Algae culturing system

Abstract

To provide an algae culturing system capable of preferably recovering algae.SOLUTION: An algae culturing system comprises: a carrying part (carrier 10) which is capable of allowing culture solution to pass through the part and allowing a first surface (front surface 11) to carry algae; a culture solution holding part (culture medium part 30) which is capable of contacting a second surface (rear surface 12) positioned at the rear face of the first surface of the carrying part and supporting the culture solution; a moving part 20 which is capable of moving the carrying part; and a recovery part 50 which is capable of recovering the algae carried by the carrying part with the movement of the carrying part by the moving part 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology for an algae culture system capable of culturing algae. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, techniques for algae culture systems capable of culturing algae have been publicly known, as described in Patent Document 1, for example.

[0003] The algae culture system (culture and fermentation apparatus) described in Patent Document 1 includes a culture tank that houses a support that supports algae and cultivates the algae, a fermentation tank that ferments the algae, and a guide unit that guides the support so that it can be moved between the culture tank and the fermentation tank. In this algae culture system, a culture solution is supplied to the support housed in the culture tank, and the algae can be cultured. Furthermore, fermentation of the cultured algae is promoted in the fermentation tank, and a fermentation solution (alcohol mainly composed of ethanol) can be obtained.

[0004] Here, the technology described in Patent Document 1 aims to produce a fermentation liquid within an algae culture system, so there is no need to collect the algae themselves. However, when culturing algae for other purposes (for example, when using them for food or cosmetics), it is necessary to collect the algae themselves, so there is a demand for an algae culture system that can suitably collect algae. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7125925 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present application has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and a problem to be solved is to provide an algae cultivation system capable of suitably recovering algae. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The problem to be solved by the present invention has been described above, and the means for solving this problem will now be described.

[0008] That is, in claim 1, the device comprises a support section which is permeable to culture medium and capable of supporting algae on a first surface, a culture medium holding section which is contactable with a second surface located behind the first surface of the support section and capable of holding the culture medium, a moving section which is capable of moving the support section, and a recovery section which is capable of recovering the algae supported on the support section as the support section is moved by the moving section.

[0009] In claim 2, the moving part comprises a roll on which the support part is wound.

[0010] In claim 3, the recovery section includes a contact section that comes into contact with the first surface of the support section being moved by the moving section.

[0011] In a fourth aspect, the apparatus further comprises a supply section which supplies the algae collected by the collection section to the support section.

[0012] In claim 5, the culture medium holding part is movable between a contact position where it contacts the second surface of the support part and a spaced position where it is spaced from the second surface of the support part.

[0013] In claim 6, the moving part comprises a pair of rolls around which the support part is wound, and the culture medium holding part is parallel to the direction in which the pair of rolls are arranged and has a contact surface capable of contacting the second surface of the support part. Effect of the Invention

[0014] The present invention has the following advantages.

[0015] According to claim 1, the algae can be preferably collected.

[0016] In claim 2, the support part can be moved with a simple structure.

[0017] According to claim 3, the algae can be collected with a simple configuration.

[0018] In claim 4, the collected algae can be used to cultivate new algae.

[0019] According to claim 5, damage to the culture medium holding part and the support part can be prevented.

[0020] In claim 6, by arranging the pair of rolls and the culture solution holding part in one direction, it is possible to reduce the space required for the algae culture system. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view showing the configuration of an algae cultivation system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 3 is a flowchart showing an example of an algae cultivation method using the algae cultivation system according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a front view showing a state in which a support is wound around an upper roll. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a front view showing the state in which the culture medium portion is pressed against the support. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a front view showing the state in which the culture medium portion is separated from the support. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a front view showing how the support is wound around the lower roll. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a front view showing the configuration of an algae cultivation system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a front view showing the configuration of an algae cultivation system according to a third embodiment. [Figure 9] 11 is a flowchart showing an example of an algae cultivation method using an algae cultivation system according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] In the following description, the up / down direction and the left / right direction are defined according to the arrows shown in the drawings.

