Constant-turbidity continuous culture device and constant-turbidity continuous culture method

Abstract

The invention provides a constant-turbidity continuous culture device which is used for culturing photosynthetic organisms, and the constant-turbidity continuous culture device comprises a mounting main body which comprises a shell, an input pipe and an output pipe, and the input pipe and the output pipe are connected to the shell; the input pump is communicated with the input pipe; the output pump is communicated with the output pipe; the optical sensor is connected to the mounting main body and is used for detecting the growth information of the photosynthetic organisms in real time; and the control circuit is electrically connected with the input pump, the output pump and the optical sensor and is used for controlling the input pump to input a culture medium through the input pipe and / or controlling the output pump to output a photosynthetic organism culture solution through the output pipe according to the growth information. The invention further provides a constant-turbidity continuous culture method.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of photosynthetic organism monitoring and cultivation, and in particular to a turbidity-constant continuous cultivation device and a turbidity-constant continuous cultivation method. Background Art

[0002] The traditional photosynthetic organism cultivation method uses batch cultivation, and the photosynthetic organisms are harvested collectively after growing to a preset concentration, and then the reactor is cleaned and re-inoculated.

[0003] On the one hand, the above-mentioned culture process requires frequent manual operation, is labor-intensive, and is prone to human error. On the other hand, the above-mentioned culture process is not conducive to laboratory culture scenarios (because in laboratory culture scenarios, it is necessary to pay attention to some experimental data under different states of photosynthetic biological cells, and under the above-mentioned culture method, photosynthetic biological cells cannot maintain a stable growth state for a long time and are difficult to observe). Furthermore, the above-mentioned culture process is not conducive to large-scale production in the industry: (1) Batch culture requires cleaning, disinfection, and re-inoculation after each fermentation or culture. This process consumes a lot of time and resources and reduces overall production efficiency; (2) The production conditions of different batches may vary, and the product consistency between different batches is poor. Product consistency is especially important for industries such as pharmaceuticals and food that require strict quality control; (3) During the batch culture process, metabolites will continue to accumulate, which may inhibit cell growth or affect product quality. Summary of the invention

[0004] The first aspect of the present application provides a turbidostatic continuous culture device for culturing photosynthetic organisms, the turbidostatic continuous culture device comprising: an installation body, comprising a shell and an input tube and an output tube connected to the shell; an input pump connected to the input tube; an output pump connected to the output tube; an optical sensor connected to the installation body and used for real-time detection of growth information of photosynthetic organisms; and a control circuit electrically connecting the input pump, the output pump and the optical sensor, and used for controlling the input pump to input culture medium through the input tube and / or controlling the output pump to output photosynthetic organism culture solution through the output tube according to the growth information.

[0005] The second aspect of the present application provides a turbidostatic continuous culture method, which is applied to the turbidostatic continuous culture device as mentioned above; the photosynthetic organism growth monitoring method includes: controlling the light source to emit a first reference light and a second reference light; controlling the receiver to receive the first detection light and the second detection light through the receiving window, and receiving an electrical signal from the receiver, wherein the electrical signal is generated according to the first detection light and the second detection light; based on a preset absorption spectrum curve, obtaining the growth information of the photosynthetic organism according to the electrical signal; and controlling the input pump to input the culture medium through the input tube and / or controlling the output pump to output the photosynthetic organism culture solution through the output tube according to the growth information.

[0006] The above-mentioned turbidity-constant continuous culture device and turbidity-constant continuous culture method monitor the growth status of photosynthetic organisms (such as microalgae, duckweed, etc.) in real time through optical sensors, and the control circuit board can control the input pump to input culture medium and the output pump to output algae liquid according to the growth information of photosynthetic organisms fed back by the optical sensors. In this way, the turbidity-constant continuous culture device of the present application can continuously harvest photosynthetic biological cells on the basis of controlling the photosynthetic biological cells to be at a certain constant turbidity, concentration or dry weight. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the constant turbidity continuous culture device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0008] Figure 2 It is an exploded structural diagram of the turbidostatic continuous culture device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0009] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the main body and optical sensor installed in the figure.

[0010] Figure 4 for Figure 2 A three-dimensional structural diagram of some components within the medium-temperature turbidity continuous culture device.

[0011] Figure 5 for Figure 1 Structural diagram of the medium-temperature turbidity continuous culture device in use.

[0012] Figure 6 for Figure 2 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the optical sensor.

[0013] Figure 7 for Figure 2 Another three-dimensional structural diagram of the optical sensor.

[0014] Figure 8 for Figure 2 Exploded diagram of the optical sensor.

[0015] Fig. 9for Figure 2 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the optical sensor in the detection state.

