High-efficiency self-luminous fiber'light tree 'bioreactor and microalgae culture technology thereof

Abstract

A high-efficiency self-luminous fiber'light tree 'bioreactor is characterized in that components of the bioreactor are provided with light guide fiber tubes, membrane filaments of a hollow fiber membrane are prepared by blending polymers and self-luminous materials, and the hollow fiber membrane has high light transmission to promote photosynthetic biological reaction. 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 specifically relates to a high-efficiency self-luminous fiber "light tree" bioreactor and a microalgae cultivation technology thereof. Background Art

[0002] As global climate change and environmental pollution become increasingly serious, the emission control and resource utilization of carbon dioxide (CO2) have become the focus of international attention. Traditionally, the technology cost of capturing and storing CO2 through physical or chemical methods is high and difficult to apply on a large scale. In recent years, biological fixation of CO2 has received widespread attention as a green and sustainable method. Among them, the use of microalgae for photosynthesis can not only effectively absorb CO2 in the atmosphere, but also produce products with high economic value such as biofuels, raw materials for health products, etc.

[0003] Microalgae, as a type of single-cell or multi-cell aquatic plants, grow rapidly under suitable conditions and have strong adaptability to the environment. They can fix large amounts of CO2 through photosynthesis while releasing oxygen. In addition, some types of microalgae are rich in oil and are one of the ideal raw materials for producing biodiesel; while others are rich in protein, polysaccharides and antioxidants, which can be used as food additives, feed and even in the medical field. Therefore, the development of an efficient microalgae cultivation system is of great significance for promoting environmental protection and achieving carbon neutrality goals.

[0004] However, existing microalgae cultivation technologies have some limitations. For example, in open pond systems, microalgae are easily affected by external factors, resulting in unstable growth; although closed photobioreactors can provide more controllable environmental conditions, traditional designs often face the problem of insufficient light, especially in deeper liquid layers, where light intensity drops sharply, limiting the growth efficiency of microalgae. In addition, how to effectively introduce external light sources into the reaction system and ensure uniform distribution throughout the cultivation process is also a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently.

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes a highly efficient self-luminous fiber "light tree" bioreactor and its microalgae cultivation technology. The device achieves effective introduction of external light and good illumination of the internal space through a unique structural design - a light-guiding fiber tube is arranged in the center and combined with a highly light-transmitting hollow fiber membrane made of a blend of polymer and self-luminous material, thereby significantly improving the photosynthetic rate of microalgae and CO2 fixation capacity. Summary of the invention

[0006] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention provides a highly efficient self-luminous fiber "light tree" bioreactor and its microalgae cultivation technology, the technical advantages of which are:

[0007] 1. Adequate lighting:

[0008] A light-guiding fiber tube is provided in the center of the reactor to introduce an external light source into the reactor, ensuring sufficient light intensity even in the deep layer of the liquid.

[0009] The membrane filament is made of a blend of polymer and self-luminous material, which can emit fluorescence or phosphorescence in the absence of direct light, thereby enhancing the lighting effect.

[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] 4. Environmental protection and sustainability:

[0018] By using microalgae to fix CO2, the CO2 utilization efficiency is increased to 99%, and the fixation rate reaches 10.5kg / (L·d), which is in line with the global sustainable development trend.

[0019] By utilizing microalgae as resources, we can reduce our dependence on fossil energy and promote a circular economy.

[0020] 5. Economic benefits:

[0021] Microalgae can be used to produce biofuels, food additives, feed ingredients and to extract valuable chemicals.

[0022] Microalgae can be cultivated using sewage, absorbing nitrogen and phosphorus in the sewage and reducing operating costs to 50% or less.

[0023] The present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0024] The high-efficiency self-luminous fiber "light tree" bioreactor is characterized by including: the components of the reactor are provided with light-guiding fiber tubes, the membrane filaments of the hollow fiber membrane are made by blending a polymer with a self-luminous material, and the hollow fiber membrane has high light transmittance to promote photosynthetic biological reactions. The reactor can effectively capture carbon dioxide and utilize microalgae for resource-based breeding.

[0025] The optical fiber tubes are used to introduce external light sources into the reactor and evenly distribute the light sources inside the reactor, thereby providing necessary lighting conditions for the microalgae. The number of the optical fiber tubes is 1-10.