[0023] The configuration of an algae cultivation system 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0024] The algae cultivation system 1 is for culturing algae (microalgae). The cultivated algae can be used for food, biofuel, cosmetics, etc. The algae cultivation system 1 mainly includes a support 10, a moving section 20, a culture medium section 30, a culture solution supply section 40, a recovery section 50, a spray section 60, a housing 70, and a control section 80.

[0025] The support 10 is for supporting microalgae. The support 10 is formed of a material that is impermeable to microalgae and permeable to culture solution (water and nutrients). The support 10 is formed in the shape of a relatively thin film. The support 10 is flexible. The support 10 can be formed of, for example, a polymer film. The support 10 is supported so as to be movable by a moving unit 20 described later.

[0026] The algae is supported on one surface of the support 10. Specifically, in the illustrated example, the algae is supported on the left side, or on the surface facing radially outward of an upper roll 21 and a lower roll 22, which will be described later. In the following, the surface of the support 10 on which the algae is supported is referred to as the front surface 11, and the surface behind the front surface 11 is referred to as the back surface 12. In the drawings, the algae is indicated by hatching.

[0027] The moving unit 20 is for supporting and moving the support 10. The moving unit 20 mainly includes an upper roll 21 and a lower roll 22 and the like.

[0028] The upper roll 21 is wound with the support 10. The upper roll 21 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. The upper roll 21 is disposed with its axis facing the front-rear direction (depth direction of the paper). The upper roll 21 is supported by an appropriate support member so as to be rotatable about its axis. The upper part of the support 10 is wound around the upper roll 21.

[0029] The lower roll 22 is wound with the support 10. The lower roll 22 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. The lower roll 22 is disposed with its axis facing the front-rear direction (depth direction of the paper). The lower roll 22 is supported by an appropriate support member so as to be rotatable about its axis. The lower roll 22 is disposed vertically below the upper roll 21 with a predetermined gap between them. The lower roll 22 is wound with the lower part of the support 10.

[0030] The support 10 is wound around the upper roll 21 and the lower roll 22, so that the support 10 is disposed so as to extend vertically between the upper roll 21 and the lower roll 22. The upper roll 21 and the lower roll 22 can be rotated in any direction using power from a driving source (e.g., a motor, etc.) not shown. The support 10 can be moved vertically by rotating the upper roll 21 and the lower roll 22 to wind the support 10 around the upper roll 21 or the lower roll 22.

[0031] The culture medium section 30 is for holding a culture solution used for culturing algae. The culture medium section 30 is formed of a material capable of absorbing moisture (for example, a porous material such as sponge or gel). The culture medium section 30 is formed in a planar shape (flat plate shape). The culture medium section 30 is arranged with the plate surface facing left and right. The culture medium section 30 is arranged below the upper roll 21 and above the lower roll 22 (between the upper roll 21 and the lower roll 22). The culture medium section 30 is arranged on the right side (back surface 12 side) of the support 10 so as to face the support 10 extending vertically between the upper roll 21 and the lower roll 22. The left side surface of the culture medium section 30 is arranged so as to be approximately parallel to the back surface 12 of the opposing support 10.

[0032] The culture medium section 30 is configured to be movable left and right by a moving mechanism (e.g., a motor, a link, etc.) not shown in the figure. This allows the culture medium section 30 to move left and right between a position where it contacts the back surface 12 of the support 10 (contact position, see FIG. 1) and a position where it is separated from the back surface 12 of the support 10 (separated position, see FIG. 3).

[0033] The algae cultivation system 1 of this embodiment can be installed in a relatively small installation area (installation area in plan view) by disposing a planar (flat) culture medium section 30 between the upper roll 21 and the lower roll 22.

[0034] The culture medium supplying section 40 is for supplying the culture medium to the culture medium section 30. The culture medium supplying section 40 mainly includes a culture medium storage section 41, a culture medium pump 42, a supply pipe 43, and the like.

[0035] The culture solution storage section 41 is for storing the culture solution used for culturing algae. The culture solution storage section 41 is formed in a box shape with an open top. The culture solution storage section 41 is disposed below the culture medium section 30. This allows the culture solution storage section 41 to hold excess culture solution that has fallen from the culture medium section 30.

