Refractive braided tube hollow fiber membrane light tree bioreactor

Abstract

The invention discloses a refractive braided tube hollow fiber membrane light tree bioreactor. The bioreactor comprises a transparent tank body made of a transparent material, the inner layer of a membrane wire is a refraction braided tube, the outer layer of the membrane wire is a polymer film with biological friendliness, and the refraction braided tube is used for introducing and uniformly distributing an external light source into the whole bioreactor to provide necessary illumination conditions for microalgae. The reactor can effectively capture carbon dioxide and utilize microalgae for resourceful culture. The reactor system provides a suitable microalgae growth environment with sufficient light and sufficient carbon sources for microalgae through gas-liquid separation, and promotes rapid growth of microalgae. The reactor can be applied to the fields of industrial waste gas treatment, greenhouse gas emission reduction, biological energy production, aquaculture wastewater and the like. A CO2 trapping technology is organically combined with a CO2 biosynthesis and resource utilization technology, so that efficient trapping and resource utilization of CO2 are realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to biotechnology, and in particular relates to a refractive braided tube hollow fiber membrane "light tree" bioreactor. Background Art

[0002] As the global climate change problem becomes increasingly serious, carbon dioxide (CO2), as one of the main greenhouse gases, has become a focus of widespread international attention in terms of emission reduction and resource utilization. The large amount of CO2 produced in traditional industrial processes not only exacerbates the greenhouse effect, but also has a serious impact on the ecological environment. Therefore, the development of efficient and environmentally friendly CO2 capture and resource utilization technology is of great significance to achieving the goal of carbon neutrality.

[0003] As an efficient photosynthetic organism, algae can convert CO2 into organic matter and release oxygen through photosynthesis. This characteristic makes it show great potential in CO2 fixation and biomass energy production. However, traditional algae cultivation methods often face problems such as uneven lighting and low light energy utilization, which limits the growth efficiency of algae and its ability to absorb CO2.

[0004] In recent years, researchers have begun to explore the use of advanced materials and technologies to improve algae culture conditions and increase photosynthesis efficiency. Among them, the concept of "light tree" bioreactor came into being. It imitates the structure of trees in nature and optimizes the design to make light energy more evenly distributed inside the reactor, thereby significantly improving the growth rate of algae and CO2 conversion efficiency. However, how to further enhance the light-conducting performance and ensure that all algae cells in the entire system can obtain sufficient light remains a challenge.

[0005] In this context, the present invention proposes a novel "light tree" bioreactor design based on refractive hollow fiber materials. The reactor adopts a refractive braided tube with a specific structure as the main material and coats a layer of functional polymer film on its surface. Summary of the invention

[0006] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention provides a refractive braided tube hollow fiber membrane "light tree" bioreactor, which has the following technical advantages:

[0007] 1. Adequate lighting:

[0008] The refractive braided tube is made of high refractive index material, which can minimize the loss of light intensity during long-distance transmission and evenly distribute the light source inside the reactor. This ensures that all microalgae can get enough light, thereby improving the overall photosynthesis efficiency.

[0009] The light collecting device can automatically track the changes in the sun's position, focus the sunlight through optical elements and then introduce it into the refractive fiber, further improving the utilization rate of light energy.

[0010] 2. Utilization of space and water resources:

[0011] Compared with open pond systems, this reactor takes up less space, is easy to design modularly, and can be flexibly scaled according to demand.

[0012] The water consumption is only 3‰ of the traditional amount, and the water resource utilization rate is increased by 300 times.

[0013] 3. Microalgae cultivation technology:

[0014] The microalgae culture is combined with the hollow fiber membrane, and the specific surface area of ​​the membrane is used to provide a carrier for the growth of microalgae.

[0015] The culture medium and CO2 mixed gas are passed inside and outside the hollow fiber membrane to induce the microalgae to form biofilm, proliferate and expand; and to avoid the conversion of CO2 into HCO3 - and CO3 2 - Acidify the culture medium, improve the direct gas phase CO2 absorption and bioconversion of microalgae, and promote the expansion and reproduction of microalgae.

[0016] The cylindrical tank design with a large ratio of height to diameter allows a large surface area of ​​hollow fiber membrane carriers to be placed per unit volume, thus achieving high-density farming.

[0017] The present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0018] A refractive braided tube hollow fiber membrane "light tree" bioreactor, characterized in that it includes a transparent tank body made of transparent material, the inner layer of the membrane filament is a refractive braided tube, and the outer layer is a bio-friendly polymer film. The refractive braided tube is used to introduce an external light source and evenly distribute it throughout the bioreactor.

[0019] The refractive braided tube hollow fiber membrane "light tree" bioreactor is characterized by: it also includes a light collecting device located at the top of the trunk structure, which can automatically track the changes in the position of the sun and focus the sunlight through optical elements and then introduce it into the refractive fiber.

[0020] The refractive braided tube is made of one or more high refractive index materials, which are selected from but not limited to glass fiber, quartz fiber, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC) or other transparent materials suitable for use in a bioreactor environment, so as to effectively guide light into the interior of the bioreactor and evenly scatter the light through the braided structure.

