TWI487787B - Light-guiding photobioreactor - Google Patents

Description

Photobioreactor with light guiding function

The invention relates to a photobioreactor with a light guiding function, in particular to a photobioreactor with a light guiding function for immersing in a water body for cultivating microalgae.

Biomass energy is used to synthesize carbon dioxide in the air and certain elements in the soil through the photosynthesis of plants. For example, oil-producing microalgae cells can be used to fix carbon dioxide in the air to synthesize oil (triglyceride) and store it in In the oil-producing microalgae cells, oil droplets are formed, and as long as the oil droplets are extracted from the oil-producing microalgae cells and transesterified, fatty acid methyl ester, that is, biodiesel, can be obtained.

Since the growth rate of microalgae cells is faster than that of ordinary plants, and the oil content of the oil-producing microalgae cells can reach 20-50%, or even 80%, of the weight of the microalgae cells, the biomass is produced by the oil-producing microalgae cells. The production efficiency of diesel can reach more than 100 times that of soybean.

The artificial culture system of the microalgae can be divided into a conventional open cell culture or a conventional closed reactor; wherein, when cultured in a conventional open cell, although the culture cost is low, the culture environment is It is susceptible to changes in temperature, weather, light intensity and photoperiod of the external environment, and is more susceptible to contamination by other algae, bacteria and protozoa, which is difficult to cultivate. Conversely, when cultured in a conventional closed reactor Although the culture environment is relatively stable, in order to improve the culture efficiency and oil production efficiency of the microalgae, it is necessary to mechanically push the water to flow and stir the microalgae culture liquid to maintain the stability of the culture environment, so that it is required to be higher. Operating costs.

Accordingly, it is indeed necessary to provide a photobioreactor with a light guiding function to Improve the above problems.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a photobioreactor with a light guiding function, which is submerged in a water body, and can utilize the energy generated by the vibration of the water body to reduce the operating cost of the photobioreactor with the light guiding function.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a photobioreactor having a light guiding function, which can provide light in a microalgae culture solution, thereby preventing excessive aggregation of microalgae and causing uneven light.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a photobioreactor with a light guiding function, which utilizes a water body to provide a stable temperature environment, thereby improving the efficiency of microalgae carbon fixation to form grease.

In order to achieve the foregoing object, the technical means and the achievable effects of the present invention include: a photobioreactor having a light guiding function, comprising: an incubator having a culture space; The illuminating component comprises a control component, a light source and a plurality of light guiding units, wherein the control component is electrically connected to the at least one light source, wherein the at least one light source is disposed on a circumferential surface of the incubator, and the plurality of light guiding units respectively Having a first end and a second end, the first end of the plurality of light guiding units is adjacent to the light source, and the plurality of light guiding units are respectively bent and extended into the culture space by the second end, and the plurality of light guiding units The depth of the second end of the light guiding unit extending into the culture space is different; and a fixing member is coupled to the incubator, the fixing member has at least one first connecting portion to connect a floating unit; wherein the number Each of the light guiding units is a side optical fiber, and the plurality of light guiding units respectively have a cladding layer and a core layer, and the cladding layer has a refractive index greater than a refractive index of the core layer.

The light bioreactor having the light guiding function of the present invention, wherein the incubator comprises a culture tank and a closing member, the culture tank is provided with an opening for connecting the outside and the culture space, and the sealing member is coupled to the culture tank To close the opening.

The light bioreactor of the present invention, wherein the closure member has a first surface and a second surface, the closure member is provided with at least one first perforation extending through the first surface and the The second surface.

The photobioreactor of the present invention has a light guiding function, wherein the closure member is provided with at least one valve body, the valve system is connected to the first perforation, and the valve system is located on the first surface of the sealing surface.

The light bioreactor of the present invention, wherein the closure member is provided with at least one second perforation extending through the first surface and the second surface of the closure member, and the light guiding unit is via the first Two perforations extend into the culture space.

The light bioreactor of the present invention has a light guiding function, wherein the fixing member has at least one second joint to connect a positioning unit.

The photobioreactor with light guiding function of the invention is submerged in the water body, and uses the shock generated by the water body as the energy source for stirring the microalgae culture liquid, and does not need to be stirred by the mechanical device, thereby achieving the effect of reducing the operation cost. .

The photobioreactor with light guiding function of the invention has at least one light guiding unit extending into the culture space to provide uniform light distribution, avoiding excessive aggregation of microalgae and causing uneven light, thereby improving the growth efficiency of the microalgae. efficacy.

