An oscillating photobioreactor and methods of use thereof

Abstract

This invention provides an oscillating photobioreactor and its usage method, comprising a multi-stage photofermentation tube array spaced apart along the height direction, and a multi-stage support platform for supporting the photofermentation tube array. The multi-stage support platform is slidably mounted on a support frame and is connected to a cam drive device, the input end of which is connected to a drive device. Multiple photofermentation tubes are arranged in parallel at intervals within the multi-stage photofermentation tube array, and the photofermentation tubes in all multi-stage arrays are staggered. Light sources are located on the upper and lower sides of the multi-stage photofermentation tube array, on the support frame. This application uses multiple photofermentation tubes connected in parallel, with small units fermenting independently without mutual interference, thus avoiding large-scale contamination of the bacterial solution. This application uses physical oscillation to evenly distribute the bacterial solution, effectively reducing dissolved oxygen and dissolved hydrogen in the solution, simplifying subsequent hydrogen collection and separation, and enabling large-scale bio-hydrogen production.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of microbial photofermentation reactor technology, specifically relating to an oscillating photobioreactor and its usage method. Background Technology

[0002] The massive consumption of fossil fuels has not only led to serious environmental problems such as acid rain and global warming, but energy shortages are also an urgent issue. Hydrogen energy, as a highly efficient and clean energy source, has become an important research direction for countries around the world. Hydrogen has the highest energy density outside of nuclear fuels, is non-toxic, and its combustion product is only water. It also has good thermal conductivity and combustion performance, making it the most ideal energy source for the 21st century and widely used in aerospace fuels. Photosynthetic bacteria are a type of prokaryotic organism found in nature. Some photosynthetic bacteria produce hydrogen through their own metabolism under anaerobic conditions; this method is called biohydrogen production. Bio-fermentation hydrogen production has advantages such as mild conditions, simple control, low cost, and wide availability of raw materials. With the continuous maturation and progress of bioengineering technology in the 21st century, it is considered one of the future large-scale industrial hydrogen production methods. Utilizing agricultural waste biomass to produce hydrogen can not only obtain clean energy but also effectively alleviate environmental pollution.

[0003] Currently, reactors used for hydrogen production by photosynthetic microorganisms are mainly divided into three types: flat plate, column, and tubular. Flat plate photobioreactors are generally square reactors composed of transparent flat plates with a thickness of 1 to 5 cm. They use single-sided sunlight illumination or vertical light illumination. Due to the strength of the reactor materials, they are only suitable for small-scale photofermentation systems. Moreover, the temperature of the bacterial solution is easy to rise, the internal flow of the reactor is insufficient, metabolic products accumulate, the growth rate slows down, and the hydrogen production decreases. Chinese patent application CN106318858A discloses a flat-plate photobioreactor that utilizes a multifunctional serpentine tube to achieve cyclic flow of algal liquid in the direction of light. Gas is injected into the algal liquid from different heights, making gas-liquid mass transfer more efficient. At the same time, the jet from the serpentine tube to the side wall has a strong scouring effect on the wall, which can effectively reduce the adhesion of algae to the inner wall of the reactor and the serpentine tube. The combination of internal and external light sources can achieve the purpose of reactor unit scale-up by adding more multifunctional serpentine tubes, overcoming the limitation of flat-plate photobioreactors that can only be scaled up by adding reactor units. This reactor uses gas blowing to improve mass transfer efficiency and jet to improve heat dissipation and colony adhesion, but hydrogen collection is difficult.

[0004] Column-type photo-fermentation hydrogen production reactors are typically made of small-diameter and transparent materials, consisting of one or more tubular columns connected in series or parallel. They have a large reaction volume and can be used for small- to medium-scale industrial bio-hydrogen production. Chinese patent application No. 201110370810.2 discloses a photosynthetic culture fermentation device. This reactor has a simple structure and effectively improves fermentation efficiency, but it suffers from problems of insufficient and uneven light exposure.

[0005] Tubular reactors are the earliest type of reactor used in photosynthetic bioreactors. They consist of multiple transparent, curved tubes connected together and have a small diameter. Years of research on photosynthetic reactors have shown that tubular reactors have advantages such as simple structure and large specific area, and have promising application prospects. However, difficulties in oxygen removal, high shear force, high energy consumption, and cleaning have always been challenges in the development of this technology. Common types include coil reactors and tubular reactors. Current technologies for this type of reactor integrate functions such as rapid liquid mixing, continuous cultivation during the cultivation process while cleaning the pipes, and low-pressure, low-energy gas emission. However, the reactor volume is small, which prevents the large-scale production of hydrogen from bioreactors. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the problems existing in the prior art, the present invention provides an oscillating photobioreactor and its usage method. By using physical oscillation to mix the bacterial solution, the dissolved oxygen and dissolved hydrogen in the bacterial solution can be effectively reduced, the difficulty of continuous hydrogen collection and separation is reduced, and large-scale bio-hydrogen production can be achieved.

