TWI608095B - Closed algae cultivation system - Google Patents

Description

Closed algae farming system

The present invention relates to a closed algae culture system, and more particularly to a closed algae culture system that is opaque to block external light sources.

Microalgae are single-celled organisms commonly found in freshwater and saltwater. Algae are of high economic value; for example, lipid-rich algae (eg, Schizochytrium sp.) can be used to prepare biomass energy; algae with higher protein or polysaccharide content (former algae) ( Tetraselmis sp.), the latter such as Porphyridium sp. can be used as food, feed, nutritional supplements and even pharmaceuticals.

Existing algae farming techniques can be roughly divided into two categories: open culture and closed culture. The so-called open culture usually uses a large area of algae culture ponds, using sunlight as the main source of light, enabling algae to perform photosynthesis. However, open culture ponds often suffer from insufficient sunshine, large amounts of rainwater causing dilution or external pollution sources that affect the algae phase, resulting in an unstable yield or risk of contamination. Closed farming systems, also known as photo-bioreactors or bioreactors, are used to grow algae in a closed system, using external natural light sources and optionally with artificial light sources to increase production. Taking the existing closed algae culture system as an example, it mainly uses a light-transmissive tank body and an upper cover to facilitate light source penetration; however, in a commercial farming system, the tank volume is large and is in the algae culture system. There are often dead angles in the range of light-conducting illumination. In view of this, the industry proposes to use a light guide device to introduce an external light source, but the light guide device has a limitation of the transmission distance, and even within its transmission distance, the brightness will decrease with the transmission distance, and thus the brightness distribution in the reaction system is extremely high. Uneven, it also causes poor growth efficiency of algae culture. In view of this, there is a need in the art for an improved closed algae farming system to improve the poor growth efficiency of algae culture in the current closed algae farming system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The Summary of the Disclosure is intended to provide a basic understanding of the present disclosure. This Summary is not an extensive overview of the disclosure, and is not intended to be an

Based on the above, an aspect of the present disclosure provides an improved closed algae culture system that is non-transparent and can completely isolate an external light source to precisely control the illumination wavelength, color temperature, frequency and time of the light source in the tank, thereby improving algae. The growth rate of the culture.

To achieve the above objective, in one embodiment, the closed algae cultivation system comprises an algae supply device, a first communication tube, at least two tanks, and at least two light-emitting devices. The above algae supply device is used to provide a stock culture required for algae cultivation, and the composition thereof includes algae species, liquid medium (for example: Bold Modified Basal Freshwater Nutrient Solution) and/or other substances (for example, minerals, trace elements). , vitamins, salts, and carbon dioxide-containing water, etc., and through the first communication tube respectively The slots are coupled and in fluid communication. Each trough body is composed of at least one side wall, a bottom portion and an upper cover, and jointly defines an accommodating space for accommodating the algae culture liquid solution from the algae supply device; the trough system is made of an opaque material and has a first opening and a second opening. The first opening is fixed on one of the at least one side wall and coupled to the first communication tube; the second opening is fixed on the bottom portion for discharging the cultured algae. The at least two illuminating devices are respectively coupled to the upper cover of each of the troughs, and extend downward toward the accommodating space of the trough, so that at least a portion of the illuminating device is submerged below the liquid surface of the algae broth.

According to an optional embodiment, the height difference between the first opening and the second opening is between two-thirds (i.e., 2/3) to nine tenths (i.e., 9/10) of the height of the side wall. Preferably, the height difference is between three quarters (ie, 3/4) to four-fifths (ie, 4/5) of the height of the side wall; more preferably, the height difference is five-fifth of the height of the side wall. Four (ie, 4/5).

According to an embodiment, the closed algae culture system proposed by the present disclosure may further include a second communication tube connecting the second openings of each trough to establish fluid communication between the troughs.

According to another embodiment, the closed algae culture system proposed by the present disclosure may further include a third communication tube connected to the first communication tube, the second communication tube, and the algae supply device to establish a closed fluid. Connected loop.

In addition, the closed algae culture system proposed in the present disclosure may further include a collecting tank connected to the second connecting tube to provide an accommodating space for temporarily accommodating the liquid discharged from the tank of the closed algae culture system. to cultivate The base and the algae contained therein; on the other hand, the arrangement of the collection tank can also increase the production efficiency of the closed algae cultivation system and shorten the time cost of the algae cultivation conversion process between different batches.

