A device for culturing and automated harvesting of a microalga

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of epilithic microalgae culture and automatic harvesting device, belong to epilithic microalgae culture equipment field, including culture pond, several equidistant distribution culture plates are placed in culture pond, and several culture plates are foldably connected together through forward and backward symmetrical distribution scissor fork support between them;The top of culture pond is symmetrically provided with transmission assembly on two sides, scraper is provided on front and rear transmission assembly, and scraper is located on the surface of culture pond, and the position on one side of culture pond is provided with conveyor belt which is perpendicular to scraper and is distributed mutually.The utility model can provide enough three-dimensional attachment interface in early culture stage, and can also automatically carry out directional scraping collection and transport after algal body matures and floats, so as to realize the automation, high-efficiency operation from culture to harvesting, meet the industrialization breeding and harvesting demand of microalgae.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of attached microalgae cultivation equipment, and in particular to a device for the cultivation and automated harvesting of attached microalgae. Background Technology

[0002] Microalgae, due to their high protein and bioactive content and rapid photosynthetic growth capacity, are widely used in food nutrition, health products, bioenergy, and carbon neutrality. In large-scale cultivation, different microalgae species exhibit different growth behaviors and harvesting requirements. Some microalgae, such as Spirulina, initially grow by attachment, requiring the formation of a stable biofilm on a solid surface. As their growth cycle progresses, these algae secrete large amounts of extracellular polysaccharides, causing them to aggregate and naturally detach from the attachment surface, gradually floating to the water surface and forming visible algal clusters. For the efficient cultivation and harvesting of these microalgae, current traditional equipment struggles to simultaneously meet the attachment requirements during the growth phase and the floating characteristics during the harvesting phase. Furthermore, existing photobioreactors or open pond structures generally suffer from the following problems:

[0003] First, the cultivation space is limited to the bottom surface or water surface, making it difficult to fully expand the attachment area and limiting the yield per unit volume.

[0004] Secondly, the harvesting method still relies on whole-pond sedimentation or pump filtration, which is cumbersome, inefficient, energy-intensive, and easily damages algae, affecting product quality.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a composite device specifically for this type of microalgae, which can provide sufficient three-dimensional attachment interface in the early stages of cultivation and automatically perform directional scraping and transportation after the algae mature and float, thereby realizing automated and efficient operation from cultivation to harvesting, and meeting the needs of industrialized cultivation and harvesting of microalgae. Based on this, this utility model proposes a device for the cultivation and automated harvesting of attached microalgae. Utility Model Content

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a device for the cultivation and automated harvesting of attached microalgae, thereby solving the problems mentioned above.

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0008] This utility model discloses a cultivation and automated harvesting device for attached microalgae, comprising a cultivation tank containing several equidistantly distributed cultivation plates. The cultivation plates are foldably connected together by symmetrically distributed scissor-type supports. The top of the cultivation tank is symmetrically equipped with transmission components on both the front and rear sides. Scrapers are mounted on the front and rear transmission components and are located on the surface of the cultivation tank. A conveyor belt is positioned on one side of the cultivation tank and is perpendicular to the scrapers.

[0009] Furthermore, the culture plate and the scissor bracket are connected together by a clamping plug-in connector, wherein the clamping plug-in end of the clamping plug-in connector is plugged into the culture plate, and the other end is fixedly connected to the scissor bracket.

[0010] Furthermore, the transmission assembly includes sprockets symmetrically distributed on the left and right sides, which are connected together by a chain; the front and rear transmission assemblies are connected together by a synchronization mechanism, and one side of the transmission assembly is driven by a drive device.

[0011] Furthermore, the scraper has a mesh structure.

[0012] Furthermore, a drain outlet is provided at the bottom of the culture tank, and a drain valve is provided at the drain outlet.

[0013] Furthermore, a monitoring module is provided on the side wall of the culture tank. The monitoring module includes a pH sensor, a conductivity sensor, a water temperature sensor, and a light sensor. The monitoring module is connected to a data processing terminal.