[0016] Fig.10 Flow chart of the steps of the turbidostatic continuous culture method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0017] Main component symbols Constant turbidity continuous culture device: 100; Monitoring devices: 10; Installation body: 1; Housing: 11 First surface: 111; Second surface: 112; Grooves: 113; Bottom wall: 114; Sidewall: 115; Functional tube: 12; Input tube: 121; Output tube: 122; Sampling tube: 123; Aeration pipe: 124; Display: 13; Switch: 14; Input pump: 2; Output pump: 3; Temperature sensor: 4; Optical sensors: 5; Main body: 510; First installation part: 511; Steps: S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, S8, S9, S10; First surface: 5111; Launch window: 5112; Second installation part: 512; Second surface: 5121; Receive window: 5122; Connecting column: 513; Containment space: 514; Light source: 520; Receiver: 530; Rotor assembly: 540; Active rotor: 541; Shading part: 5411; Light-transmitting part: 5412; Passive rotor: 542; Bearings: 543; Motor: 550; Signal line: 560; Rotation axis: L; Control circuit board: 6; Communication module: 61; Power supply battery: 7; Culture tubes: 20.

[0018] The following specific implementation methods will further illustrate the present application in conjunction with the above-mentioned drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The present application provides a turbidity-constant culture device for continuously culturing photosynthetic organisms (such as microalgae, duckweed, etc.) under constant turbidity. The turbidity-constant culture device includes an optical sensor for real-time detection and feedback of growth information of photosynthetic organisms, so that the turbidity-constant culture device can pump out photosynthetic organism culture fluid (continuously harvest photosynthetic organisms) or pump in photosynthetic organism culture medium (maintain constant turbidity in a bioreactor) based on the growth information.

[0020] In this embodiment, the structure and function of the turbidostatic continuous culture device are illustrated by taking microalgae as photosynthetic organisms.

[0021] See also Figure 1 The constant turbidity continuous culture device 100 of the present application includes a monitoring device 10 and a culture tube 20. The culture tube 20 is used to load the microalgae culture solution, and the monitoring device 10 is used to monitor the growth state of the microalgae and pump out the algae solution or pump in the culture medium in time. In this embodiment, the culture tube 20 is a long tubular structure. In the working state, the culture tube 20 can be plugged into the monitoring device 10, so that some components of the detection device 10 are located in the culture tube 20.

[0022] See also Figure 2 The monitoring device 10 includes a mounting body 1. The mounting body 1 includes a housing 11, a plurality of functional tubes 12, a display screen 13 and a switch key 14. The housing 11 is a substantially hollow rectangular parallelepiped structure. The display screen 13 and the switch key 14 are disposed on a first surface 111 of the housing 11. The switch key 14 is used to control the switch of the monitoring device 10, and the display screen 13 is used to display information during the working process of the monitoring device 10 in real time. In this embodiment, the display screen 13 is an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display screen.

[0023] Each functional tube 12 is a circular functional tube, fixedly connected to the second surface 112 of the housing 11. Each functional tube 12 is spaced apart from each other and extends in a direction perpendicular to the second surface 112. The first surface 111 is perpendicular to the second surface 112. Figure 3In this embodiment, a groove 113 with a circular opening is provided on the second surface 112. The bottom wall 114 of the groove 113 is also circular, and the side wall 115 of the groove 113 is perpendicular to the bottom wall 114. Each functional tube 12 is fixedly connected to the bottom wall 115 of the groove 113. In the working state, the culture tube 20 can be inserted into the groove 113, so that the above-mentioned multiple functional tubes extend into the culture tube 20.

[0024] In other embodiments of the present application, the display screen 13 and the switch key 14 may be disposed on different surfaces of the housing 11 , but the functional tubes 12 are disposed on the same surface of the housing 11 .

[0025] Please refer to Figure 2 The monitoring device 10 further includes an input pump 2, an output pump 3, a temperature sensor 4, an optical sensor 5, a control circuit board 6 and a power supply battery 7 located in a housing 11. The control circuit board 6 is electrically connected to the input pump 2, the output pump 3, the temperature sensor 4, the optical sensor 5 and the power supply battery 7 respectively. The power supply battery 7 is used to power the entire device. The control circuit board 6 is used to control the input pump 2 and the output pump 3 to work according to the information sent back by the temperature sensor 4 and the optical sensor 5.

[0026] In this embodiment, the multiple functional tubes 12 fixed on the shell 11 are respectively an input tube 121, an output tube 122, a sampling tube 123 and an aeration tube 124. The input tube 121 and the sampling tube 123 are substantially the same length. The length of the output tube 122 is respectively smaller than the input tube 121, the sampling tube 123 and the aeration tube 124, so that the liquid level in the culture tube 20 always maintains a certain height. The length of the aeration tube 124 is respectively larger than the length of the input tube 121, the output tube 122 and the sampling tube 123, so that the aeration tube 124 can extend into the bottom of the culture tube 20.