According to an embodiment, a plurality of collection control units may be optionally disposed in the second communication tube, and the collection control units may respectively control (eg, activate or block) the liquid inside each tank. The flowability in the second communication pipe 122.

In other embodiments, the closed algae culture system proposed in the present disclosure, wherein the upper cover is provided with a third opening for releasing oxygen generated in the tank due to algae cultivation. Furthermore, the closed algae culture system of the present disclosure may further include a fourth communication tube disposed outside the tank and connected to the third opening for guiding oxygen generated during photosynthesis to the closed algae. A gas collection device external to the culture system is available for further use. To achieve this goal, the closed algae culture system of the present disclosure may optionally be provided with a gas sensor disposed on the inner side wall of the tank or the inner surface of the upper cover to detect the oxygen content in each tank. .

According to an embodiment, the closed algae culture system proposed by the present disclosure may further comprise a liquid supply device coupled to the algae supply device for providing an aqueous solution to the algae supply device. In addition, the liquid supply device may further comprise a carbon dioxide compression device, wherein the carbon dioxide compression device may provide a gas composition, which may contain more than 0% (v/v) to less than or equal to 100% (v/v). The carbon dioxide is used to produce an aqueous solution containing carbon dioxide to supply the carbon dioxide required for algae for photosynthesis. In one embodiment, the carbon dioxide-containing water solution The concentration of carbon dioxide in the liquid is at least 3 wt%.

According to an embodiment, the light emitted by the light-emitting device has a color temperature of more than 5000 K; preferably, greater than 5500 K; more preferably, greater than 6000 K. In addition, the light emitted by the illuminating device has a blinking frequency of 20-60 times per second; preferably, 30-50 times per second; more preferably, about 40 times per second. .

According to an optional embodiment, the illuminating device can use light-emitting diodes, laser light sources, incandescent light sources, and fluorescent light sources. Any one of a source of mercury vapor light sources or optical fibers, or may be a combination of the above sources.

According to an embodiment, the plurality of light-emitting devices have a plurality of light-emitting devices arranged uniformly in a concentric manner to form a single-circle array structure. According to another embodiment, the plurality of light-emitting devices are concentric circles. The method is evenly arranged, and extends from the inner ring to the outer ring to form two concentric circle arrangement structures, which can increase the illumination range of the light-emitting device, so that the light source in the groove body is more evenly distributed, thereby improving the efficiency of algae cultivation.

According to an embodiment, the closed algae culture system of the present disclosure may further comprise a culture monitor disposed on at least one of the side walls of the tank body so as not to damage the sealed state of the tank body, The maturity of the algae cultured in each tank was monitored. The culture sensor can be a chlorophyll meter or a spectrometer.

Alternatively, in other embodiments, the closed algae culture system of the present disclosure may further include a culture monitoring tube disposed on the outer side of at least one of the tanks, the two ends of which are respectively coupled to the side walls, and The tank is in fluid communication such that liquid in the tank can flow into the culture monitoring tube through the lower inlet. In addition, when the liquid level inside the tank is higher than the upper outlet of the culture monitoring tube, the liquid of the maturity monitoring tube can be returned to the tank. The maturity monitoring tube can be made of a transparent material to facilitate monitoring of the cultivation of algae from outside the container.

According to an embodiment, the closed algae culture system proposed in the present disclosure may further comprise a reflective structure disposed on the inner surface of the tank body, and the material thereof may be mirror material, metal material, plasticized material or other reflective material. Made of materials, the reflective structure uses the principle of light reflection to increase the illumination range of the light source, avoiding the occurrence of a dead angle of the light source in the tank, so that the algae distributed inside the tank can receive the light source sufficiently.

According to other embodiments, the closed algae culture system proposed in the present disclosure may further include a temperature sensor disposed on the inner side surface of the tank or the inner surface of the upper cover for detecting the temperature of the liquid medium in the tank.

According to an optional embodiment, the bottom of the trough of the closed algae culture system proposed in the present disclosure may be flat or tapered.

In addition, in other embodiments, the closed algae culture system of the present disclosure may further include a sealing member disposed at the junction of the upper cover and the side wall to closely seal the gap created therebetween.

After reading the embodiments below, those having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains can easily understand the basic spirit and other aspects of the present disclosure. The purpose of the invention, as well as the technical means and implementation aspects of the invention.