[0021] The light-transmitting reactor is cylindrical and made of transparent materials such as polymethyl methacrylate (acrylic or plexiglass PMMA plastic), polycarbonate (PC plastic), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), transparent nylon, AS (acrylonitrile-styrene copolymer), plexiglass, inorganic glass, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), etc., with a diameter of 0.1-0.5 meters, a height of 0.5-2.5 meters, and a thickness of 0.5-2.0 centimeters.

[0022] The pore size of the hollow fiber membrane is 0.1-1000nm, the outer diameter of the hollow fiber is 0.2-2mm, and the inner diameter is 0.1-1.5mm; the material of the hollow fiber includes any one or a composite combination of polytetramethylpentene, polypropylene, polyethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyetheretherketone, polysilicone resin, polydimethylsiloxane, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyurethane, polyester, polyamide, polyimide, polyetherimide (PEI), polysulfone, polyethersulfone, polyethylene-polyvinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH), polylactic acid, cellulose acetate (CA), nylon and glass fiber;

[0023] The refractive braided tube hollow fiber membrane "light tree" bioreactor is characterized by having a structure at the bottom that is convenient for collecting microalgae biomass products, such as a sedimentation tank or a filter screen, to simplify the harvesting process.

[0024] The refractive braided tube hollow fiber membrane "light tree" bioreactor is characterized in that: the transparent tank body of the "light tree" bioreactor is designed to be a detachable structure, which is convenient for cleaning, maintenance and replacement of internal components; at the same time, multiple interfaces are provided on the outside of the tank body, allowing for the addition of nutrient solution, inoculation of microorganisms and collection of products, thereby improving operational flexibility and practicality. The overall framework adopts a modular design, which supports flexible assembly and expansion according to different application scenarios, and is suitable for various needs from small-scale laboratory research to large-scale industrial production.

[0025] High-efficiency self-luminous fiber "light tree" bioreactor and its microalgae cultivation technology, the reactor can be applied to industrial waste gas treatment, greenhouse gas emission reduction, bioenergy production, aquaculture wastewater and other fields. The CO2 capture technology is organically combined with CO2 biosynthesis and resource utilization technology to achieve efficient capture and resource utilization of CO2, forming a two-way promotion technology system. This technology not only helps to control environmental pollution, but also realizes the benign carbon cycle of CO2, providing an important breakthrough for carbon peak and carbon neutrality.

[0026] The significant advantages and beneficial effects of the above technical solution of the present invention are as follows:

[0027] 1. Adequate lighting:

[0028] The refractive braided tube is made of high refractive index material, which can minimize the loss of light intensity during long-distance transmission and evenly distribute the light source inside the reactor. This ensures that all microalgae can get enough light, thereby improving the overall photosynthesis efficiency.

[0029] The light collecting device can automatically track the changes in the sun's position, focus the sunlight through optical elements and then introduce it into the refractive fiber, further improving the utilization rate of light energy.

[0030] 2. Utilization of space and water resources:

[0031] Compared with open pond systems, this reactor takes up less space, is easy to design modularly, and can be flexibly scaled according to demand.

[0032] The water consumption is only 3‰ of the traditional amount, and the water resource utilization rate is increased by 300 times.

[0033] 3. Microalgae cultivation technology:

[0034] Combine microalgae cultivation with hollow fiber membranes, and use the specific surface area of ​​the membrane to provide a carrier for the growth of microalgae. The culture fluid and CO2 mixed gas are passed inside and outside the hollow fiber membrane to induce the microalgae to form biofilms, proliferate and expand; avoid the conversion of CO2 into HCO3 - and CO3 2- Acidification of the culture medium improves direct gas-phase CO2 absorption and bioconversion of microalgae, and promotes the expansion and reproduction of microalgae.

[0035] The cylindrical tank design with a large ratio of height to diameter allows a large surface area of ​​hollow fiber membrane carriers to be placed per unit volume, thus achieving high-density farming. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] Figure 1 Refractive braided tube hollow fiber membrane "light tree" bioreactor overall view (a), cross-section view (b), top view (c), DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The technical solution of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0038] Embodiment 1:

[0039] The average pore size of the polysulfone hollow fiber membrane is 10nm, and the outer diameter of the polysulfone hollow fiber is 1.1mm, wherein the refractive braided tube is composed of glass fiber and has an outer diameter of 1.0mm; the light-transmitting reactor is cylindrical and made of resin glass, with a diameter of 0.3 meters, a height of 1 meter, and a thickness of 1 centimeter.

[0040] The above-mentioned polysulfone hollow fiber membrane and refractive fiber are made into an assembly and placed in a transparent tank to construct a CO2 capture and carbon fixation microalgae cultivation membrane bioreactor; when the microalgae are mature, the microalgae can be collected by flushing by adjusting the flow rate of the nutrient solution; the microalgae are then collected and concentrated by filtration, and the obtained microalgae can be used as biodiesel raw materials after post-processing.