[0036] The culture solution pump 42 is for supplying the culture solution stored in the culture solution storage section 41 to a supply pipe 43 described later. The culture solution pump 42 is connected to the culture solution storage section 41 and the supply pipe 43 described later via appropriate pipes.

[0037] The supply pipe 43 is for supplying the culture medium supplied by the culture medium pump 42 to the culture medium section 30. The supply pipe 43 is disposed so as to face the upper surface of the culture medium section 30 in the vertical direction. An opening (not shown) is formed in the lower part of the supply pipe 43, and the culture medium can be supplied to the culture medium section 30 through the opening.

[0038] The culture solution supply unit 40 configured in this manner can supply the culture solution stored in the culture solution storage unit 41 to the medium section 30. In addition, since excess culture solution that has fallen from the medium section 30 can be stored again in the culture solution storage unit 41, the culture solution can be recycled.

[0039] In addition, since the total amount of the culture solution used in the culture solution supply unit 40 may decrease or the concentration may increase due to evaporation of water, etc., it is desirable to appropriately replenish water and nutrients. Therefore, although not shown, a mechanism for replenishing water and nutrients to the culture solution used in the culture solution supply unit 40 may be provided.

[0040] The timing for replenishing water and nutrients can be set as desired. For example, the concentration of nutrients in the culture solution may be measured using a sensor (e.g., an EC sensor) capable of detecting the concentration, and the timing for replenishing may be determined according to the measured concentration. Furthermore, replenishing may be performed according to the passage of time, after understanding in advance the relationship between the passage of time (the operation time of the algae cultivation system 1) and the change in concentration of the culture solution.

[0041] The collecting section 50 is for collecting the algae supported on the support 10. The collecting section 50 mainly includes a contact plate 51, an algae storage section 52, and the like.

[0042] The contact plate 51 is for peeling off the algae from the support 10. The contact plate 51 is formed in a plate shape having an appropriate thickness. The contact plate 51 is disposed below the lower roll 22. The contact plate 51 is disposed so as to be inclined from the lower right to the upper left. The upper end of the contact plate 51 is disposed so as to be in contact with the surface 11 of the support 10 wound around the lower roll 22. The contact plate 51 is disposed so as to be in contact with the surface 11 of the support 10 at an angle of 90 degrees or more.

[0043] Since the support 10 is wound around the lower roll 22, the diameter of the lower roll 22 (more precisely, the diameter of the support 10 wound around the lower roll 22) changes slightly depending on the amount of the support 10 wound around the lower roll 22. Therefore, it is possible to provide a mechanism (movable mechanism) capable of changing the position of the contact plate 51 so as to follow the change in the diameter of the lower roll 22.

[0044] For example, it is possible to use an appropriate biasing member (spring, rubber, etc.) to dispose the abutment plate 51 so as to press it against the lower roll 22. By configuring in this manner, for example, as the diameter of the lower roll 22 increases, the abutment plate 51 can be moved in a direction away from the axis of the lower roll 22 against the biasing force of the biasing member. This makes it possible to prevent the abutment plate 51 from coming into contact with the lower roll 22 (support 10) with excessive pressure, and to prevent damage to the support 10.

[0045] In addition, the configuration is not limited to using a biasing member, and it is also possible to use a mechanism that changes the position of the abutment plate 51 in accordance with the measured pressure, for example, using a pressure sensor capable of detecting the pressure when the abutment plate 51 comes into contact with the carrier 10.

[0046] The algae storage section 52 is for storing algae peeled off from the support 10. The algae storage section 52 is formed in a box shape with an open top. The algae storage section 52 is disposed below the contact plate 51.

[0047] When the support 10 is wound around the lower roll 22, the algae supported on the surface 11 of the support 10 is scraped off by the contact plate 51. The algae scraped off from the support 10 falls downward along the contact plate 51 and is stored in the algae storage section 52.

[0048] The spraying section 60 is for supplying the algae collected by the collecting section 50 to the support 10. The spraying section 60 mainly includes a dilution tank 61, an algae pump 62, a spray nozzle 63, and the like.