The description of the embodiments of the present invention is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. The features of various specific embodiments, as well as the method steps and sequences thereof, are constructed and manipulated in the embodiments. However, other specific embodiments may be utilized to achieve the same or equivalent function and sequence of steps.

The scientific and technical terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains, unless otherwise defined herein. In addition, the singular noun used in this specification covers the plural of the noun in the case of no conflict with the context; the plural noun of the noun is also included in the plural noun used. In addition, in the specification and the claims, "at least one" or "one or more" and the like are used in the same meaning and include one, two, three or more.

Although numerical ranges and parameter boundaries are used to define a broad range of values for the present invention, the relevant values in the specific embodiments are presented as precisely as possible. However, any numerical value inherently inevitably contains standard deviations due to individual test methods. As used herein, "about" generally means that the actual value is within plus or minus 10%, 5%, 1%, or 0.5% of a particular value or range. Alternatively, the term "about" means that the actual value falls within the acceptable standard error of the average, depending on the considerations of those of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains. In addition to the experimental examples, or unless otherwise clearly stated, It is to be understood that all ranges, quantities, values, and percentages used herein (e.g., to describe the amount of material used, the length of time, temperature, operating conditions, quantity ratios, and the like) are modified by "about." Therefore, unless otherwise indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters disclosed in the specification and the appended claims are intended to be At a minimum, these numerical parameters should be understood as the number of significant digits indicated and the values obtained by applying the general carry method.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved closed algae culture system, particularly a opaque closed algae culture system, to enhance algae cultivation efficiency. In order to achieve this goal, unlike the prior art system for cultivating algae by introducing natural light, the closed algae culture system of the present disclosure does not use natural light at all, but relies on the illuminating device to completely regulate the light intensity and flicker frequency in the culture system. In order to increase the rate of algae cultivation.

1A is a schematic illustration of a closed algae culture system 100 provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

In principle, the closed algae culture system of the present invention comprises an algae supply device, a communication tube, a plurality of culture tanks and a plurality of illumination devices. By way of example and not limitation, the closed algae cultivation system 100 shown in FIG. 1A includes three culture tanks (110A, 110B, 110C) and an algae supply device 140 connected to each other through a first communication pipe 120. In order to establish fluid communication between the tanks (110A, 110B, 110C), the algae supply device 140 is used to supply the culture stock solution required for algae cultivation. Generally, the above culture solution includes algae species, liquid medium (for example: Bold Modified Basal Freshwater Nutrient Solution) and/or other substances. Quality (eg minerals, trace elements, vitamins, salts and water containing carbon dioxide, etc.). According to various embodiments of the present invention, one or more species of algae to be cultured may be contained in the culture stock solution.

Specifically, the algae supply device 140 is disposed outside the plurality of slots (110A, 110B, 110C), and is connected to each of the first openings (130A, 130B, 130C) by the first communication tube 120. Each tank (110A, 110B, 110C) is in fluid communication with the algae supply device 140 to establish a closed algae culture system 100 of the present invention. In addition, in the process of algae cultivation, the algae supply device 140 can semi-automatically or fully automate the concentration of the liquid medium and/or other substances supplied according to the change of the culture parameters to maintain the stability of the culture parameters during the cultivation process. Sex.

Structurally, each of the slots (110A, 110B, 110C) is composed of at least one side wall (112A, 112B, 112C), a bottom (114A, 114B, 114C) and an upper cover (116A, 116B, 116C), respectively. An accommodation space is defined to accommodate the culture stock solution for cultivating algae. Each of the slots (110A, 110B, 110C) is provided with a first opening (130A, 130B, 130C) and a second opening (132A, 132B, 132C). The first openings (130A, 130B, and 130C) are respectively disposed on the sidewalls (112A, 112B, and 112C) for allowing the culture liquid to flow into the interior of each of the slots (110A, 110B, 110C). The second openings (132A, 132B, 132C) are respectively disposed at the bottoms (114A, 114B, 114C) for discharging the cultured algae.

In various optional embodiments of the present invention, the positions of the first openings (130A, 130B, 130C) and the second openings (132A, 132B, 132C) have a height difference, which is any of the side walls. (112A, 112B, 112C) Two-thirds of the height (ie, 2/3) to nine tenths (ie, 9/10). Preferably, the height difference is respectively between three quarters (ie, 3/4) to four-fifths (ie, 4/5) of the height of any of the side walls (112A, 112B, 112C); preferably Yes, the height difference is respectively four-fifths (i.e., 4/5) of the height of any of the side walls (112A, 112B, 112C).