[0007] This invention is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0008] An oscillating photobioreactor includes a multi-stage photofermentation tube array spaced apart along the height direction, and a multi-stage support platform for supporting the photofermentation tube array. The multi-stage support platform is slidably mounted on a support frame and is driven by a cam transmission device. The input end of the cam transmission device is connected to a drive device.

[0009] In each multi-stage photofermentation tube array, multiple photofermentation tubes are arranged in parallel at intervals, and the photofermentation tubes in all multi-stage photofermentation tube arrays are staggered.

[0010] Light sources are provided on the upper and lower sides of the multi-stage photo-fermentation tube array and on the support frame.

[0011] Furthermore, the support frame is a rectangular frame structure, including four vertically arranged support columns. The side walls of the support columns are vertically spaced with multiple levels of sliding grooves, and rubber pads are detachably installed at both ends of the sliding grooves. The number of sliding grooves is equal to or greater than the number of support platforms.

[0012] Furthermore, the multi-level support platform has a rectangular structure, including support bars that are fixedly connected end to end, wherein two opposite support bars are provided with pulleys at both ends that are adapted to the sliding groove structure.

[0013] Furthermore, the multi-level support platform is provided with fasteners, which are two fasteners with a C-shaped structure. Both fasteners have flexible material on their near sides, and one fastener is detachably mounted on the support bar and detachably connected to the other fastener.

[0014] Furthermore, the cam transmission device includes a cam and a transmission rod that are hinged together in sequence. The cam is fixedly connected to the output end of the drive mechanism, and the transmission rod is hinged to a connecting rod. The connecting rod is vertically arranged and fixedly connected to a multi-stage support platform in sequence.

[0015] Furthermore, the outer walls of the photofermentation tubes in the same photofermentation tube array are all fitted with interconnected water bath pipes.

[0016] Furthermore, the photo-fermentation tube is provided with sealing threads at both ends and is connected to a hydrogen discharge tube by sealing gaskets. The photo-fermentation tube is also provided with a material inlet / outlet and a pH electrode inlet.

[0017] Furthermore, the light source is a halogen lamp, which is arranged in an array at equal intervals on the support frame.

[0018] A method for using an oscillating photobioreactor includes the following steps:

[0019] The bacterial solution is pre-set in the photo-fermentation tube, the light source is turned on, and after the reaction has been in place for a preset time, the drive device is started. The drive device drives the cam transmission device to move, and the cam transmission device drives the multi-stage support platform to move vertically back and forth on the support frame at the same time.

[0020] The bacterial solution in multiple photo-fermentation tubes in the photo-fermentation tube array vibrates until the precipitate in the photo-fermentation tubes detaches from the bottom of the photo-fermentation tubes and diffuses evenly into the bacterial solution, thus completing the internal vibration of the bio-hydrogen production reactor.

[0021] Furthermore, the internal oscillation amplitude of the bio-hydrogen production reactor is 100-140 mm, and the oscillation frequency is 0.3-0.7 Hz.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial technical effects:

[0023] This invention provides an oscillating photobioreactor and its usage method, comprising a multi-stage photofermentation tube array spaced apart along its height, and a multi-stage support platform for supporting the photofermentation tube array. The multi-stage support platform is slidably mounted on a support frame and is connected to a cam drive device, the input end of which is connected to a drive device. Multiple photofermentation tubes are arranged in parallel at intervals within the multi-stage photofermentation tube array, and the photofermentation tubes in all multi-stage arrays are staggered. Light sources are located on the upper and lower sides of the multi-stage photofermentation tube array, on the support frame. This application uses multiple photofermentation tubes connected in parallel, allowing small units to ferment independently without mutual interference, thus avoiding large-scale contamination of the bacterial solution. Secondly, this application has a simple structure, high safety, and simple operation, suitable for the growth of various photosynthetic bacteria and hydrogen production. Finally, this application uses physical oscillation to evenly distribute the bacterial solution, effectively reducing dissolved oxygen and dissolved hydrogen in the solution, simplifying hydrogen collection and separation, and enabling large-scale bio-hydrogen production. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an oscillating photobioreactor according to the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a side view of the structure of an oscillating photobioreactor according to the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the photofermentation tube of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the slide structure of the present invention.