[0049] The dilution tank 61 is for diluting the algae. The dilution tank 61 is formed in a container shape capable of storing algae and liquid therein. The dilution tank 61 is connected to the algae storage section 52, and the algae stored in the algae storage section 52 can be introduced into the dilution tank 61. A dilution liquid (e.g., water, etc.) for diluting the algae can be supplied from a supply source (not shown) to the algae storage section 52. The dilution tank 61 can dilute the algae to a desired concentration by mixing the algae and the dilution liquid from the algae storage section 52 in a desired ratio. The amounts of the algae and the dilution liquid can be grasped by any method (such as various sensors).

[0050] The algae pump 62 is for supplying the algae diluted in the dilution tank 61 to a spray nozzle 63 described later. The algae pump 62 is connected to the dilution tank 61 and the spray nozzle 63 described later via appropriate piping.

[0051] The spray nozzle 63 is for spraying the algae supplied by the algae pump 62 onto the support 10. The spray nozzle 63 is disposed below the culture medium section 30 so as to face the surface 11 of the support 10. By operating the spray nozzle 63 at any timing, the algae can be sprayed onto the support 10 at any timing.

[0052] The housing 70 houses the support 10. The housing 70 is formed of a transparent material that can transmit sunlight. By housing the support 10 in the housing 70, it is possible to prevent the support 10 from being contaminated by algae other than the algae to be cultured, and to prevent unwanted matter such as insects and leaves from coming into contact with the support 10.

[0053] Although not shown in the drawings, the housing 70 can also be provided with a mechanism (adjustment mechanism) for increasing the carbon dioxide concentration inside the housing 70. For example, by introducing exhaust gas or the like containing carbon dioxide into the housing 70 using the adjustment mechanism, the cultivation speed of the algae cultivated inside the housing 70 can be improved.

[0054] The control unit 80 is for controlling the operation of the algae cultivation system 1. The control unit 80 is composed of an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU, a storage device such as a RAM, a ROM, and a HDD. The control unit 80 can be placed at any location, such as inside or outside the housing 70. The control unit 80 is connected to each part of the algae cultivation system 1 and can control the operation of each part. Specifically, the control unit 80 can control the movement of the support 10 by the movement unit 20 (rotation of the upper roll 21 and the lower roll 22), the left and right movement of the culture medium unit 30, the operation of the culture solution pump 42, and the spraying of algae by the spray unit 60 (operation of the algae pump 62 and operation of the spray nozzle 63), etc.

[0055] The algae cultivation system 1 configured as described above is placed in a sunny location where sunlight is irradiated onto the inside of the housing 70 (support 10). For example, by installing the algae cultivation system 1 on a wall surface of a building, it is possible to save space and make effective use of the space.

[0056] For ease of explanation, the housing 70 and the control unit 80 are omitted from the drawings other than FIG.

[0057] Hereinafter, an algae cultivation method using the algae cultivation system 1 configured as described above will be described.

[0058] In the following explanation, it is assumed that the support 10 is wound around the lower roll 22, the support 10 has moved downward, and no algae is being cultivated on the support 10 (the algae have been collected).

[0059] 3, the control unit 80 winds up the support 10 around the upper roll 21 (step S101 in FIG. 2). As a result, the support 10 wound around the upper roll 21 and the lower roll 22 moves upward.

[0060] At this time, the control unit 80 causes the spray unit 60 to spray the diluted algae onto the support 10 (step S102 in FIG. 2). As a result, the algae to be cultured is supported on the surface 11 of the support 10.

[0061] The algae sprayed by the spray unit 60 is sprayed only onto a predetermined range of the support 10 that corresponds to the culture medium section 30 (the range that comes into contact with the culture medium section 30). The control unit 80 can spray the algae into the predetermined range by controlling the rotation of the moving unit 20 and the timing of spraying the algae by the spray unit 60. After spraying the algae into the predetermined range, the control unit 80 stops spraying by the spray unit 60 (step S103 in FIG. 2). The control unit 80 also stops the movement of the support 10 when the range into which the algae has been sprayed reaches a position facing the culture medium section 30.