The photobioreactor with light guiding function of the invention is submerged in the water body, and the water body is not easy to rise and cool, so that the enzyme in the microalgae can have better activity, thereby improving the efficiency of transforming the microalgae oil. .

〔this invention〕

1‧‧‧ incubator

11‧‧‧ culture tank

111‧‧‧Cultivation space

112‧‧‧ openings

12‧‧‧Closed

12a‧‧‧ first surface

12b‧‧‧ second surface

121‧‧‧First perforation

122‧‧‧ valve body

123‧‧‧ air duct

124‧‧‧Second perforation

2‧‧‧Lighting components

21‧‧‧Control elements

22‧‧‧Light source

23‧‧‧Light guide unit

23a‧‧‧ first end

23b‧‧‧second end

3‧‧‧Fixed parts

31‧‧‧First connection

32‧‧‧Floating unit

33‧‧‧Second connection

34‧‧‧ Positioning unit

M‧‧‧Microalgae culture

S‧‧‧Locking components

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of a photobioreactor having a light guiding function in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a diagram showing the incubator of a photobioreactor having a light guiding function according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Body decomposition diagram.

Fig. 3 is a schematic view showing the state of use of a photobioreactor having a light guiding function according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a second schematic view showing the state of use of a photobioreactor having a light guiding function according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more <RTIgt; It refers to all kinds of water accumulation. It can be natural water bodies such as rivers and lakes, ponds and streams, and artificial water bodies such as reservoirs and harbors.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the photobioreactor having the light guiding function of the present invention comprises an incubator 1, a light-emitting assembly 2 and a fixing member 3.

Preferably, in the photobioreactor with light guiding function of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the incubator 1 can be selected from glass, acrylic (polymethyl methacrylate), polycarbonate, polyethylene, poly. Made of propylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate and transparent polyurethane. These materials are highly transparent, non-toxic, durable, weather resistant and antimicrobial. The advantage of chemical and metabolites is that the incubator 1 made of these materials can have better light transmission and can be placed in seawater with higher salinity.

Referring to FIG. 2, an exploded perspective view of the incubator 1 includes a culture tank 11 and a closure member 12. The culture tank 11 has a culture space 111 and an opening 112. The opening 112 is communicated with the outside, and the culture space 111 can accommodate the microalgae culture liquid M (as shown in Figures 3 and 4) for culturing the microalgae.

The closure member 12 has a first surface 12a and a second surface 12b opposite to each other. When the closure member 12 closes the opening 112 of the culture tank 11, the second surface 12b faces the culture space 111 of the culture tank 11. Referring to Figure 2, the closure 12 can be made up of several locks. The solid element S is combined with the culture tank 11, which is understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains, and will not be further described herein.

The closure member 12 is provided with at least one first through hole 121 extending through the first surface 12a and the second surface 12b of the closure member 12 so that the closure member 12 is closed when the opening 112 of the culture tank 11 is closed. The microalgae in the culture space 111, the gas generated during the growth (for example, the oxygen generated by the microalgae for photosynthesis, and the carbon dioxide generated by the respiration) may flow from the first perforation 121 to the outside, and the external gas may also The first perforation 121 flows into the culture space 111, so that the gas inside the culture space 111 can maintain a good content (for example, the oxygen content inside the culture space 111 can be reduced to increase the growth efficiency of the microalgae); The sealing member 12 is further provided with at least one valve body 122. The valve body 122 is connected to the first through hole 121 to open or close the first through hole 121. Preferably, the valve body 122 is exposed to the closed portion. The first surface 12a of the member 12 allows the user to adjust the opening or closing of the valve body 122 when the closure member 12 closes the opening 112 of the culture tank 11.

In addition, the valve body 122 may be further connected with an air guiding tube 123 for introducing or guiding the gas into the culture space 111 of the culture tank 11; for example, the carbon dioxide discharged from the heavy industry factory, the livestock farm, the landfill, the incinerator, and the like may be introduced. The culture space 111 is used to mitigate the greenhouse effect problem caused by large carbon dioxide emissions.

The closure member 12 is further provided with at least one second perforation 124. The second perforation 124 also extends through the first surface 12a and the second surface 12b of the closure member 12 to communicate the culture space 111 and the outside.