[0028] In the diagram: 1. Photofermentation tube; 10. Water bath pipeline; 11. Sealing gasket; 12. Hydrogen exhaust pipe; 2. Support column; 20. Slide groove; 21. Rubber pad; 3. Support bar; 30. Pulley; 31. Fastener; 40. Cam; 41. Transmission rod; 43. Connecting rod. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments. These descriptions are for explanation purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0030] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0031] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this invention are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of the invention described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0032] This invention provides an oscillating photobioreactor, such as... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, it includes a multi-level array of photo-fermentation tubes spaced apart along the height direction, and a multi-level support platform for supporting the photo-fermentation tube array. The multi-level support platform is slidably mounted on the support frame and is driven by a cam transmission device. The input end of the cam transmission device is connected to a drive device.

[0033] In each multi-stage photofermentation tube array, multiple photofermentation tubes 1 are arranged in parallel at intervals, and the photofermentation tubes in all multi-stage photofermentation tube arrays are staggered.

[0034] Light sources are provided on the upper and lower sides of the multi-stage photo-fermentation tube array and on the support frame.

[0035] Preferred, such as Figure 4 As shown, the support frame is a rectangular frame structure, including four vertically arranged support columns 2. The side walls of the support columns 2 are vertically spaced with multiple levels of sliding grooves 20, and rubber pads 21 are detachably installed at both ends of the sliding grooves 20. The number of sliding grooves 20 is equal to or greater than the number of support platforms. Further, the multi-level support platform is a rectangular structure, including support bars 3 that are fixedly connected end to end. The two opposite support bars 3 are provided with pulleys 30 at both ends that are adapted to the structure of the sliding grooves 20. It should be noted that the support columns 2 are made of 40mm×40mm square steel welded to form the support frame, which has the advantages of light weight, large load-bearing capacity, good shock absorption performance and low cost. The hollow structure of the square steel can make the circuit layout regular and can effectively protect the circuit. Those skilled in the art can cut the side walls of the square steel to form multi-level sliding grooves 20 by cutting technology, and detachably install the rubber pads 21 at both ends of the sliding grooves 20 by pins or fastening screws. The distance between two rubber pads 21 located in the same sliding groove 20 is not less than the vertical swing amplitude of the output end of the cam transmission device.

[0036] Preferably, the multi-level support platform is provided with fasteners 31, which are two C-shaped fasteners. Both fasteners have flexible material on their adjacent sides, and one fastener is detachably mounted on the support bar 3 and detachably connected to the other. It should be noted that the fasteners 31 facilitate the installation, disassembly, and replacement of the photofermentation tube 1 by those skilled in the art. Since the two C-shaped fasteners are connected by bolts, they are suitable for photofermentation tubes 1 of different diameters. The flexible material on their adjacent sides can be made of rubber or nylon, which has the characteristics of high pressure resistance, good elasticity, balancing pipe movement deviation, absorbing vibration, reducing noise, and convenient installation.

[0037] Preferred, such as Figure 4 As shown, the cam transmission device includes a cam 40 and a transmission rod 41 that are hinged together in sequence. The cam 40 is fixedly connected to the output end of the drive mechanism, and the transmission rod 41 is hinged to a connecting rod 43. The connecting rod 43 is vertically arranged and fixedly connected to a multi-stage support platform in sequence. It should be noted that the cam eccentricity used in this application is 50-110mm, and the length of the transmission rod 41 is 220-280mm. At the same time, the drive device uses a DC geared encoder motor, and those skilled in the art can set its speed so that it can cooperate with the cam transmission device to meet the oscillation phenomenon generated inside the photo-fermentation tube 1.

[0038] Preferred, such as Figure 3 As shown, the outer walls of all photofermentation tubes 1 in the same photofermentation tube array are fitted with interconnected water bath pipes 10. Furthermore, each photofermentation tube 1 has sealing threads at both ends and is sealed with a hydrogen discharge pipe 12 via a sealing gasket 11. The photofermentation tube 1 also has a material inlet / outlet and a pH electrode inlet. It should be noted that the interconnected water bath pipes 10 can provide the photofermentation tube 1 with environmental reaction parameters that maintain a constant temperature, and are suitable for large-scale hydrogen production. Furthermore, the photofermentation tube 1 is made of acrylic glass. Inexpensive acrylic glass, as the material for the photofermentation tube 1, has good transparency, allowing for good transmission of sunlight and artificial light sources. Moreover, the material is inexpensive and has low processing costs, enabling large-scale parallel photofermentation hydrogen production.