[0027] The input pump 2 is connected to the input pipe 121, and is used to input the culture medium into the culture tube 20 through the input pipe 121 under the drive of the control circuit board 6. The output pump 3 is connected to the output pipe 122, and is used to pump out the algae liquid in the culture tube 20 through the output pipe 122 under the drive of the control circuit board 6. In this embodiment, the input pump 2 and the output pump 3 are both peristaltic pumps. One end of the temperature sensor 4 is located in the algae liquid, and the other end is connected to the algae liquid through the groove 113 (see FIG. Figure 3 ) is connected to the control circuit board 6 inside the housing 11 for real-time monitoring and feedback of algae liquid temperature information. The control circuit board 6 can control the operation of the external temperature control system (not shown in the figure, for example, including water cooling devices, fans and other structures) according to the temperature information returned. The optical sensor 5 is fixedly arranged on the aeration pipe 124, located in the algae liquid, for real-time monitoring of the growth status of microalgae, and feedback of growth information to the control circuit board 6. The aeration pipe 124 is used to input carbon dioxide required for the growth of microalgae and plays a stirring role.

[0028] In this embodiment, the control circuit board 6 also includes a communication module 61 (see Figure 4 ), so that the constant turbidity continuous culture device 100 can communicate with external equipment during use to achieve remote data or signal transmission. In this embodiment, the communication module 61 is a local area network communication chip.

[0029] See also Figure 6 The optical sensor 5 of the embodiment of the present application includes a main body 510, a light source 520 and a receiver 530 located in the main body 510. The light source 520 is used to emit reference light, and the reference light passes through the culture algae liquid and is received by the receiver 530 as detection light. The receiver 530 is used to generate an electrical signal based on the detection light. The electrical signal can be used to obtain the growth information of the microalgae cells in the culture matrix.

[0030] In this embodiment, the main body 510 has a first mounting portion 511, a second mounting portion 512 and four connecting columns 513. The first mounting portion 511 and the second mounting portion 512 are both generally hollow rectangular parallelepiped structures. The connecting columns 513 are spaced and parallel to each other. Each connecting column 513 extends from a vertex of the first mounting portion 511 to a vertex of the second mounting portion 512. In this embodiment, the first mounting portion 511, the second mounting portion 512 and the connecting columns 513 are integrally formed.

[0031] Please also read Figure 6 and Figure 7 The first mounting portion 511 has a first surface 5111 facing the second mounting portion 512, and an emission window 5112 is formed on the first surface 5111. The light source 520 is located in the first mounting portion 511 and at the emission window 5112, and is used to emit reference light through the emission window 5112.

[0032] The second mounting portion 512 has a second surface 5121 facing the first mounting portion 511, and a receiving window 5122 is formed on the second surface. The first surface 5111 and the second surface 5121 are spaced apart and parallel to each other. The receiver 530 is located in the second mounting portion 512 and at the receiving window 5122, and is used to receive the detection light incident from the receiving window 5122.

[0033] The area of ​​the main body 510 where the transmitting window 5112 and the receiving window 5122 are formed is made of a light-transmitting material, and the remaining area is made of a light-shielding material. Since the optical sensor 5 is always immersed in the cultured algae liquid during use, the main body 510 is made of PC plastic, which can resist corrosion, dirt and other forms of damage caused by exposure to salt water or other substances in the water.

[0034] In this embodiment, the transmitting window 5112 and the receiving window 5122 are circular windows respectively. The transmitting window 5111 and the receiving window 5122 have the same area, or the receiving window 5122 has a slightly larger area than the transmitting window 5112, so as to more effectively receive the detection light. The positive projection of the receiving window 5122 on the first surface 5111 completely covers the transmitting window 5112, which is conducive to more effectively receiving the detection light on the one hand, and on the other hand, the reference light emitted from the transmitting window 5112 can be used as the detection light to enter the receiving window 5122 horizontally, which is conducive to minimizing the light attenuation and distortion caused by reflection, refraction, and scattering during the light propagation process.

[0035] In this embodiment, the four connecting pillars 513 form a receiving space 514 between the first mounting portion 511 and the second mounting portion 512. When the optical sensor 5 is immersed in the microalgae culture solution, the cultured algae solution can enter the receiving space 514 from the area between the connecting pillars 513. At this time, the reference light is emitted from the emission window 5112 and passes through the cultured algae solution, so that the optical properties of the reference light are changed, and enters the receiving window 5122 as the detection light.

[0036] The light source 520 is used to simultaneously or time-sharingly emit a first reference light and a second reference light of different wavelengths. In this embodiment, the first reference light is an infrared light of a wavelength of 940 nm, and the second reference light is a light of a wavelength of 450 nm. The optical sensor 5 uses the light source 520 of the above-mentioned specific wavelength and utilizes the absorption characteristics of microalgae cells to light of different wavelengths to accurately measure the concentration of microalgae cells.

[0037] The first reference light with a wavelength of 940nm (infrared light) has the following characteristics: 1. Water absorption characteristics: Light with a wavelength of 940nm is less absorbed in water, so it can penetrate the water layer without losing too much energy. This is especially important for measuring the concentration of microalgae in water because it reduces the interference of water on the light signal.

[0038] 2. Cell structure penetration: Infrared light can penetrate cell walls and cell membranes to reach the interior of the cell. This makes it possible to measure the properties of the entire cell, not just the cell surface.