[0026] The self-luminous material can continue to emit fluorescence or phosphorescence in the absence of direct light, thereby enhancing the photosynthesis efficiency in the reactor.

[0027] The self-luminous material can be a sulfide series light-storage self-luminous material, including zinc sulfide (ZnS) doped with copper (Cu), calcium sulfide (CaS) doped with bismuth (Bi) and calcium sulfide doped with europium (Eu); it can also be an aluminate system light-storage self-luminous material: calcium aluminate (CaAl2O4), strontium aluminate (SrAl2O4) and the like as a matrix, doped with rare earth elements such as europium (Eu) and neodymium (Nd) and the like as an activator; or a silicate system light-storage self-luminous material: based on the improvement of the aluminate system, it has better water resistance and a variety of luminous colors.

[0028] The surface treatment process of the hollow fiber membrane makes it not only have good luminescent properties, but also have excellent selective permeability and mechanical strength, and is suitable for long-term operation and not easy to be damaged.

[0029] The light-transmitting reactor is 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.

[0030] The high-efficiency self-luminous fiber "light tree" bioreactor is further characterized by: it also includes a gas exchange system, which is designed to improve the efficiency of carbon dioxide delivery into the reactor and the speed of exhausting byproducts such as oxygen from the reactor, thereby optimizing the material conversion rate in the entire photosynthetic biological process.

[0031] The hollow fiber membrane assembly 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;

[0032] The hollow fiber membrane uses a hollow fiber membrane with a large surface area and high affinity for CO2 gas as a substrate, and fixes biologically friendly induced amplification growth factors on the membrane surface.

[0033] 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.

[0034] The significant advantages and beneficial effects of the above technical solution of the present invention are as follows:

[0035] 1. Adequate lighting:

[0036] A light-guiding fiber tube is provided in the center of the reactor to introduce an external light source into the reactor, ensuring sufficient light intensity even in the deep layer of the liquid.

[0037] The membrane filament is made of a blend of polymer and self-luminous material, which can emit fluorescence or phosphorescence in the absence of direct light, thereby enhancing the lighting effect.

[0038] 2. Utilization of space and water resources:

[0039] Compared with open pond systems, this reactor takes up less space, is easy to design modularly, and can be flexibly scaled according to demand.

[0040] The water consumption is only 3‰ of the traditional amount, and the water resource utilization rate is increased by 300 times.

[0041] 3. Microalgae cultivation technology:

[0042] 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.

[0043] 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.

[0044] 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.

[0045] 4. Environmental protection and sustainability:

[0046] By using microalgae to fix CO2, the CO2 utilization efficiency is increased to 99%, and the fixation rate reaches 10.5kg / (L·d), which is in line with the global sustainable development trend.

[0047] By utilizing microalgae as resources, we can reduce our dependence on fossil energy and promote a circular economy.

[0048] 5. Economic benefits:

[0049] Microalgae can be used to produce biofuels, food additives, feed ingredients and to extract valuable chemicals.

[0050] Microalgae can be cultivated using sewage, absorbing nitrogen and phosphorus in the sewage and reducing operating costs to 50% or less. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0051] Figure 1 Top cross-sectional view (a) and side cross-sectional view (b) of a highly efficient self-luminous fiber “light tree” bioreactor DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] 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.

[0053] Embodiment 1:

[0054] A hollow fiber membrane made of a blend of polysulfone and zinc sulfide-doped copper self-luminous material is used as a microalgae cultivation carrier, in which the average pore size of the membrane is 10nm, the outer diameter of the hollow fiber is 0.2mm, and the inner diameter is 0.1mm; and a light-guiding fiber tube is installed in the reactor; the light-transmitting reactor is cylindrical, made of resin glass, with a diameter of 0.3 meters, a height of 1 meter, and a thickness of 1 centimeter.

[0055] The above-mentioned polysulfone hollow fiber membrane filaments are made into components and placed in a transparent tank to construct a CO2 capture and carbon fixation microalgae cultivation membrane bioreactor; when the microalgae 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.

[0056] Embodiment 2:

[0057] The equipment is optimized in this embodiment. The difference from Embodiment 1 is that the membrane filaments in the hollow fiber membrane assembly are replaced with a hollow fiber membrane made of a blend of polyethylene and calcium sulfide-doped bismuth self-luminous materials as a microalgae cultivation carrier, wherein the average pore size of the membrane is 50nm, the outer diameter of the hollow fiber is 1.0mm, and the inner diameter is 0.8mm; the light-transmitting reactor is cylindrical, with a diameter of 0.5 meters, a height of 1.5 meters, and a thickness of 1 centimeter; and three light-guiding fiber tubes are provided in the reactor; the rest are consistent with Embodiment 1.