[0014] Furthermore, the culture tank is a box structure with an open top, and is made of HDPE, PP or PC materials.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial technical effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0016] This utility model relates to an automated harvesting device for attached microalgae. By adjusting the folding state of a scissor-type support, the distance between the cultivation plates can be adjusted, allowing for flexible and optimized arrangement based on light conditions and cultivation density. Furthermore, the foldable structure facilitates loading, unloading, transportation, and rapid deployment of the cultivation plates. The non-rigid connection between the cultivation plates and the cultivation tank facilitates plate extraction, rinsing, and replacement, reducing maintenance burden. Simultaneously, a scraper, driven by a transmission component, moves along the surface of the cultivation tank, scraping floating algae clumps and guiding them to a conveyor belt located on the side of the tank, completing the automated collection and transfer process. In summary, this utility model provides a sufficient three-dimensional attachment interface in the early stages of cultivation and automatically performs directional scraping and transport after the algae mature and float, thus achieving automated and highly efficient operation from cultivation to harvest, meeting the needs of industrialized microalgae cultivation and harvesting. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the microalgae cultivation and automated harvesting device of this utility model;

[0019] Figure 2A schematic diagram of the connection structure between the culture plate and the scissor-type support;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a front view of the device for cultivating and automatically harvesting attached microalgae according to this utility model;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a top view of the device for cultivating and automatically harvesting attached microalgae according to this utility model;

[0022] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Culture tank; 2. Culture plate; 3. Scissor-type support; 4. Scraper; 5. Sprocket; 6. Chain; 7. Conveyor belt; 8. Drain outlet; 9. Monitoring module; 10. Clamping plug-in connector. Detailed Implementation

[0023] like Figure 1-4 As shown, a device for the cultivation and automated harvesting of attached microalgae includes several parallel cultivation tanks 1. Each cultivation tank 1 is a box structure with an open top, made of HDPE, PP or PC material, with dimensions of 1m × 0.5m × 0.5m, and possesses good biocompatibility and mechanical stability.

[0024] The culture tank 1 contains several equidistantly distributed culture plates 2, which are foldably connected together by symmetrically distributed scissor-type supports 3 to form a foldable structure. The culture plates 2 and the scissor-type supports 3 are connected by clamp-type plug-in connectors 10, with one end of the clamp-type connector 10 plugging into the culture plate 2 and the other end fixedly connected to the scissor-type support 3. During operation, the user can manually pull either side of the scissor-type support 3 to symmetrically unfold or retract the other side, achieving synchronous adjustment on both sides. The arrangement of the culture plates 2 can be flexibly optimized according to light conditions and culture density. Furthermore, the entire structure is foldable and compressible, facilitating transportation and deployment, and is suitable for rapid loading, unloading, and centralized management. Simultaneously, the bottom of the culture plates 2 rests directly on the tank bottom surface, without rigidly fixing to the tank wall, facilitating the rapid extraction, rinsing, and replacement of unit modules, improving the maintainability and operational flexibility of the device.

[0025] The cultivation tank 1 has symmetrically installed transmission components on its top front and rear sides. Each transmission component includes symmetrically distributed sprockets 5 connected by chains 6. The front and rear transmission components are connected by a synchronization mechanism (e.g., a synchronous sprocket and chain structure or a synchronous belt structure), with one side of the transmission component driven by a drive device (a forward and reverse motor). Scrapers 4 are installed on the front and rear transmission components, fixedly connected to the symmetrically distributed chains 6, and move laterally along the water surface under the action of the transmission components. The scrapers 4 have a mesh structure, employing a composite structure of a rigid frame and a 200-mesh screen, combining stability and filtration functions, effectively supporting floating algae and reducing liquid carryover. The scrapers 4 are located on the surface of the cultivation tank 1, and a conveyor belt 7 is installed on one side of the cultivation tank 1, perpendicular to the scrapers 4. The conveyor belt 7 runs through multiple cultivation tanks 1, enabling the centralized transfer of algae to the subsequent cleaning and drying treatment area. During the actual scraping of microalgae and feeding into the conveyor belt 7, when the scraper 4 moves to the end sprocket 5, it will change from horizontal to upward rotational motion with the chain 6. During the movement, it will cause the microalgae to roll upward and eventually fall onto the conveyor belt 7. After the feeding is completed, the scraper 4 will return to the starting point under the reverse rotation of the sprocket 5, waiting for the next scraping of microalgae.