[0062] Next, as shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 80 moves the culture medium section 30 leftward and presses it against the back surface 12 of the support 10 (step S104 in FIG. 2). At this time, culture medium is supplied to the culture medium section 30 by the culture medium supply unit 40. The culture medium supplied to the culture medium section 30 permeates the support 10 and is supplied to the algae attached to the front surface 11 of the support 10. By using the culture medium section 30 in this manner, the culture medium can be reliably and uniformly supplied to the area where the culture medium section 30 is in contact. This allows the algae to grow.

[0063] Moreover, excess culture solution that has dropped from the culture medium section 30 can be collected by the culture medium storage section 41 and supplied again to the culture medium section 30 by the culture medium pump 42. Moreover, the concentration of the culture solution in the culture medium supply section 40 is appropriately adjusted by the above-mentioned method. Moreover, when the total amount of the culture solution in the culture medium supply section 40 decreases, it is appropriately replenished by the above-mentioned method.

[0064] The control unit 80 continues to press the culture medium unit 30 against the support 10 until the algae on the surface 11 of the support 10 have grown sufficiently (NO in step S105 of FIG. 2). Whether the algae have grown sufficiently can be determined by any method. For example, an image of the surface 11 of the support 10 may be acquired and image processed to determine the growth of the algae from the color of the support 10 (e.g., the depth of green, etc.). The growth of the algae may also be determined by detecting the thickness of the layer of the algae formed on the surface 11 of the support 10 with an appropriate sensor. The growth of the algae may also be determined according to the passage of time after previously grasping the relationship between the passage of time and the growth rate of the algae (it may be assumed that the algae have grown sufficiently after a certain period of time has passed).

[0065] When the algae on the front surface 11 of the support 10 have grown sufficiently (YES in step S105 of FIG. 2), the control unit 80 moves the culture medium section 30 to the right, as shown in FIG. 5, and away from the back surface 12 of the support 10 (step S106 of FIG. 2).

[0066] Next, as shown in Fig. 6, the control unit 80 winds up the support 10 around the lower roll 22 (step S107 in Fig. 2). Since the contact plate 51 is pressed against the lower roll 22, the algae is scraped off from the support 10 being wound up around the lower roll 22. The algae travels down the contact plate 51 and is stored in the algae storage unit 52.

[0067] The algae stored in the algae storage section 52 is collected at an appropriate time (step S108 in FIG. 2). The method of collecting the algae from the algae storage section 52 is not particularly limited. For example, it is possible to automatically transport the algae stored in the algae storage section 52 to the end of the device (algae storage section 52) using a transport mechanism such as a belt conveyor, and then collect it outside.

[0068] Furthermore, a portion of the algae stored in the algae storage section 52 is supplied to the dilution tank 61 without being recovered, and is diluted to an appropriate concentration (step S109 in FIG. 2).

[0069] The control unit 80 can culture algae by repeatedly executing the above steps.

[0070] The algae culture system 1 as described above can be installed on the wall of a building, etc., and therefore can reduce the installation area compared to open-type culture systems such as open ponds. Also, the algae culture system 1 can use less culture solution compared to open-type culture systems, and therefore can reduce the load (weight) of the entire device.

[0071] Furthermore, since the carbon dioxide concentration inside the housing 70 can be increased, the growth efficiency of the algae can be improved. Furthermore, the algae can be easily collected as the support 10 moves. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to constantly operate the movement of the support 10 by the movement unit 20, the left and right movement of the culture medium unit 30, the operation of the culture medium pump 42, and the spraying of the algae by the spray unit 60, energy saving can be improved.

[0072] Hereinafter, the configuration of an algae cultivation system 1A according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0073] In the algae cultivation system 1A according to the second embodiment, the configuration of the collection section 50A is different from that of the collection section 50 according to the first embodiment (see FIG. 1). Therefore, the configuration of the collection section 50A according to the second embodiment will be mainly described below. Other configurations similar to those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment, and descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate. Note that the spray section 60 is not shown in FIG. 7.

[0074] The contact plate 51A of the recovery unit 50A according to the second embodiment is disposed so as to contact the support 10 located at another position, not the support 10 wound around the lower roll 22. Specifically, the contact plate 51A is disposed between the culture medium section 30 and the lower roll 22 so as to contact the surface 11 of the support 10.

