cleaning to finish cleaning can be easily performed by a plurality of pig rows, which is rational.
10, the fourth pipe 10 is provided with a three-way valve 104a. One of the three-way valves is connected to the input flow of the culture solution (arrow symbol 104a1), which is the main line, and the other one of the three-way valves is connected to a plurality of valves. The input flow (arrow 104a2) of the pig 100 and the output flow (arrow 104a3) in which these flows join.

As shown in FIG. 10, five pigs are continuously inserted into the attachment body 104b of one attachment 104 for another input flow (arrow symbol 104a2) of the three-way valve. The first is a cannonball-shaped pig 101 for chipping, and the second to fifth are cylindrical pigs 102 for chemical cleaning. The first reason why the pig 101 is in the shape of a cannonball is that the pig 101 has a streamlined shape with less pressure from the traveling direction, and the glass tube 21 flows more smoothly than in a cylindrical shape at a 90-degree bend.

In addition, a gate valve is provided in the three-way valve direction of the attachment body 104b of the attachment 104, and the pig 100 is pushed out sequentially by pump pressure feeding or tap water pressure feeding in the direction opposite to the three-way valve direction of the attachment body 104b.

A chemical solution for cleaning is introduced between these pigs 100, so the method will be described. In the case of cleaning, liquids in which hypochlorite, alkali, detergents, etc. are dissolved are used as the chemical solution because the deposits are of biological origin.
As shown in FIG. 10, in order to put the pre-cleaning liquid between the bullet-shaped pig 111 and the column-shaped pig 121 in the attachment body 104b, when the pig 111 approaches the proximity sensor 104e, it responds to the proximity sensor 104e. 104c is opened to remove air from the attachment main body 104b. When the air bleeding is completed, the gate solenoid valve 104c is closed, and then the gate solenoid valve 104d is opened to sequentially introduce a predetermined amount of cleaning liquid. After the washing liquid has been added, the gate solenoid valve 104d is closed.
In a similar manner, when all the cleaning liquids have been injected between the pigs 121 and 122, between the pigs 122 and 123, and between the pigs 123 and 124, the gate valves 106 are opened and the attachment body 104b is opened. The three-way valve is pushed out sequentially by pumping or tap water pumping in the opposite direction. Then, it passes through the three-way valve 104 a and the flow 104 a 2 and the first pipe 7 and is led to the glass tube 21 of the reactor 2 .

When all of the pigs 111 to 124 have moved to the first pipe 7, the gate valve 106 is closed so that the culture medium from the main line does not flow into the attachment body 104b, and the partition is closed to remove the drain in the attachment body 104b. Solenoid valve 104d is opened and closed when finished.

[Another embodiment 2 of washing a plurality of pigs]
Another embodiment will be described below. As shown in FIG. 11, the fourth pipe 10 is provided with two three-way valves 104a and 104f. First, one of the three-way valves 104f is the main line of the input flow of the culture solution (arrow 104f2). The input flow of the culture solution (arrow 104f2) becomes the main line flow (arrow 104f1). In addition, a three-way valve 104a is provided in the fourth pipe 10, one of the three-way valves is connected to the main input flow of the culture solution (arrow symbol 104a1), and the other one of the three-way valves is connected to the plurality of pigs 111 and 121. 124 input flow (arrow 104a2) joins these flows to form an output flow (arrow 104a3).

In order to put the pre-cleaning liquid between the bullet-shaped pig 111 and the cylindrical pig 121 in the attachment body 104b, when the pig 111 approaches the proximity sensor 104e, it responds to this by opening the partition solenoid valve 104c, Air is removed from inside 104b. When the air bleeding is completed, the gate solenoid valve 104c is closed, and then the gate solenoid valve 104d is opened to sequentially introduce a predetermined amount of cleaning liquid. After the washing liquid has been added, the gate solenoid valve 104d is closed. In a similar manner, between the pigs 121 and 122, between the pigs 122 and 123, and between the pigs 123 and 124, the gate valves 105 and 106 are opened after the injection of all the cleaning liquid is completed. , flow 104f3 of the three-way valve 104f of the attachment main body 104b, and are pushed out sequentially by the water pressure. Then, it passes through the three-way valve 104 a and the flow 104 a 2 and the fourth pipe 10 and is led to the glass tube 21 of the reactor 2 .

When all of the pigs 111 to 124 have moved to the first pipe 7, the gate valves 105 and 106 are closed so that the culture medium from the main line does not flow into the attachment body 104b, and the drain in the attachment body 104b is drained. Gate solenoid valve 104d is opened for venting and closed when finished.

FIG. 12 illustrates a state in which the reactor 2 contains the pigs 101 and 102 and the chemical solution. As shown in FIG. 12, between the first pig 111 and the second pig 121 for scraping is pre-wash water, and between the second pig 121 and the third pig 122 is a washing liquid.・Cleaning agent, etc., between the third pig 122 and the fourth pig 123, cleaning liquid, hypochlorous acid, etc., between the fourth pig 123 and the fifth pig 124, water, etc. A rinse has been added. As a result, scraping and cleaning can be performed at once, and even in a single cleaning, pre-cleaning to finish cleaning can be easily performed by a plurality of pig rows, which is rational.