[0058] Embodiment 3:

[0059] The difference from Examples 1 and 2 is that a hollow fiber membrane is made by blending polydimethylsiloxane and calcium sulfide doped with europium self-luminous material as a microalgae cultivation carrier, wherein the average pore size of the membrane is 200 nm, the outer diameter of the hollow fiber is 1.0 mm, and the inner diameter is 0.6 mm; the light-transmitting reactor is cylindrical, with a diameter of 0.5 meters, a height of 2 meters, and a thickness of 1 centimeter; and four light-guiding fiber tubes are provided in the reactor; the rest is consistent with Example 1.

[0060] Embodiment 4:

[0061] The difference from Examples 1, 2 and 3 is that: a hollow fiber membrane is made by blending polyetheretherketone and strontium aluminate-europium self-luminous material as a microalgae cultivation carrier, wherein the average pore size of the membrane is 20 nm, the outer diameter of the hollow fiber is 1.4 mm, and the inner diameter is 1.0 mm; 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; and six light-guiding fiber tubes are provided in the reactor; the rest is consistent with Example 1.

[0062] Embodiment 5:

[0063] The difference from Examples 1, 2, 3, and 4 is that a hollow fiber membrane is made by blending polytetrafluoroethylene and calcium aluminate-europium self-luminous material as a microalgae cultivation carrier, wherein the average pore size of the membrane is 0.8 nm, the outer diameter of the hollow fiber is 1.4 mm, and the inner diameter is 1.0 mm; the light-transmitting reactor is cylindrical, with a diameter of 0.8 meters, a height of 1.5 meters, and a thickness of 2 centimeters; and four light-guiding fiber tubes are provided in the reactor; the rest is consistent with Example 1.

Claims

1. Highly efficient self-luminous fiber "light tree" bioreactor, characterized by include: The components of the reactor are provided with a light-guiding fiber tube. The membrane filaments of the hollow fiber membrane are made by blending a polymer with a self-luminous material. The hollow fiber membrane has high light transmittance to promote photosynthetic biological reactions. The reactor can effectively capture carbon dioxide and utilize microalgae for resource-based breeding.

2. The optical fiber tube as claimed in claim 1 is used to introduce an external light source into the reactor and evenly distribute the light source inside the reactor, thereby providing necessary lighting conditions for the microalgae, and the number of the optical fiber tubes is 1-10.

3. The self-luminous material as claimed in claim 1 can continue to emit fluorescence or phosphorescence in the absence of direct light, thereby enhancing the photosynthesis efficiency in the reactor.

4. The self-luminous material as described in claim 1 can be a sulfide series light-storage self-luminous material, including zinc sulfide (ZnS) doped with copper (Cu), calcium sulfide (CaS) doped with bismuth (Bi) and calcium sulfide doped with europium (Eu); it can also be an aluminate system light-storage self-luminous material: calcium aluminate (CaAl2O4), strontium aluminate (SrAl2O4) and the like as a matrix, doped with rare earth elements such as europium (Eu) and neodymium (Nd) and the like as an activator; or a silicate system light-storage self-luminous material: based on the improvement of the aluminate system, it has better water resistance and a variety of luminous colors.

5. The surface treatment process of the hollow fiber membrane as described in claim 1 enables it to not only have good luminescence performance, but also have excellent selective permeability and mechanical strength, suitable for long-term operation and not easy to be damaged.

6. The light-transmitting reactor as claimed in claim 1 is 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.

7. The high-efficiency self-luminous fiber "light tree" bioreactor as described in any one of claims 1 to 4 is further characterized in that it also includes a gas exchange system designed to increase the efficiency of carbon dioxide delivery into the reactor and the speed of exhausting byproducts such as oxygen from the reactor, thereby optimizing the material conversion rate in the entire photosynthetic biological process.

8. 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.

9. The hollow fiber membrane as claimed in claim 1, which utilizes a hollow fiber membrane with a large surface area and a high affinity for CO2 gas as a substrate, and immobilizes a bio-friendly inducible growth factor on the membrane surface.

10. 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.

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