[0075] The recovery section 50A according to the second embodiment is equipped with a plurality of (two in this embodiment) auxiliary rollers 53a and 53b. One of the auxiliary rollers, 53a, is arranged to contact the support 10 from the side opposite to the contact plate 51A (the back surface 12 side) so that the support 10 in contact with the contact plate 51A does not move toward the back surface 12. The other auxiliary roller, 53b, is arranged to contact the support 10 between the culture medium section 30 and the lower roll 22 so as to apply an appropriate tension to the support 10.

[0076] Unlike the lower roll 22, the support 10 is not wound around the auxiliary roller 53a in multiple layers, so there is no need to provide a mechanism capable of changing the position of the contact plate 51A. This simplifies the configuration compared to the first embodiment.

[0077] The algae cultivation method using the algae cultivation system 1A according to the second embodiment is generally similar to that of the first embodiment (see FIG. 2), and therefore will not be described.

[0078] Hereinafter, the configuration of an algae cultivation system 1B according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0079] In the algae cultivation system 1B according to the third embodiment, the configurations of the collection unit (upper collection unit 50U and lower collection unit 50D) and the spray unit 60B are different from those of the collection unit 50 and the spray unit 60 according to the first embodiment (see FIG. 1). Therefore, the configurations of the collection unit (upper collection unit 50U and lower collection unit 50D) and the spray unit 60B according to the third embodiment will be mainly described below. Furthermore, the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment are used for other configurations similar to those in the first embodiment, and descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0080] The collection section according to the third embodiment includes an upper collection section 50U and a lower collection section 50D. The lower collection section 50D has a similar configuration to the collection section 50 according to the first embodiment. That is, the lower collection section 50D includes a contact plate 51D that contacts the surface 11 of the support 10 wound around the lower roll 22, and an algae storage section 52D that stores the algae scraped off by the contact plate 51D.

[0081] The upper recovery unit 50U has a structure generally similar to that of the lower recovery unit 50D, and is configured to scrape off and store algae from the support 10 wound around the upper roll 21. Specifically, the upper recovery unit 50U includes a contact plate 51U that contacts the surface 11 of the support 10 wound around the upper roll 21, and an algae storage unit 52U that stores the algae scraped off by the contact plate 51U.

[0082] The spray section 60B according to the third embodiment includes an upper spray nozzle 63U and a lower spray nozzle 63D instead of the spray nozzle 63 according to the first embodiment. The lower spray nozzle 63D has the same configuration as the spray nozzle 63 according to the first embodiment. That is, the lower spray nozzle 63D is configured to be able to spray algae onto the surface 11 of the support 10 below the culture medium section 30.

[0083] The upper spray nozzle 63U is disposed above the culture medium section 30 so as to face the surface 11 of the support 10. By operating the upper spray nozzle 63U at any timing, it is possible to spray algae onto the support 10 at any timing.

[0084] Incidentally, the spray section 60B in the third embodiment is configured to spray algae collected in the lower collection section 50D, but it can also be configured to spray algae collected in the upper collection section 50U.

[0085] In the algae cultivation system 1B according to the third embodiment, the upper roll 21 and the lower roll 22 are rotated to collect algae in the upper recovery unit 50U or the lower recovery unit 50D, and at the same time, the algae can be sprayed onto the support 10. Therefore, compared to the first embodiment, there is no need for a step of rewinding the support 10 onto the upper roll 21 after the algae are collected, which saves unnecessary power and time. Below, an algae cultivation method using the algae cultivation system 1B according to the third embodiment will be described.

[0086] In the following explanation, it is assumed that the support 10 is wound around the lower roll 22, the support 10 has moved downward, and algae are being cultivated on the support 10 (the state before the algae are harvested).

[0087] The control unit 80 winds up the support 10 around the upper roll 21 (step S201 in FIG. 9). As a result, the support 10 wound around the upper roll 21 and the lower roll 22 moves upward. At this time, since the contact plate 51U is pressed against the upper roll 21, the algae is scraped off from the support 10 being wound around the upper roll 21. The algae travels down the contact plate 51U and is stored in the algae storage unit 52U.