[0039] 3. Chlorophyll absorbs less: Compared with other wavelengths of light, chlorophyll absorbs less light at 940nm, thus reducing the interference of chlorophyll on the measurement signal and making the measurement and prediction of cell dry weight (concentration) of photosynthetic organisms more accurate.

[0040] The second reference light with a wavelength of 450nm has the following characteristics: 1. Chlorophyll absorption peak: Light with a wavelength of 450nm is located in a peak area of ​​the chlorophyll absorption spectrum. Chlorophyll is an important pigment for photosynthesis of microalgae. It strongly absorbs light in the blue light region, especially light around 450nm.

[0041] 2. Measuring photosynthetic activity: By measuring the absorption of 450nm light by microalgae, its photosynthetic activity and biomass can be indirectly assessed. This is because the amount of light absorbed by chlorophyll (chlorophyll content) is directly related to the growth state of the cell (under appropriate light intensity, cells in good growth condition usually have higher chlorophyll content. Under appropriate lighting conditions, the growth rate of cells usually increases, which means that cells need more energy and reducing power (such as ATP and NADPH) to support the biosynthesis process. Therefore, cells will increase the chlorophyll content to enhance photosynthesis to meet these needs. As cells age, the chlorophyll content usually decreases because the degradation rate of chlorophyll molecules exceeds the synthesis rate. The reduction in chlorophyll content will lead to reduced photosynthesis efficiency, weakened cell growth and metabolic activity, and may eventually lead to cell death).

[0042] Thus, in this embodiment, the first reference light of 940nm and the second reference light of 450nm are selected so that the optical sensor 5 can combine the measurement data of the two, and more accurately calculate the concentration of microalgae and evaluate its growth status by comparing and analyzing the light absorption at different wavelengths, which is beneficial to improve the measurement accuracy, reduce errors, and provide important information about the growth status of microalgae.

[0043] In this embodiment, the light source 520 includes two light emitting diodes that can emit the first reference light and the second reference light respectively. In other embodiments of the present application, the wavelength of the second reference light can be changed according to different information to be detected.

[0044] The receiver 530 is used to receive the first detection light generated by the first reference light passing through the algae culture solution through the receiving window 5122, and is used to receive the second detection light generated by the second reference light passing through the algae culture solution through the receiving window 5122. In this embodiment, the receiver 530 includes a photodiode, which is used to convert the first detection light and the second detection light into electrical signals for output through photoelectric conversion.

[0045] In this embodiment, the optical sensor 5 further includes a rotor assembly 540 movably connected between the first mounting portion 511 and the second mounting portion 512. That is, the rotor assembly 540 is movably connected between the first surface 5111 and the second surface 5121 and is located in the receiving space 514.

[0046] See also Figure 8The rotor assembly 540 includes an active rotor 541, a passive rotor 542 and a bearing 543. The active rotor 541 and the passive rotor 542 are separate structures and are arranged around the bearing 543. The optical sensor 5 also includes a motor 550. The motor 550 is fixedly arranged on a side of the first mounting portion 511 away from the first surface 5111, and is connected to the active rotor 541, and is used to drive the active rotor 541 to rotate around the rotation axis L (that is, around the axis of the bearing 543). The motor 550 can drive the active rotor 541 to rotate forward (clockwise around the rotation axis L) and reverse (counterclockwise around the rotation axis L). The rotation axis L is perpendicular to the first surface 5111 and the second surface 5121 respectively.

[0047] The passive rotor 542 is not connected to the motor 550. When the passive rotor 542 is located in the rotation direction of the active rotor 541, the active rotor 541 contacts the passive rotor 542 and pushes the passive rotor 542 to rotate synchronously.

[0048] In this embodiment, the active rotor 541 and the passive rotor 542 are both solid columnar structures. The two ends of the active rotor 541 and the passive rotor 542 are in contact with the first surface 5111 and the second surface 5121 respectively. In the process of rotating around the rotation axis L, the two ends of the active rotor 541 and the passive rotor 542 always keep in contact with the first surface 5111 and the second surface 5121 respectively.

[0049] In this embodiment, the ends of the active rotor 541 and the passive rotor 542 that contact the first surface 5111 jointly cover a portion of the first surface 5111, so that the emission window 5112 can be exposed relative to the rotor assembly 540, and the active rotor 541 and / or the passive rotor 542 are prevented from covering the emission window 5112 and affecting the emission of the reference light. Similarly, the ends of the active rotor 541 and the passive rotor 542 that contact the second surface 5121 jointly cover a portion of the second surface 5121, so that the receiving window 5122 can be exposed relative to the rotor assembly 540, and the active rotor 541 and / or the passive rotor 542 are prevented from covering the receiving window 5122 and affecting the reception of the detection light.