During the cultivation, the culture solution injected into the tank body (110A, 110B, 110C) usually does not fill the accommodation space inside the entire tank body, and a part of the space is reserved to accommodate the oxygen generated during the growth of the algae. In various embodiments, the liquid level of the culture stock solution may be lower than, equal to, or slightly higher than the location of the first opening (130A, 130B, 130C).

According to the principles and spirit of the present invention, the grooves (110A, 110B, 110C) are made of an opaque material to completely isolate the external light source. For example, the material of the tank body (110A, 110B, 110C) may be made of opaque glass, plastic (for example, polyethylene or high density polyethylene), or metal material (for example, stainless steel).

Each of the slots (110A, 110B, 110C) is internally provided with at least one illuminating device (150A, 150B, 150C), one end of which is coupled to each of the upper covers (116A, 116B, 116C) and extends downward toward the slot body ( The accommodation space of 110A, 110B, 110C) is such that at least a portion of each of the light-emitting devices (150A, 150B, 150C) is submerged under the liquid surface of the culture solution, so that the algae can fully perform photosynthesis to increase the culture rate. . In a preferred case, each of the illumination devices (150A, 150B, 150C) is of sufficient length that its end (ie, the end away from the upper cover) is near the bottom of the trough (110A, 110B, 110C) (114A, 114B, 114C). ) to make all the cultures in the tank (110A, 110B, 110C) The stock solution can fully receive the light.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the light-emitting devices (150A, 150B, 150C) can emit light having a color temperature of more than 5000 K; preferably, the light temperature is greater than 5500 K; more preferably, the color temperature is greater than 6000 K. Light. In an embodiment, the illuminating device (150A, 150B, 150C) can simultaneously emit a first light having a wavelength of 350-450 nm and a second light having a wavelength of 600-800 nm to obtain a light having a color temperature of about 5500 to 6500 K. . In general, a suitable combination of light wavelengths or color temperature can be provided for different types of algae.

Furthermore, in order to simulate the natural growth environment of the algae, according to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the light-emitting devices (150A, 150B, 150C) can emit flickering light, and the blinking frequency is generally 20-60 per second. Preferably, it is between 30 and 50 times per second; more preferably, about 40 times per second.

In addition, the light-emitting devices (150A, 150B, 150C) may use any conventional device or material as a light source, such as a light-emitting diode, a laser light source, an incandescent light source, a fluorescent light source, a mercury gas light source, or an optical device. fiber.

When the closed algae cultivation system 100 of the present invention is actually operated, the operator first inputs the culture stock solution into the algae supply device 140, and injects into each of the tank bodies (110A, 110B, 110C) via the first communication tube 120, The algae cultivation is performed, and when the algae to be cultured is mature, the culture liquids in each tank (110A, 110B, 110C) can be discharged together with the algae through the respective openings (132A, 132B, 132C) ( 110A, 110B, 110C).

Although the closed algae culture system 100 shown in Figure 1A is composed of 3 The culture tanks (110A, 110B, 110C) are composed, however, the invention is not limited thereto. In practical applications, the closed algae culture system of the present invention can further increase the number of culture tanks according to the needs of the user, thereby expanding the production efficiency of the system.

Figure 1B is a schematic illustration of a closed algae culture system 100' provided in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 1B, in addition to the closed algae cultivation system 100 shown in FIG. 1A, a second communication tube 122, a third communication tube 124, a fourth communication tube 126, and a gas collection device 160 may be further included. A liquid supply device 170, a carbon dioxide compression device 180, and a collection tank 190. Specifically, the second communication tube 122 is connected to each of the second openings (132A, 132B, 132C) and the collection tank 190 for collecting the culture stock solution and the algae discharged from each of the tank bodies (110A, 110B, 110C). Furthermore, the third communication tube 124 is connected to the first communication tube 120, the second communication tube 122, and the algae supply device 140, thereby establishing a closed fluid communication loop in the closed algae culture system 100', so that The culture solution in the culture system can continuously perform fluid circulation, thereby promoting the fluidity of the culture solution between the tanks (110A, 110B, 110C) and avoiding the precipitation of algae.