The light-emitting component 2 includes a control component 21, at least one light source 22, and at least one light-guiding unit 23. The control component 21 is electrically connected to the light source 22 to turn the light source 21 on or off, or adjust the light source according to user requirements. The strength of 21 is understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains, and is not described herein. The light guiding unit 23 has a first end 23a and a second end 23b. The light source 22 is adjacent to the first end 23a of the light guiding unit 23, and the light source 22 The second end 23b of the light guiding unit 23 extends into the culture space 111 of the incubator 1 , preferably through the second through hole 124 of the closing member 12 , so that the light emitted by the light source 22 can be transmitted through the light guiding unit 23 . In the cultivating space 111, the light guiding unit 23 is selected to be several, and the depth of the second end 23b of the plurality of light guiding units 23 extending into the cultivating space 111 is different. The cultivation space 111 forms a plurality of light spots located at different positions, which can improve the problem of uneven light distribution and greatly improve the growth efficiency of the microalgae.

Preferably, the light source 22 can be selected as a light-emitting diode, which has many advantages such as high photoelectric conversion efficiency, fixed wavelength, and low heat generation; and the light guiding unit 23 can be selected as a side optical fiber, and has a coating. a layer and a core layer (not shown), and the refractive index of the cladding layer is greater than the refractive index of the core layer, so that the light incident from the light source 22 can be conducted by using the total reflection mode; in addition, the side optical fiber is also not easy It has the advantages of thermal effect, non-conductivity, good plasticity, high flexibility, small radius of curvature and low loss rate.

In the preferred embodiment, the light guiding unit 23 selects a side optical fiber whose cladding layer is Teflon (refractive index is 1.33) and whose core layer is a methacryl resin material (refractive index of 1.47). The angle of the light source 22 is a light-emitting diode having a narrow angle of illumination of 60°; however, those skilled in the art should understand that the light-emitting angle of the light source 22 must be smaller than the critical angle of the light-guiding unit 22. Therefore, the light source 22 having different illumination angles can be selected by those skilled in the art according to the light guiding unit 23, and is not limited herein.

Continuing to refer to FIG. 1 , the fixing member 3 can be a frame as shown in the figure, and is coupled to the outer circumferential surface of the incubator 1 , which has the advantage that the fixing member 3 can be prevented from shielding external light from entering the incubator 1; The fixing member 3 has at least one first connecting portion 31, and the first connecting portion 31 can be connected to a floating unit 32 (as shown in FIG. 4), so that the fixing member 3 can be submerged in a body of water; The unit 32 may be a floating ball as shown in the figure, or may be a ship floating on the surface of the water body, but is not limited thereto.

Preferably, the fixing member 3 further has at least one second connecting portion 33, the second connecting The connecting portion 33 can be combined with a positioning unit 34 (as shown in FIG. 4), so that when the fixing member 3 is submerged in the water body, the water flow is not violently oscillated, resulting in arbitrary drifting, and the positioning unit 34 can be any weight. Alternatively, the positioning unit 34 may also refer to a bottom surface of the water body (such as the sea floor), and is not limited herein.

Referring to FIG. 4, in the actual use of the photobioreactor having the light guiding function of the preferred embodiment, the user can place the microalgae culture liquid M containing the microalgae into the culture tank 11 through the opening 112. The cultivating space 111 is such that the light guiding unit 23 extends into the cultivating space 111 with the second end 23b, and the opening 112 is closed by the closing member 12. Preferably, the closing member 12 and the cultivating groove are fixed by the locking member S. 11 is combined; then, the fixing member 3 is combined with the incubator 1, and the photobioreactor with the light guiding function is submerged in the water body by the floating unit 32 and the positioning unit 34, and the opening of the light source 22 is adjusted by the control element 21. And the strength, that is, the assembly and setting of the photobioreactor with the light guiding function of the preferred embodiment can be completed.

The photobioreactor having the light guiding function of the preferred embodiment can be preferably disposed in the sea to utilize the energy generated by the waves and tides of the sea to cause the microalgae culture liquid M to oscillate, and the mechanical device can be reduced. The operating cost required for agitation; accordingly, the concentration of carbon dioxide dissolved in the microalgae culture solution M can be increased as a carbon source required for photosynthesis to enhance the growth efficiency of the microalgae.

Furthermore, the user can turn on or off the light source 22 through the control element 21, so that the light emitted by the light source 22 can enter the culture space 111 through the light guiding unit 23, so that the microalgae of the culture space 111 can receive light uniformly.