[0050] The active rotor 541 includes a light shielding portion 5411 and a light-transmitting portion 412. The light-transmitting portion 5412 is embedded in the light shielding portion 5411. The two ends of the light shielding portion 5411 contact the first surface 5111 and the second surface 5121 respectively. The light shielding portion 5411 is provided with a through hole that passes through the two ends. The light-transmitting portion 5412 is filled in the through hole and is exposed relative to the two ends of the light shielding portion 5411. The two ends of the light-transmitting portion 5412 also contact the first surface 5111 and the second surface 5121 respectively. The end of the light-transmitting portion 412 contacting the first surface 5111 has the same shape and area as the transmitting window 5112, and the end of the light-transmitting portion 5412 contacting the second surface 5121 has the same shape and area as the receiving window 122.

[0051] In this embodiment, the light shielding portion 5411 and the passive rotor 542 are made of PC plastic, which can resist corrosion, dirt and other forms of damage caused by exposure to salt water or other substances in water, and the light-transmitting portion 5412 is a cylindrical glass component.

[0052] In this embodiment, in addition to realizing the function of monitoring the growth state of microalgae, the optical sensor 5 also realizes the light shielding, self-calibration and self-cleaning functions of the optical sensor 5 through the rotor assembly 540. In the process of realizing the above functions, the active rotor 541 and the passive rotor 542 may need to rotate to shield part or all of the transmitting window 5112 and the receiving window 5122. In order to ensure that the active rotor 541 and the passive rotor 542 can shield part or all of the transmitting window 5112 and the receiving window 5122, in this embodiment, the transmitting window 5112 and the receiving window 5122 are located within the rotation path range of the active rotor 541 and the passive rotor 542. In this embodiment, the rotation path range of the active rotor 541 and the passive rotor 542 is defined as the range passed by the first surface 5111 and the second surface 5122 during the 360-degree rotation of the active rotor 541 and the passive rotor 542 around the rotation axis L.

[0053] In this embodiment, the optical sensor 5 further includes a signal line 560 ( Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 5 The signal line 560 is not shown in the figure. Usually, when the optical sensor is set on the aeration tube, the signal line 560 can be routed in the aeration tube) and the control circuit (not shown) located in the main body 510. The control circuit is electrically connected to the light source 520, the receiver 530, the motor 550 and the signal line 560 respectively (for example, by setting a wire in the main body 510 to realize the electrical connection between the components), and is used to control the light source 520 to emit the first reference light and the second reference light, control the motor 550 to drive the active rotor 541 to rotate, receive the electrical signal from the receiver 530, and generate microalgae growth information according to the electrical signal. The signal line 560 is also connected to the device outside the optical sensor 5, and is used to transmit the growth information obtained by the control circuit to the external device for display, recording or further analysis.

[0054] The working method of the optical sensor 5 is described as follows. It should be noted that the optical sensor 5 is kept immersed in the microalgae culture solution during operation.

[0055] 1. Self-calibration: Since there may be differences in the readings of different optical sensors 5 , the present application calibrates the optical sensor 5 before the optical sensor 5 is put into formal use.

[0056] The control circuit controls the motor 550 to work, and drives the active rotor 541 to rotate through the motor 550 until the light-transmitting portion 5412 in the active rotor 541 rotates to the optical window and completely covers the optical window (that is, the end of the light-transmitting portion 5412 contacting the first surface 5111 completely covers the transmitting window 5112, and the end of the light-transmitting portion 5412 contacting the second surface 5112 completely covers the receiving window 5122). Since the light-transmitting portion 5412 has a high light transmittance, the reference light emitted from the transmitting window 5112 can be directly transmitted along the light-transmitting portion 5412 to the receiving window 5122. At this time, the intensity of the detection light received by the receiver 530 is the largest, and the amplitude of the electrical signal generated at this time is recorded.

[0057] When the shading portion 5411 completely covers the optical window, the reference light emitted from the transmitting window 5112 is completely blocked by the shading portion 5411, and the receiver 530 can hardly receive the detection light. That is, the intensity of the detection light received by the receiver 530 is the smallest at this time, and the amplitude of the electrical signal generated at this time is recorded.

[0058] According to the above-recorded electrical signal amplitudes when the light intensity is maximum and minimum, the corresponding relationship of "detection light intensity-electrical signal amplitude" of the currently used optical sensor 5 can be obtained, that is, the calibration of the optical sensor 5 is completed, which is conducive to improving the detection accuracy.

[0059] 2. Shading The optical sensor 5 works in the open state (such as Figure 5-Figure 6 ) and detection status (as shown Fig. 9 as shown).

[0060] When the optical sensor 5 is in the open state, the growth state of the microalgae is not detected, and the light source 520 does not emit reference light. At this time, the active rotor 541 and the passive rotor 542 are close together, and a large open space is formed between the transmitting window 5112 and the receiving window 5122, so that the culture algae solution (including microalgae cells, water, culture medium, etc.) can be easily placed in the open space.