In practice, the liquid level of the culture liquid in the algae supply device 140 is higher than the liquid level of the culture liquid in each tank (110A, 110B, 110C), so that the action of the pressure can make the algae supply device 140 The culture solution flows into each of the tanks (110A, 110B, 110C). When the liquid level of the injected culture solution is equal to or slightly higher than the position of the first opening (130A, 130B, 130C), the culture solution flows into the first communication tube 120 and follows the third connection. The through pipe 124 flows downward into the second communication pipe 122. In this way, a backflow channel can be established between each of the tanks (110A, 110B, 110C) through the first communication pipe 120, the second communication pipe 122 and the third communication pipe 124 to prevent algae from depositing at the bottom of the tank body. And can promote algae growth. In addition, at this time, if the culture liquid is continuously injected from the algae supply device 140, the culture liquid flowing from the first communication pipe 120 to the third communication pipe 124 may further fill the entire third communication pipe 124 and flow back into the algae supply device 140. The culture solution of the algae supply device 140 is supplemented for subsequent cultivation, so that the culture system proposed by the present invention forms a self-contained closed system.

In addition, a liquid supply device 170 is coupled to the algae supply device 140 for providing an aqueous solution to the algae supply device 140. In one embodiment, the liquid supply device 170 further includes a carbon dioxide compression device 180 that provides a gas composition containing up to 100% (v/v) carbon dioxide (eg, 0.01, 0.1). 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 , 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50 , 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75 , 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99 or 100 %(v/v)). For example, the carbon dioxide compression device 180 can mix a specific volume of carbon dioxide with air or other gases (eg, oxygen) to formulate carbon dioxide (eg, 15% (v/v) CO ₂ ) at a desired concentration. The composition of the gas. In one embodiment, the gas composition may be an atmospheric mixed gas (ie, air) existing in nature, which has a trace amount of carbon dioxide. In yet another embodiment, the gas composition can be pure carbon dioxide (ie, containing 100% (v/v) carbon dioxide).

Traditionally, aeration has been used to pump carbon dioxide-containing bubbles into water to increase the carbon dioxide content in the water; however, bubbles in the water are easily released into the atmosphere, so the effect is limited. The carbon dioxide compression device 180 of the present invention utilizes a specific pressure to sufficiently mix carbon dioxide molecules with water molecules and stably distribute between the voids created by the bonding of water molecules. This method can increase the ratio of carbon dioxide gas dissolved in an aqueous solution, which is about 50 to 100 times more efficient than conventional gassing. On the other hand, this method hardly generates bubbles, and carbon dioxide is stably dissolved (inserted) between liquid molecules and is not easily emitted to the atmosphere. Thereafter, the liquid supply device 170 injects a liquid containing a specific concentration of carbon dioxide into the algae supply device 140 to provide carbon dioxide required for algae cultivation.

The upper covers (116A, 116B, 116C) respectively have a third opening (134A, 134B, 134C), and the gas collecting device 160 is disposed outside the slots (110A, 110B, 110C) by the fourth communication. The tube 126 is connected to each of the third openings (134A, 134B, 134C) such that oxygen generated by photosynthesis in the algae cultivation process in each of the tanks (110A, 110B, 110C) can be respectively passed through the third openings (134A, 134B, 134C) is discharged, and the oxygen is guided to the gas collecting device 160 via the fourth communication pipe 126 for further utilization. According to an embodiment, the system may further include a plurality of gas sensors (194A, 194B, 194C) for detecting the slots. Oxygen and/or carbon dioxide concentrations in (110A, 110B, 110C). In different embodiments, the gas sensors (194A, 194B, 194C) may be respectively disposed on each of the side walls (112A, 112B, 112C) (as shown in FIG. 1B), or The inner surface (not shown) of each of the upper covers (116A, 116B, 116C) is disposed.

Temperature control within the culture system also plays a key role in algae growth, therefore, in an alternative embodiment, the closed algae culture system 100' of the present invention may optionally provide a plurality of temperature sensors (196A, 196B, 196C) for detecting the temperature in each tank (110A, 110B, 110C). As shown in FIG. 1B, each of the temperature sensors (196A, 196B, 196C) may be disposed inside each of the side walls (112A, 112B, 112C) to detect each of the slots (110A, 110B). And 110C) cultivating the temperature of the stock solution; in another optional embodiment, one end of the temperature sensors (196A, 196B, 196C) can be respectively coupled to each of the upper covers (116A, 116B, 116C) The other end can be in contact with the culture solution (not shown).