[Another embodiment of pig cleaning]
In the present embodiment, an embodiment will be described in which the pig 100 is looped including the inside of the pipe of the reactor 2 and pig cleaning is performed by connecting the pig feeding section 81 to the pig collecting section 82 .
The valve 103a of the pig feeding section 81 is replaced with a three-way valve instead of a gate valve, and a pipe is provided to connect one of the three-way valves of the valve 103a with one of the three-way valves of the pig collecting section. This allows the pig 100 from the pig recovery station to travel down the line and return to the attachment 103c of the pig delivery station.

If it is determined that further cleaning is necessary while observing the scale removal status inside the tube of the reactor 2, the pig 100 can continuously move in such a circular path. By moving inside the reactor 2 a plurality of times in this way, the scales and solid matter firmly adhering to the inner wall of the glass tube 21 of the reactor 2 can be further collected.

1 Photobioreactor (unit)
2 Reactor 2a Channel inlet 2b Channel outlet 3 Circulation tank 21 Glass tube 22 Reactor frame 31 Circulation tank body 32 Circulation tank lid 33 Exhaust pipe 34 Supply pipe 36 Circulation tank frame 37 Gate valve 4 Pump 5 Heat exchanger 6 Degassing tank 61 Degassing tank body 62 Degassing tank lid 63 Inflow pipe 64 Aeration 65 Drain 66 Degassing tank frame 67 Communication passage 7 First pipe 8 Second pipe 9 Third pipe 10 Fourth pipe 11 Control system (control panel)
12 air compressor 13 water supply unit 35 carbon dioxide supply unit 38 CO2 total 40 LED light emitting device 41 LED
43 ceiling part 44 LED panel 45 slider part 50, 51 light meter 52 outside air temperature gauge 91 dissolved oxygen concentration meter 92 pH meter 93 turbidity meter 100 pig (pig ball)
101 Bullet-shaped pig 101a Magnet 101b Rotating cut groove 101c Water stop member 102 Cylindrical pig 102a Magnet 102b Water stop members 103a, 103b Valve 103c Attachment (pig unit)
104 attachments (plural pugs)
104e Magnetic sensors 121, 122, 123, 124 Pig A First flat truck B Second flat truck

Claims (4)

A photobioreactor unit according to a tubular closed system photobioreactor that is movable mounted on two flatcarts, comprising:
On one side of the flat carriage,
a reactor consisting of a glass tube that grows algae in the culture medium by photosynthesis ;
a light emitting device that faces the reactor and irradiates light;
is equipped with
On the other side of the flat truck,
A circulation tank that stores a culture solution containing algae and circulates it through the reactor ;
a pump for pressure-feeding the culture solution in the circulation tank to the reactor;
a heat exchanger that adjusts the temperature of the culture solution from the pump to a solution temperature suitable for photosynthesis;
a degassing tank for degassing supersaturated oxygen contained in the culture solution discharged from the reactor and returning the degassed culture solution to the circulation tank;
is equipped with
The circulation tank is supplied with carbon dioxide necessary for algae culture from a carbon dioxide cylinder via a carbon dioxide flow meter,
The degassing tank is provided adjacent to the circulation tank, and has an aeration for agitating the culture solution in the tank with air for degassing. A communication path is formed to return to the circulation tank,
The upper side of the communication path is provided with a escape passage for exhaust gas such as unnecessary oxygen, and the lower side of the communication path is provided with an inflow passage for the culture solution stirred and degassed by injecting air,
The reactor is formed by connecting a plurality of transparent glass tubes having a plurality of cylindrical culture light-receiving surfaces in a multistage manner ,
The light emitting device is an LED panel in which a plurality of LEDs are arranged in a rectangular shape facing the size of the reactor,
A photobioreactor unit , wherein the LED panel is provided on a slider part that can slide back and forth facing the reactor . 2. The photobioreactor unit according to claim 1, wherein the slider portion comprises a motor for moving the LED panel back and forth within a predetermined movable range . a first pipe that is a pipe from the pump to a channel inlet of the reactor;
a second pipe that is a pipe from the flow channel outlet of the reactor to the inflow pipe of the degassing tank;
providing a fourth pipe connected between the first pipe and a three-way valve arranged in the second pipe;
The fourth pipe is a pig movement passage for cleaning the inside of the glass tube of the reactor,
The pig is
It has an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the glass tube of the reactor, has a rounded curved surface shape on the front end side, and has a predetermined thickness on the rear end side to prevent liquid from leaking downstream of the pig. It has a water stop member, and a plurality of rotary cut grooves are formed at an angle on the outer peripheral surface near the water stop member, and a plurality of magnets are embedded in the circumferential direction at equal intervals. a bullet-shaped pig,
A cylindrical pig having an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the glass tube of the reactor, having water stop members having a predetermined thickness on both end sides, and having a plurality of magnets embedded in the circumferential direction at equal intervals. and
3. The photobioreactor unit according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein a magnetic sensor for detecting the magnetic force of the magnet provided on the pig is provided outside the piping of the reactor. The magnetic sensor senses the magnetic force of the magnet when one or both of the cannonball-shaped pig and the cylindrical pig approaches, and controls the movement speed of each pig in the reactor tube. 4. The photobioreactor unit of claim 3, characterized by:

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