[0061] At a certain moment, the optical sensor 5 needs to switch from the open state to the detection state. At this time, the control circuit controls the motor 550 to drive the active rotor 541 to rotate toward the side where the passive rotor 542 is located, so that the active rotor 541 pushes the passive rotor 542 to rotate synchronously until the passive rotor 542 is pushed to a preset position (will not cover any position of the optical window) and stops, and then the motor 50 drives the active rotor 541 to rotate a certain angle in the opposite direction, and is spaced from the passive rotor 542. In this way, the open space between the transmitting window 5112 and the receiving window 5122 is reduced. At this time, the cultured algae liquid in the open space is not easy to circulate with the external cultured algae liquid compared to the open state. And at this time, the passive rotor 542 can also block external light (light other than the reference light emitted by the light source 20) to a certain extent to reduce noise interference.

[0062] 3. Detection of growth status: During the detection of microalgae cell growth information, the active rotor 541 and the passive rotor 542 remain stationary, and at this time, the transmitting window 5112 and the receiving window 5122 are completely exposed relative to the active rotor 541 and the passive rotor 542. The control circuit transmits a control signal to the light source 520, driving the light source 520 to simultaneously or time-sharingly emit the first reference light and / or the second reference light. After the first reference light and / or the second reference light pass through the culture algae solution (including microalgae cells, water, culture medium, etc.), they are horizontally projected to the receiving window 5122 as the first detection light and / or the second detection light. The receiver 530 receives the first detection light and / or the second detection light from the receiving window 5122, performs photoelectric conversion, and outputs a corresponding electrical signal. The control circuit calculates the corresponding growth information (including the cell dry weight, pigment content, cell wall component content, cell membrane component content, etc. of the microalgae cells) based on the electrical signal, and transmits it to an external device through the signal line 560.

[0063] 4. Optical window (transmitting window 5112 and receiving window 5122) self-cleaning: Since the optical sensor 5 is continuously immersed in the microalgae culture solution during operation, as the microalgae cells grow, the microalgae cells, biofilms, sediments and other particles may adhere to and accumulate on the first surface 5111, the second surface 5112 and the receiving space 514, so that the transmitting window 5112 and the receiving window 5122 are blocked, or the light propagation path is distorted, thereby affecting the detection accuracy. Therefore, in this embodiment, the motor 550 drives the active rotor 541 to rotate around the rotation axis L at a fixed time. Since the two ends of the active rotor 541 contact the first surface 5111 and the second surface 5112 respectively, when the active rotor 541 rotates around the rotation axis, the active rotor 541 rubs against the first surface 5111 and the second surface 5112, and the microalgae cells, biofilms, sediments and other particles attached to the first surface 5111 and the second surface 5112 can be wiped off, and the microalgae cells, biofilms, sediments and other particles in the receiving space 514 can also be cleaned, so as to clean the optical window and the receiving space 514, which is conducive to ensuring that the optical sensor 5 can provide accurate and reliable data for a long time even in a harsh underwater environment.

[0064] The above-mentioned turbidity-constant continuous culture device 100 of the present application monitors the growth state of microalgae in real time through the temperature sensor 4 and the optical sensor 5. The control circuit board 6 can control the input pump 2 to input the culture medium and the output pump to output the algae liquid according to the temperature information and the growth information of the microalgae fed back by the temperature sensor 4 and the optical sensor 5. In this way, the turbidity-constant continuous culture device 100 of the present application can continuously harvest the microalgae on the basis of controlling the microalgae cells to be at a certain constant turbidity, concentration or dry weight.

[0065] The pigment content and composition in the cells of photosynthetic organisms vary greatly during different growth periods, and it is difficult to use ordinary optical sensors to measure absorbance and then deduce dry weight. As in the optical sensor 5 described above in the present application, the first reference light and the second reference light of different wavelengths are emitted by the light source 520 to detect the growth information of photosynthetic organisms based on the reference lights of different wavelengths. Since reference lights of different wavelengths have different optical properties, the different growth information of photosynthetic organisms obtained by detecting reference lights of different wavelengths is integrated and the detection data is made more accurate. In this embodiment, the first reference light is an infrared light with a wavelength of 940nm, and the second reference light is a light with a wavelength of 450nm. The reference lights of the above two wavelengths can enable the optical sensor 5 to detect the content of pigments, cell walls or cell membranes, etc. The growth state (chlorophyll content) and cell concentration of the cells can be deduced based on the pigments, and the cell density can be deduced based on the cell structure components. On this basis, the input pump can be controlled to input the culture medium of the corresponding component concentration to keep the microalgae cells in a good growth state for a long time.

[0066] Moreover, in this embodiment, the orthographic projection of the receiving window 5122 on the first surface 5111 completely covers the emitting window 5112, that is, the emitting window 5111 and the receiving window 5122 are arranged opposite each other. The first reference light and the second reference light emitted from the emitting window 5112 can be horizontally emitted to the receiving window as the first detection light and the second detection light after passing through the photosynthetic organism, which is beneficial to simplify the optical path and reduce light loss.