[0088] At this time, the control unit 80 also sprays the diluted algae onto the support 10 using the lower spray nozzle 63D (step S202 in FIG. 9). As a result, the algae to be cultured is supported on the surface 11 of the support 10. Note that the algae sprayed by the lower spray nozzle 63D is sprayed only onto a predetermined range of the support 10 that corresponds to the culture medium section 30 (the range that comes into contact with the culture medium section 30).

[0089] After spraying the algae in the predetermined range, the control unit 80 stops spraying by the lower spray nozzle 63D (step S203 in FIG. 9). Furthermore, the control unit 80 stops the movement of the support 10 when the range into which the algae has been sprayed reaches a position facing the culture medium unit 30.

[0090] The algae stored in the algae storage section 52U is collected at an appropriate timing (step S204 in FIG. 9).

[0091] Next, the control unit 80 moves the culture medium section 30 leftward and presses it against the back surface 12 of the support 10 (step S205 in FIG. 9). At this time, the culture medium supply unit 40 supplies culture medium to the culture medium section 30. The culture medium supplied to the culture medium section 30 permeates the support 10 and is supplied to the algae attached to the front surface 11 of the support 10. This causes the algae to grow.

[0092] The control unit 80 continues to press the culture medium part 30 against the support 10 until the algae on the surface 11 of the support 10 have sufficiently grown (NO in step S206 in FIG. 9).

[0093] When the algae on the front surface 11 of the support 10 have grown sufficiently (YES in step S206 in FIG. 9), the control unit 80 moves the culture medium part 30 rightward and away from the back surface 12 of the support 10 (step S207 in FIG. 9).

[0094] Next, the control unit 80 winds up the support 10 around the lower roll 22 (step S208 in FIG. 9). Since the contact plate 51D is pressed against the lower roll 22, the algae is scraped off from the support 10 being wound up around the lower roll 22. The algae travels down the contact plate 51D and is stored in the algae storage unit 52D.

[0095] At this time, the control unit 80 also sprays the diluted algae onto the support 10 using the upper spray nozzle 63U (step S209 in FIG. 9). As a result, the algae to be cultured is supported on the surface 11 of the support 10. Note that the algae sprayed by the upper spray nozzle 63U is sprayed only onto a predetermined range of the support 10 that corresponds to the culture medium section 30 (the range that comes into contact with the culture medium section 30).

[0096] After spraying the algae in the predetermined range, the control unit 80 stops spraying by the upper spray nozzle 63U (step S210 in FIG. 9). Furthermore, the control unit 80 stops the movement of the support 10 when the range into which the algae has been sprayed reaches a position facing the culture medium unit 30.

[0097] The algae stored in the algae storage section 52D is collected at an appropriate time (step S211 in FIG. 2).

[0098] Furthermore, a portion of the algae stored in the algae storage section 52D is supplied to the dilution tank 61 without being recovered, and is diluted to an appropriate concentration (step S212 in FIG. 2).

[0099] Next, the control unit 80 moves the culture medium section 30 leftward and presses it against the back surface 12 of the support 10 (step S213 in FIG. 9). At this time, the culture medium supply unit 40 supplies culture medium to the culture medium section 30. The culture medium supplied to the culture medium section 30 permeates the support 10 and is supplied to the algae attached to the front surface 11 of the support 10. This causes the algae to grow.

[0100] The control unit 80 continues to press the culture medium unit 30 against the support 10 until the algae on the surface 11 of the support 10 have sufficiently grown (NO in step S214 in FIG. 9).

[0101] When the algae on the front surface 11 of the support 10 have grown sufficiently (YES in step S214 in FIG. 9), the control unit 80 moves the culture medium part 30 rightward and away from the back surface 12 of the support 10 (step S215 in FIG. 9).

[0102] The control unit 80 can culture algae by repeatedly executing the above-mentioned steps. In the third embodiment, since the movement of the support 10 upward or downward (collection of the algae) and the spraying of the algae to be cultured next onto the support 10 can be performed simultaneously, it is possible to save energy and shorten the time required for the culture process.