In addition, the valve body 122 disposed on the first surface 12a of the closure member 12 can be opened, so that the oxygen generated by the microalgae through photosynthesis can be discharged through the air guiding tube 123, thereby preventing the cultivation space 111 from accumulating excessive oxygen and inhibiting the growth of the microalgae; Alternatively, the air guiding tube 123 can introduce the carbon dioxide emitted from the factory into the culture space 111, and serves as a carbon source required for the growth of the microalgae, and can also alleviate the greenhouse effect problem caused by the carbon dioxide emission.

In addition, the photobioreactor with the light guiding function of the preferred embodiment is disposed in the water body, and the water body has a larger specific heat capacity (about four times that of air), and is not easy to heat up and cool down, so that the culture space is located. The microalgae culture liquid 111 of 111 maintains an appropriate and stable temperature, so that the enzyme in the microalgae cells can have better activity and enhance the oil-to-oil conversion efficiency of the microalgae cells.

Moreover, when the temperature is too high, or the sun is excessive, the relative position of the incubator 1 to the floating unit 32 and the positioning unit 34 can be adjusted to make the photobioreactor with the light guiding function of the preferred embodiment sneak into the distance. The sea level is deeper; on the contrary, when the sun is insufficient, the photobioreactor with light guide function can be raised to a shallower distance from the sea level, so that the microalgae have better light source utilization efficiency and promote microalgae. The efficiency of photosynthesis.

In summary, the photobioreactor with photoconducting function of the present invention is submerged in a water body, and uses the vibration generated by the water body as a source of energy for stirring the microalgae culture liquid, and does not need to be stirred by a mechanical device, thereby achieving a reduction. The cost of operating costs.

Furthermore, since the photobioreactor having the light guiding function of the present invention has at least one light guiding unit extending into the culture space to provide a uniform light distribution, avoiding excessive aggregation of the microalgae to cause uneven light, thereby achieving lifting of the microalgae. The efficacy of growth efficiency.

In addition, the photobioreactor with the light guiding function of the invention is submerged in the water body, and the characteristics of the water body which are not easy to rise and cool can make the enzyme in the microalgae have better activity, thereby improving the oil conversion efficiency of the microalgae. efficacy.

While the invention has been described in connection with the preferred embodiments described above, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The technical scope of the invention is protected, and therefore the scope of the invention is defined by the scope of the appended claims.

1‧‧‧ incubator

11‧‧‧ culture tank

111‧‧‧Cultivation space

12‧‧‧Closed

12a‧‧‧ first surface

12b‧‧‧ second surface

121‧‧‧First perforation

122‧‧‧ valve body

123‧‧‧ air duct

124‧‧‧Second perforation

2‧‧‧Lighting components

21‧‧‧Control elements

22‧‧‧Light source

23‧‧‧Light guide unit

23a‧‧‧ first end

23b‧‧‧second end

3‧‧‧Fixed parts

31‧‧‧First connection

33‧‧‧Second connection

S‧‧‧Locking components

Claims (7)

A light bioreactor having a light guiding function comprises: an incubator having a culture space therein; a light emitting component comprising a control component, at least one light source and a plurality of light guiding units, wherein the control component is electrically connected to the at least one a light source, the at least one light source is disposed on the outer circumferential surface of the incubator, and the plurality of light guiding units respectively have a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the plurality of light guiding units is adjacent to the light source The plurality of light guiding units are respectively bent into the culture space by the second end, and the depths of the second ends of the plurality of light guiding units extending into the culture space are different; and a fixing member is coupled to the An incubator having at least one first connecting portion for connecting to a floating unit; wherein the plurality of light guiding units are respectively side optical fibers, and the plurality of light guiding units respectively have a cladding layer and a core The layer has a refractive index greater than a refractive index of the core layer. The photobioreactor having a light guiding function according to the first aspect of the invention, wherein the incubator comprises a culture tank and a closure, the culture tank is provided with an opening for connecting the outside and the culture space, the closure A piece is attached to the culture tank to close the opening. The photobioreactor of the light guide function of claim 2, wherein the closure member has a first surface and a second surface, and the closure member is provided with at least one first perforation. Through the first surface and the second surface. The photobioreactor having a photoconductive function according to claim 3, wherein the closure member is provided with at least one valve body, and the valve system is connected to the first perforation. The photobioreactor having a light guiding function according to claim 4, wherein the valve system is located on the first surface of the closed surface. The photobioreactor having a photoconductive function according to claim 3, wherein the closure member is provided with at least one second perforation extending through the first surface and the second surface of the closure member, and The light guiding unit extends into the culture space via the second perforation. The photobioreactor having a light guiding function according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member has at least one second joint to connect a positioning unit.