[0067] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the optical sensor 5 also includes a rotor assembly 540, and the rotor assembly 551 includes an active rotor 541 and a passive rotor 542 that are separately arranged. By driving the active rotor 541 and the passive rotor 542 to rotate, and setting the movement process of the active rotor 541 and the passive rotor 542, the optical sensor 5 can also achieve self-calibration, light shielding and self-cleaning functions when immersed in the culture algae liquid. In this way, the optical sensor 5 can be used in the photosynthetic organism culture system to continuously monitor the growth of photosynthetic organisms for a long time, which is particularly important for the photosynthetic organism culture system with constant turbidity and continuous culture. And by connecting external devices through signal lines, it is also possible to remotely control the operation of the optical sensor 5 and remotely obtain the growth information of photosynthetic organisms.

[0068] The present application also provides a turbidity-constant continuous culture method, which is applied to the turbidity-constant continuous device 100. Fig.10 The constant turbidity continuous culture method comprises: Step S1, determining an absorption spectrum curve according to the type of photosynthetic organism; Step S2, controlling the motor to drive the active rotor to rotate so that the light-transmitting portion of the active rotor completely covers the transmitting window and the receiving window, so as to calibrate the optical sensor; Step S3, controlling the light source to emit a first reference light and a second reference light; Step S4, controlling the receiver to receive the first detection light and the second detection light through the receiving window, and receiving an electrical signal from the receiver, wherein the electrical signal is generated according to the first detection light and the second detection light; Step S5, removing noise from the electrical signal; Step S6, based on the absorption spectrum curve, obtaining the growth information of the photosynthetic organism according to the electrical signal.

[0069] Step S7, controlling the input pump to input culture medium through the input pipe and / or controlling the output pump to output photosynthetic organism culture solution through the output pipe according to the growth information.

[0070] In this embodiment, after step S5, the following steps are further included: Step S8, determining whether the cleaning time has arrived.

[0071] If the judgment in step S8 is yes, then step S9 is executed: the motor is controlled to drive the active rotor to rotate in two directions to perform self-cleaning.

[0072] If the result of step S8 is no, step S10 is executed: the motor is controlled to drive the active rotor to drive the passive rotor to rotate until the optical sensor is switched to the open state.

[0073] After the optical sensor is switched to the open state, it may be switched to the detection state again for detection after a preset time interval, that is, step S3 is executed again.

[0074] In at least one embodiment of the present application, the growth information in step S6 includes at least the cell concentration and chlorophyll content of the photosynthetic organism. In step S7, "controlling the input pump to input culture medium through the input pipe and / or controlling the output pump to output photosynthetic organism culture solution through the output pipe according to the growth information" specifically includes: judging whether to drive the input pump to input culture medium through the input pipe and / or controlling the output pump to output photosynthetic organism culture solution through the output pipe according to the cell concentration and the chlorophyll content.

[0075] Specifically, when the cell concentration of photosynthetic organisms is high (absorption at 940nm wavelength becomes stronger), the output pump 3 is controlled to output the photosynthetic organism culture solution through the output pipe for a preset period of time, and then the input pump 2 is controlled to operate to replenish concentrated fresh culture medium, dilute the culture solution in the culture tube 20, and replenish nutrients.

[0076] Chlorophyll content (obtained by 450nm reference light detection) can set an alarm value, and when the alarm value is reached, the alarm will be sounded to suggest the user to modify the feed concentration: if the chlorophyll content is lower than the target range, it may indicate nutrient limitation (especially nitrogen, phosphorus, magnesium, etc.), and the concentration of nutrient supplement needs to be increased. It may also indicate that the nutrient salt concentration is too high, causing stress, and it is necessary to judge according to the nutrient supplement concentration. Generally, the supplement is too low, and there is less stress caused by excessive supplementation; if the chlorophyll content is higher than the target range, it may be due to insufficient light, and the light conditions need to be adjusted.

[0077] In at least one embodiment of the present application, an external control module can also be added to control the input pump and the output pump, for example, by adjusting the concentration of the input culture medium through a proportional control valve (one is a more concentrated culture medium, and the other is pure water, and the input concentration is adjusted by proportional dilution).

[0078] It should be understood that the above step numbers are not used to limit the order in which the steps are executed.

[0079] The above-mentioned constant turbidity continuous culture method of the present application can achieve all the beneficial effects of the above-mentioned constant turbidity continuous culture device.

[0080] Those skilled in the art should recognize that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present application and are not intended to be limiting of the present application. As long as they are within the spirit and scope of the present application, appropriate changes and modifications to the above embodiments are within the scope of protection claimed in the present application.

Claims

1. A turbidity-controlled continuous culture device, characterized in that: For cultivating photosynthetic organisms, the turbidostatic continuous culture device comprises: The installation body comprises a shell and an input pipe and an output pipe connected to the shell; An input pump connected to the input pipe; An output pump connected to the output pipe; An optical sensor, connected to the installation body, for detecting growth information of photosynthetic organisms in real time; and The control circuit is electrically connected to the input pump, the output pump and the optical sensor, and is used to control the input pump to input culture medium through the input tube and / or control the output pump to output photosynthetic organism culture solution through the output tube according to the growth information.