Furthermore, in order to monitor the maturity of the algae cultured in each of the tanks (110A, 110B, 110C) without destroying the sealed state of the tanks (110A, 110B, 110C), the present invention is closed. The algae culture system 100' may also optionally be provided with a plurality of culture monitors (192A, 192B, 192C) located at least one side wall (112A, 112B, 112C) inside each of the tanks (110A, 110B, 110C). Above, it is possible to monitor the situation of algae cultivation in each tank (110A, 110B, 110C) (ie, algae maturity). The culture sensor (192A, 192B, 192C) may be a chlorophyll meter (chlorophyll meter) or spectrometer. For example, the measurement of algae maturity is measured daily by a spectrophotometer (460 nm) and a chlorophyll meter (excitation wavelength (Ex.) 460 nm and emission wavelength (Em.) > 665 nm). 110A, 110B, 110C) The nature of the light in the stock solution. For example, when the measured value reaches a certain concentration (ie, the absorbance is greater than 05 and the chlorophyll is greater than 100 μg/L), it means that the algae is mature and can be harvested.

In another embodiment, the closed algae culture system 100' may optionally be provided with a culture monitoring tube (not shown) on the tank body 110C, and the two ends of the culture monitoring tube are respectively coupled to the tank The sidewall 112C is in fluid communication with the interior of the tank 110C. In this way, the culture stock solution in the tank body 110C can flow into the culture monitoring tube, so that the user can artificially monitor the algae maturity in the closed algae culture system 100'. In addition, based on the principle of fluid communication, when there is too much culture stock solution in the culture monitoring tube, it can flow back into the tank body 110C, and the fluid circulation is continuously performed. A variety of suitable materials can be utilized to prepare the culture monitoring tubes described herein, for example, a clear acrylic material can be used to prepare the culture monitoring tube.

In one embodiment, the closed algae culture system 100' may further include a plurality of collection control units (128A, 128B, 128C) respectively disposed in the second communication tube 122, and the collection control units (128A, 128B, 128C) The flow of liquid inside each of the tanks (110A, 110B, 110C) into the second communication pipe 122 can be controlled (e.g., activated or blocked) correspondingly. For example, in order to respond to the different culture speeds of the algae in the respective culture tanks, the time at which the respective tanks (110A, 110B, 110C) are harvested has The difference, the collection control unit (128A, 128B, 128C) can individually control the flow of liquid inside each tank (110A, 110B, 110C) into the second communication tube 122, if the closed algae culture system of the present invention In 100', only the algae in one tank 110B reaches the stage of mature harvesting, and the culture liquid and algae in the tank body 110B can be discharged by regulating the collection control unit 128B; relatively, due to other tanks (110A) If the algae in 110C are not mature, the liquid inside the tank (110A, 110C) can be blocked from entering the second communication tube 122 by regulating the collection control unit (110A, 110C).

In other embodiments, a plurality of seals (198A, 198B, 198C) may be respectively provided at the joints of the upper cover (116A, 116B, 116C) and the side walls (112A, 112B, 112C) to form a tight fit therebetween. The gap.

In an optional embodiment, a reflective structure (not shown) may be disposed on the inner surface of the cavity (110A, 110B, 110C), and the material thereof may be made of a mirror material, a metal material, or a plasticizer. Made of materials or other reflective materials, the reflective structure uses the principle of light reflection to increase the illumination range of the light source, avoiding the occurrence of light source illumination in the cavity (110A, 110B, 110C), so that it is distributed in the cavity (110A, 110B). , 110C) The internal algae can fully receive the illumination of the light source.

2 is a schematic view of a trough body 210 provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, the trough body 210 has a circular arc shape in cross section. The trough body 210 shown in the drawing has a cylindrical shape and a wide intermediate portion thereof; however, the present invention is not limited thereto, and a cylindrical trough body is also within the scope of the present invention. Further, the bottom portion 214 is flat.

Figure 3 is a trough body according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Schematic diagram of 310. As shown, the cross-sectional shape of the trough body 310 is square. The bottom 314 is conical to facilitate collection of algae within the trough 310.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a light emitting device 450 disposed in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The light emitting device 450 has a cylindrical shape. In one embodiment, the light emitting device 450 can be composed of a plurality of light emitting units 452 to form an array type light emitting device in a lattice arrangement. In a preferred embodiment, in order to simulate the natural growth environment of the algae, the light emitted by the light-emitting device 450 has a blinking frequency of 20-60 times per second; preferably, 30-50 times per second; More preferably, about 40 times per second. In one embodiment, the blinking manner of the illumination device 450 is simultaneously blinked by each of the illumination units 452. In another embodiment, the blinking manner of the illumination device 450 is alternately blinking by the adjacent illumination units 452.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a light-emitting device 550 provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, four light-emitting devices 550 are evenly disposed on the upper cover 516, thereby increasing the illumination range of the light-emitting device 550, so that the light distribution in the tank body (not shown) is more uniform, thereby improving the efficiency of algae cultivation.