[0041] Embodiment 2:

[0042] The average pore size of the polyethylene hollow fiber membrane is 50nm, and its outer diameter is 1.0mm, wherein the refractive braided tube is composed of quartz fiber, and its outer diameter is 0.8mm; the light-transmitting reactor is cylindrical, with a diameter of 0.5m, a height of 1.5m, and a thickness of 1cm; the rest is consistent with Example 1.

[0043] Embodiment 3:

[0044] The average pore size of the polydimethylsiloxane hollow fiber membrane is 50 nm and the outer diameter is 1.4 mm, wherein the refractive braided tube is composed of polymethyl methacrylate and has an outer diameter of 1.2 mm; the light-transmitting reactor is cylindrical with a diameter of 0.5 m, a height of 2 m and a thickness of 1 cm; the rest is consistent with Example 1.

[0045] Embodiment 4:

[0046] The average pore size of the polyetheretherketone hollow fiber membrane is 20nm, and its outer diameter is 1.4mm, wherein the refractive braided tube is composed of quartz fiber and has an outer diameter of 1.2mm; the light-transmitting reactor is cylindrical, with a diameter of 0.7 meters, a height of 1.5 meters, and a thickness of 2 centimeters; the rest is consistent with Example 1.

[0047] Embodiment 5:

[0048] The average pore size of the polytetrafluoroethylene hollow fiber membrane is 20 nm, the outer diameter of the hollow fiber is 1.0 mm, wherein the refractive braided tube is composed of quartz fiber with an outer diameter of 0.9 mm; the light-transmitting reactor is cylindrical with a diameter of 0.7 m, a height of 1.5 m and a thickness of 2 cm; the rest is consistent with Example 1.

Claims

1. A refractive braided tube hollow fiber membrane "light tree" bioreactor, characterized by: It comprises a transparent tank body made of transparent material, the inner layer of the membrane filament is a refractive braided tube, and the outer layer is a bio-friendly polymer film. The refractive braided tube is used to introduce an external light source and evenly distribute it inside the entire bioreactor.

2. The refractive braided tube hollow fiber membrane "light tree" bioreactor according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a light collecting device located at the top of the trunk structure, which can automatically track changes in the position of the sun and focus the sunlight through optical elements and then guide it into the refractive fiber.

3. According to claim 1, the refractive braided tube is made of one or more high refractive index materials, and the materials are selected from but not limited to glass fiber, quartz fiber, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC) or other transparent materials suitable for use in a bioreactor environment, so as to effectively guide light into the interior of the bioreactor and evenly scatter the light through the braided structure.

4. The light-transmitting reactor according to claim 1 is cylindrical, made of transparent materials such as polymethyl methacrylate (acrylic or plexiglass PMMA plastic), polycarbonate (PC plastic), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), transparent nylon, AS (acrylonitrile-styrene copolymer), plexiglass, inorganic glass, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), etc., with a diameter of 0.1-0.5 meters, a height of 0.5-2.5 meters, and a thickness of 0.5-2.0 centimeters.

5. The hollow fiber membrane assembly according to claim 1 is composed of a hollow fiber homogeneous membrane and a hollow fiber braided tube reinforced composite membrane, and the pore size of the hollow fiber membrane is 0.1-1000nm, the outer diameter of the hollow fiber is 0.2-2mm, and the inner diameter is 0.1-1.5mm; the material of the hollow fiber includes any one or a composite combination of polytetramethylpentene, polypropylene, polyethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyetheretherketone, polysilicone resin, polydimethylsiloxane, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyurethane, polyester, polyamide, polyimide, polyetherimide (PEI), polysulfone, polyethersulfone, polyethylene-polyvinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH), polylactic acid, cellulose acetate (CA), nylon and glass fiber.

6. The refractive braided tube hollow fiber membrane "light tree" bioreactor according to claim 1, characterized in that: A structure is designed at the bottom to facilitate the collection of microalgae biomass products, such as a sedimentation tank or a filter screen, to simplify the harvesting process.

7. The refractive braided tube hollow fiber membrane "light tree" bioreactor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The "light tree" bioreactor is designed with a transparent tank body that is detachable, which is convenient for cleaning, maintenance and replacement of internal components. At the same time, multiple interfaces are provided on the outside of the tank body to allow the addition of nutrient solution, inoculation of microorganisms and collection of products, thereby improving operational flexibility and practicality. The overall framework adopts a modular design, which supports flexible assembly and expansion according to different application scenarios, and is suitable for various needs from small-scale laboratory research to large-scale industrial production.

8. High-efficiency self-luminous fiber "light tree" bioreactor and its microalgae cultivation technology, which can be applied to industrial waste gas treatment, greenhouse gas emission reduction, bioenergy production, aquaculture wastewater and other fields. The CO2 capture technology is organically combined with CO2 biosynthesis and resource utilization technology to achieve efficient capture and resource utilization of CO2, forming a two-way promotion technology system. This technology not only helps to control environmental pollution, but also realizes the benign carbon cycle of CO2, providing an important breakthrough for carbon peak and carbon neutrality.

Images