2. The turbidostatic continuous culture device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The growth information includes one or any combination of the cell dry weight, pigment content, cell wall component content, and cell membrane component content of the photosynthetic organism.

3. The turbidostatic continuous culture device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The installation body further comprises an aeration pipe, the length of which is greater than the length of the input pipe and the output pipe; The optical sensor is fixedly connected to the aeration pipe.

4. The turbidostatic continuous culture device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The length of the output pipe is shorter than the length of the input pipe.

5. The turbidostatic continuous culture device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also included is a temperature sensor electrically connected to the control circuit.

6. The turbidostatic continuous culture device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The installation body also includes a sampling tube.

7. The turbidostatic continuous culture device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The optical sensor comprises: A main body is formed with a transmitting window and a receiving window which are arranged oppositely and at intervals; a light source, located in the main body, for emitting a first reference light and a second reference light having different wavelengths through the emission window; a receiver, located in the main body, for receiving, through the receiving window, a first detection light generated by the first reference light passing through the photosynthetic organism, and for receiving, through the receiving window, a second detection light generated by the second reference light passing through the photosynthetic organism, and generating an electrical signal according to the first detection light and the second detection light; and The control circuit is electrically connected to the light source and the receiver, and is used to receive the electrical signal and obtain the growth information of the photosynthetic organism based on the electrical signal.

8. The turbidostatic continuous culture device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The first reference light is infrared light, and the wavelength of the second reference light is 450 nm.

9. The turbidostatic continuous culture device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The wavelength of the first reference light is 940 nm.

10. The turbidostatic continuous culture device according to claim 7, characterized in that: Also included is a rotor assembly, which is movably connected to the main body and is located between the transmitting window and the receiving window; The rotor assembly is rotatable around a rotation axis, and the rotation axis is perpendicular to the transmitting window and the receiving window.

11. The turbidostatic continuous culture device according to claim 10, characterized in that: The optical sensor further comprises a motor fixedly disposed on the main body, the motor being electrically connected to the control circuit, and the rotor assembly comprising a separate active rotor and a passive rotor; The active rotor is connected to the motor, and the motor is used to drive the active rotor to rotate around the rotation axis. The passive rotor can rotate synchronously with the active rotor under the push of the active rotor.

12. The turbidostatic continuous culture device according to claim 11, characterized in that: The main body has a first surface and a second surface spaced apart in parallel, the emission window is formed on the first surface, the receiving window is formed on the second surface, and the rotation axis is perpendicular to the first surface and the second surface; Both ends of the driving rotor and the driven rotor are in contact with the first surface and the second surface, respectively.

13. The turbidostatic continuous culture device according to claim 12, characterized in that: The active rotor includes a light-shielding portion and a light-transmitting portion, wherein the light-transmitting portion is embedded in the light-shielding portion, and both ends of the light-transmitting portion contacting the first surface and the second surface are exposed relative to the light-shielding portion, and both ends of the light-transmitting portion contact the first surface and the second surface respectively.

14. The turbidostatic continuous culture device according to claim 12, characterized in that: The orthographic projection of the receiving window on the first surface completely covers the transmitting window.

15. The turbidostatic continuous culture device according to claim 12, characterized in that: The passive rotor is made of light-shielding material.

16. The turbidostatic continuous culture device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control circuit includes a communication module.

17. A turbidostatic continuous culture method, characterized in that: Applicable to the turbidostatic continuous culture device as claimed in claim 1; The photosynthetic organism growth monitoring method comprises: Controlling the light source to emit a first reference light and a second reference light; controlling a receiver to receive the first detection light and the second detection light through the receiving window, and receiving an electrical signal from the receiver, wherein the electrical signal is generated according to the first detection light and the second detection light; Based on a preset absorption spectrum curve, acquiring growth information of the photosynthetic organism according to the electrical signal; and According to the growth information, the input pump is controlled to input culture medium through the input pipe and / or the output pump is controlled to output photosynthetic organism culture solution through the output pipe.

18. The turbidostatic continuous culture method according to claim 17, characterized in that: The optical sensor further comprises a motor fixedly disposed on the main body and a rotor assembly located between the transmitting window and the receiving window; After the step of receiving the electrical signal from the receiver, the photosynthetic organism growth monitoring method further comprises: The motor is controlled to drive the rotor assembly to rotate to perform self-cleaning, and / or the motor is controlled to drive the rotor assembly to rotate to switch the optical sensor to an open state.

19. The turbidostatic continuous culture method according to claim 18, characterized in that: The rotor assembly includes an active rotor, and the active rotor includes a light-transmitting portion; The photosynthetic organism growth monitoring method further includes, before the step of controlling the light source to emit the first reference light and the second reference light: The motor is controlled to drive the active rotor to rotate so that the light-transmitting portion completely covers the transmitting window and the receiving window, so as to calibrate the optical sensor.

20. The turbidostatic continuous culture method according to any one of claims 17 to 19, characterized in that: The growth information includes one or any combination of cell dry weight, pigment content, cell wall component content, cell membrane component content and the like of the photosynthetic organism.

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