[0026] The bottom of the culture tank 1 is provided with a drain outlet 8, and a conical flow guide structure is provided inside the drain outlet 8. A drain valve is installed at the drain outlet 8 to facilitate the periodic discharge of culture medium or the cleaning of residual impurities.

[0027] A monitoring module 9 is installed on the side wall of the cultivation tank 1. The monitoring module 9 includes a pH sensor, a conductivity sensor, a water temperature sensor, and a light sensor. The monitoring module 9 is connected to a data processing terminal (usually composed of a microprocessor (MCU), an embedded processor, or an industrial computer). The monitoring module 9 can collect key environmental parameters during the microalgae cultivation process in real time and output them to the data processing terminal, which performs statistical analysis of the data for intelligent regulation.

[0028] The operation process of this utility model is as follows:

[0029] First, after the attached microalgae are inoculated into the culture tank 1, the microalgae will settle evenly on the vertically arranged culture plates 2 under the action of gravity and grow. Combined with the extracellular polysaccharide secretion characteristics of the microalgae, a stable biofilm is formed. Then, when the microalgae reach maturity, the entire algal body will automatically detach and float to the water surface to form an algal clump. Finally, the chain 6 driven by the sprocket 5 moves, thereby driving the scraper 4 to move laterally along the water surface to collect the algal clump and guide it onto the conveyor belt 7 on the side of the tank. The conveyor belt 7 transports the algal clump to the subsequent cleaning and drying area.

[0030] The embodiments described above are merely preferred embodiments of the present utility model and are not intended to limit the scope of the present utility model. Various modifications and improvements made to the technical solutions of the present utility model by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present utility model should fall within the protection scope defined by the claims of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A device for the cultivation and automated harvesting of attached microalgae, characterized in that: The system includes a culture tank (1), in which several culture plates (2) are placed at equal intervals. The culture plates (2) are connected together by foldable scissor brackets (3) that are symmetrically distributed front and back. The top of the culture tank (1) is symmetrically provided with transmission components on the front and back sides. Scrapers (4) are provided on the front and back transmission components. The scrapers (4) are located on the surface of the culture tank (1). A conveyor belt (7) is provided on one side of the culture tank (1) and is perpendicular to the scrapers (4).

2. The device for cultivating and automatically harvesting epiphytic microalgae according to claim 1, characterized in that: The culture plate (2) and the scissor bracket (3) are connected together by a clamping plug connector (10). The clamping plug connector (10) is plugged into the culture plate (2) at one end and fixedly connected to the scissor bracket (3) at the other end.

3. The device for cultivating and automatically harvesting epiphytic microalgae according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transmission assembly includes sprockets (5) symmetrically distributed on the left and right sides, and the left and right sprockets (5) are connected together by a chain (6); the front and rear transmission assemblies are connected together by a synchronization mechanism, and one side of the transmission assembly is driven by a drive device.

4. The device for cultivating and automatically harvesting epiphytic microalgae according to claim 1, characterized in that: The scraper (4) has a mesh structure.

5. The device for cultivating and automatically harvesting epiphytic microalgae according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the culture tank (1) is provided with a drain outlet (8), and a drain valve is provided at the drain outlet (8).

6. The device for cultivating and automatically harvesting epiphytic microalgae according to claim 1, characterized in that: A monitoring module (9) is provided on the side wall of the culture tank (1). The monitoring module (9) includes a pH sensor, a conductivity sensor, a water temperature sensor and a light sensor. The monitoring module (9) is connected to a data processing terminal.

7. The device for cultivating and automatically harvesting epiphytic microalgae according to claim 1, characterized in that: The culture tank (1) is a box structure with an open top, made of HDPE, PP or PC materials.

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