Figure 6 is a top plan view of a light emitting device 650 disposed in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, eight light-emitting devices 650 are disposed on the upper cover 616, and the light-emitting devices 650 are arranged in a multi-layered annular shape. Specifically, four light-emitting devices 650 are disposed in the inner ring, and the other four light-emitting devices 650 are disposed on the outer ring to increase the illumination range of the light-emitting device 650 to make the light source in the cavity (not shown) more uniform. Distribution, which in turn enhances the efficiency of algae cultivation.

Example

In the present embodiment, the algae cultivation system of the present invention is used to perform algae cultivation with different light sources (high light LED, low light LED, and fluorescent lamp).

Specifically, in this example, there are three groups of strong light LED groups (wavelength 430-680 nm; color temperature 6100 K, 63 watts (Watts); 110 lumens (lumen, lm) / watt), low light LED group (wavelength 470-640 nm, color temperature 5700 K, 48 watts; 110 lumens/watt) and fluorescent lamp set (wavelength 500-680 nm, color temperature 4500K, 28 watts; 63 lumens/watt).

The algae used in this experiment include Micrococcus ( Cholrella minutissima ; about 3-5 μm in size) and Isochrysis galbana (about 5-6 um x 2-4 um x 2.5-3 um). The two are mixed in a ratio of about 1:1. During the test, the algae were cultured in a tank of about 100 liters and cultured in Bold Modified Basal Freshwater Nutrient Solution medium; the liquid medium contained about 6.8% carbon dioxide; and the light was irradiated for 24 hours for continuous irradiation and other culture conditions to carry out algae cultivation. The results are shown in Figures 7 and 8.

Figure 7 shows the change of chlorophyll content during algae cultivation. As shown in the figure, algae had the best culture effect under strong light LED irradiation environment. The chlorophyll (Chl A) content was 225 ppb on the 11th day of culture: In the fluorescent lamp group, the chlorophyll content is 75 ppb, the chlorophyll content is the lowest, and the algae growth rate is slow.

The pH value changes during the culture of each group. As shown in Fig. 8, the glare LED group has a pH of about 7.79 on the 11th day of culture, which is indicated in the environment. Algae grows well and grows fast, while algae cultivated with ordinary fluorescent lamps have the worst growth effect. In addition, the average growth rate of each group is: strong light LED group, 0.281, low light LED group, 0.249, and fluorescent lamp group, 0.115. Among them, the strong light LED group has the highest growth efficiency of algae, and its growth rate is twice that of the fluorescent lamp group. , greatly shortening the algae cultivation time.

Based on the above results, it was confirmed that the algae cultivation system of the present invention can shorten the algae cultivation time and increase the algae culture yield by completely controlling the irradiation wavelength, color temperature, frequency and time of the light source in the tank.

While the embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed in the foregoing embodiments, the present invention is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The various modifications and variations of the present disclosure are intended to be limited by the scope of the appended claims.