[0039] Preferably, the light source is a halogen lamp, which is arranged in an array at equal intervals on the support frame. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can install a top plate and a bottom plate on the support frame above and below the photo-fermentation tube array to fix the halogen lamps. The halogen lamps are arranged in a 3×18 pattern at equal intervals. Since the photo-fermentation tubes 1 in the multi-level photo-fermentation tube array are staggered, the photo-fermentation tubes 1 of the upper layer will not block the light source illumination of the photo-fermentation tubes 1 of the lower layer. The halogen lamps have a wide spectral range, which can meet the growth requirements of most photosynthetic bacteria. Furthermore, those skilled in the art can use a transformer to adjust the light intensity of the halogen lamps to solve the problems of uneven and insufficient illumination.

[0040] This invention provides a method for using an oscillating photobioreactor, comprising the following steps:

[0041] The bacterial solution is pre-set in the photo-fermentation tube 1, the light source is turned on, and after the reaction has been completed for a preset time, the drive device is started. The drive device drives the cam transmission device to move, and the cam transmission device drives the multi-stage support platform to perform vertical reciprocating motion on the support frame at the same time.

[0042] The bacterial solution in multiple photo-fermentation tubes 1 in the photo-fermentation tube array oscillates until the precipitate in the photo-fermentation tube 1 detaches from the bottom of the photo-fermentation tube 1 and diffuses evenly into the bacterial solution, thus completing the internal oscillation of the bio-hydrogen production reactor.

[0043] Preferably, the internal oscillation amplitude of the bio-hydrogen production reactor is 100-140 mm, and the oscillation frequency is 0.3-0.7 Hz.

[0044] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. An oscillating photobioreactor, characterized in that, It includes a multi-level array of photo-fermentation tubes spaced apart along the height direction, and a multi-level support platform for supporting the photo-fermentation tube array. The multi-level support platform is slidably mounted on a support frame and is driven by a cam transmission device. The input end of the cam transmission device is connected to a drive device. In a multi-stage photo-fermentation tube array, multiple photo-fermentation tubes (1) are arranged in parallel at intervals, and the photo-fermentation tubes in all multi-stage photo-fermentation tube arrays are staggered. Light sources are provided on the upper and lower sides of the multi-stage photo-fermentation tube array and on the support frame; The photo-fermentation tube (1) is provided with sealing threads at both ends and is connected to a hydrogen discharge tube (12) by a sealing gasket (11). The photo-fermentation tube (1) is also provided with a material inlet / outlet and a pH electrode inlet. The support frame is a rectangular frame structure, including four vertically arranged support columns (2). The side walls of the support columns (2) are vertically spaced with multiple levels of sliding grooves (20), and the two ends of the sliding grooves (20) are detachably equipped with rubber pads (21); the number of sliding grooves (20) is equal to or greater than the number of support platforms. The multi-level support platform is a rectangular structure, including support bars (3) that are fixedly connected end to end, wherein the two support bars (3) that are arranged opposite to each other are provided with pulleys (30) that are adapted to the structure of the slide groove (20). The multi-level support platform is provided with fasteners (31), which are two fasteners with a C-shaped structure. Both fasteners are provided with flexible material on the side near the fasteners. One fastener is detachably mounted on the support bar (3) and detachably connected to the other fastener. The internal oscillation amplitude of the reactor is 100-140 mm, and the oscillation frequency is 0.3-0.7 Hz.

2. The oscillating photobioreactor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cam transmission device includes a cam (40) and a transmission rod (41) that are hinged together in sequence. The cam (40) is fixedly connected to the output end of the drive mechanism. The transmission rod (41) is hinged to a connecting rod (43). The connecting rod (43) is vertically arranged and fixedly connected to a multi-level support platform in sequence.

3. The oscillating photobioreactor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer walls of the photofermentation tubes (1) in the same photofermentation tube array are all fitted with interconnected water bath pipes (10).

4. The oscillating photobioreactor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The light source is a halogen lamp, which is arranged in an array at equal intervals on the support frame.

5. A method of using an oscillating photobioreactor, characterized in that, An oscillating photobioreactor according to any one of claims 1-4 includes the following steps: Pre-set bacterial solution in the photo-fermentation tube (1), turn on the light source, and after the reaction has been set for a preset time, start the drive device. The drive device drives the cam transmission device to move, and the cam transmission device drives the multi-level support platform to move vertically back and forth on the support frame at the same time. The bacterial solution in multiple photo-fermentation tubes (1) in the photo-fermentation tube array oscillates until the precipitate in the photo-fermentation tube (1) detaches from the bottom of the photo-fermentation tube (1) and diffuses evenly into the bacterial solution, thus completing the internal oscillation of the bio-hydrogen production reactor. The internal oscillation amplitude of the biohydrogen production reactor is 100-140 mm, and the oscillation frequency is 0.3-0.7 Hz.

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