100, 100’‧‧‧ Closed algae farming system

110A, 110B, 110C, 210, 310‧‧‧

112A, 112B, 112C‧‧‧ side walls

114A, 114B, 114C, 214, 314‧‧‧ bottom

116A, 116B, 116C, 516, 616‧‧‧ Cover

120‧‧‧First connecting pipe

122‧‧‧Second connecting tube

124‧‧‧The third connecting tube

126‧‧‧fourth connecting pipe

128A, 128B, 128C‧‧‧ collection control unit

130A, 130B, 130C‧‧‧ first opening

132A, 132B, 132C‧‧‧ second opening

134A, 134B, 134C‧‧‧ third opening

140‧‧‧Algae supply unit

150A, 150B, 150C, 450, 550, 650‧‧‧ illuminating devices

160‧‧‧Gas collecting device

170‧‧‧Liquid supply device

180‧‧‧Carbon dioxide compression device

190‧‧‧ collection trough

192A, 192B, 192C‧‧‧ farming monitors

194A, 194B, 194C‧‧‧ gas sensors

196A, 196B, 196C‧‧‧ Temperature Sensor

198A, 198B, 198C‧‧‧ Seals

452‧‧‧Lighting unit

The above and other objects, features, advantages and embodiments of the present invention will become more <RTIgt; <RTIgt; </ RTI> <RTIgt; </ RTI> <RTIgt; </ RTI> <RTIgt; 1B is a schematic view of a closed algae culture system 100' provided according to another embodiment of the present disclosure; and FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a trough body 210 provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; The figure shows a trough body according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a light-emitting device 450 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 5 is a plan view of a light-emitting device 550 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; A plan view of a light-emitting device 650 provided in an embodiment of the present invention: FIG. 7 is a graph showing changes in chlorophyll concentration during algae cultivation according to an experimental example of the present disclosure; and FIG. 8 is a view showing algae according to the above experimental example of the present disclosure. A graph of the change in pH concentration during the culture process.

The elements/features shown in the figures are not drawn to scale, but are intended to highlight specific elements/features associated with the present invention. In addition, in the different figures, the same or similar component symbols are used to refer to similar components/components.

100‧‧‧ Closed algae farming system

110A, 110B, 110C‧‧‧ tank

112A, 112B, 112C‧‧‧ side walls

114A, 114B, 114C‧‧‧ bottom

116A, 116B, 116C‧‧‧ Cover

120‧‧‧First connecting pipe

130A, 130B, 130C‧‧‧ first opening

132A, 132B, 132C‧‧‧ second opening

140‧‧‧Algae supply unit

150A, 150B, 150C‧‧‧ illuminating devices

Claims (12)

An improved closed algae culture system comprising: an algae supply device for supplying an algae culture stock solution; at least two tank bodies, each of the tank systems being made of an opaque material and comprising: a bottom portion and at least one side wall Forming a slot space together with an upper cover, a first opening is disposed on the sidewall; and a second opening is disposed at the bottom, wherein a height difference between the first opening and the second opening is Between 2/3 and 9/10 of the height of the side wall; a first connecting tube coupled to the algae supply device and coupled to each of the slots through the first opening to form a fluid communication to transmit the The algae culture liquid solution enters the tank space; at least two light-emitting devices are respectively coupled to the upper cover of each of the tank bodies, disposed in the tank space and at least partially immersed below the liquid surface of the algae culture stock solution, wherein The illuminating device can simultaneously emit a first light having a wavelength of 350-450 nm and a second light having a wavelength of 600-800 nm to obtain a color temperature of more than 5000 K; and a liquid supply device coupled to the algae supply device, wherein Material supply means comprises a carbon dioxide compressor, for the one containing the carbon dioxide gas mixing with the liquid composition, to produce a carbon dioxide-containing aqueous solution. Improved closed algae farming system as described in claim 1 A second communication tube is included for connecting the second opening of each of the slots to establish fluid communication between the at least two slots. The improved closed algae culture system of claim 2, further comprising a third communication tube for connecting the first communication tube, the second communication tube and the algae supply device for the improved sealing A closed fluid communication loop is established in the algae culture system. The improved closed algae culture system of claim 2, further comprising a collecting tank coupled to the second communicating tube for collecting the culture stock discharged from each of the tanks. The improved closed algae culture system of claim 1, wherein the upper cover is provided with a third opening for venting. The improved closed algae culture system of claim 5, further comprising a fourth communication tube for connecting the third opening of each of the tanks to establish fluid communication between the at least two tanks. The improved closed algae culture system of claim 6, further comprising a gas collection device coupled to the fourth communication tube. The improved closed algae culture system of claim 1, wherein the gas composition contains greater than 0% (v/v) and less than or equal to 100% (v/v) Carbon dioxide. The improved closed algae culture system of claim 1, wherein the aqueous solution containing carbon dioxide contains at least 3% by weight of carbon dioxide. The improved closed algae culture system of claim 1, further comprising a reflective structure disposed on the inner surface of the tank. The improved closed algae culture system of claim 1, wherein the illuminating device is selected from the group consisting of light-emitting diodes, laser light sources, incandescent light sources, A group of fluorescent light sources, mercury vapor light sources, and at least one optical fiber. The improved closed algae culture system of claim 1, wherein the light emitted by the illuminating device has a light scintillation frequency between 20 and 60 times per second.