[0103] As described above, the algae cultivation system 1 according to the above embodiment has the following features: A support part (support 10) that is permeable to a culture medium and capable of supporting algae on a first surface (surface 11); a culture medium holding portion (culture medium portion 30) capable of holding the culture medium and contacting a second surface (back surface 12) located on the back side of the first surface of the support portion; A moving unit 20 capable of moving the support unit; A recovery unit 50 capable of recovering the algae supported on the support unit as the support unit is moved by the moving unit 20; It is equipped with the following. With this configuration, the algae can be suitably collected. That is, the algae supported on the support part can be collected by moving the support part, so that the algae can be easily collected.

[0104] In addition, the moving unit includes: The device includes rolls (upper roll 21 and lower roll 22) around which the support portion is wound. With this configuration, the support portion can be moved with a simple configuration.

[0105] In addition, the recovery section 50 includes: The support portion is provided with a contact portion (abutment plate 51 ) that comes into contact with the first surface of the support portion being moved by the moving portion 20 . With this configuration, it is possible to collect algae with a simple configuration. That is, by bringing the contact plate 51 into contact with the moving support part, the algae supported on the support part can be scraped off. At this time, since there is no need to operate the contact plate 51, the algae can be easily collected.

[0106] In addition, the algae cultivation system 1 is The apparatus further includes a supply section (spray section 60) that supplies the algae collected by the collection section 50 to the support section. With this configuration, the collected algae can be used to culture new algae.

[0107] In addition, the culture medium holding unit includes: The support member is movable between a contact position in contact with the second surface of the support member and a spaced position spaced from the second surface of the support member. Such a configuration can prevent damage to the culture medium section 30 and the support 10. That is, it is possible to avoid the culture medium section 30 coming into contact with the moving support 10, and it is possible to prevent damage such as scraping of the culture medium section 30 and the support 10.

[0108] In addition, the moving unit 20 is The device includes a pair of rolls (upper roll 21 and lower roll 22) around which the support portion is wound, The culture medium holding unit includes: The contact surface is parallel to the direction in which the pair of rolls are arranged, and has a contact surface (left side surface) capable of contacting the second surface of the support portion. With this configuration, by arranging the pair of rolls and the culture medium section 30 side by side in one direction, it is possible to reduce the space required for the algae cultivation system 1. In particular, by arranging the pair of rolls and the culture medium section 30 side by side vertically as in the algae cultivation system 1, it is possible to reduce the installation area.

[0109] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above configuration, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims.

[0110] For example, the algae culture method described in each of the above embodiments (see Figure 2, etc.) is intended to recover the algae alive, but the algae culture system 1, etc., is also capable of recovering the algae after drying.

[0111] For example, by leaving the culture medium section 30 separated from the support 10 (such as step S106 in FIG. 2) for several hours to several days, the algae can be dried by sunlight (sun-dried) and the moisture removed. In this case, the algae can be dried using solar heat, which can reduce the cost of drying and the amount of carbon dioxide emissions. The dried algae can be collected using the collection section 50, etc., in the same manner as in the above-mentioned algae culture method.

[0112] In addition, in the above embodiment, a polymer film is used as an example of the support 10, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it is also possible to use various materials that are porous and capable of retaining moisture, such as sponge or cloth.

[0113] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the algae cultivation system 1 is installed on the wall surface of a building, but the method of installing the algae cultivation system 1 is not limited to this. For example, the algae cultivation system 1 may be arranged so as to protrude from the building using a cantilever structure or the like, and connected to the building. It is also possible to install the algae cultivation system 1 on a separate foundation, pillars, or the like, and install it independently of the building. In this case, the algae cultivation system 1 may be installed in an open space, regardless of the presence or absence of a building.

[0114] In addition, in the above embodiment, the algae cultivation system 1 is configured to be installed vertically (the upper roll 21, culture medium section 30, lower roll 22, etc. are arranged vertically) on the assumption that it will be installed on the wall surface of a building, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the position of the algae cultivation system 1 can be changed as desired. For example, the algae cultivation system 1 can be arranged in an inclined state so that the algae supported on the support 10 faces the direction of sunlight.

[0115] In the above embodiment, the upper and lower ends of the support 10 are wound around the upper roll 21 and the lower roll 22, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the support 10 can be formed into an annular (endless) shape and wound around the upper roll 21 and the lower roll 22. With this configuration, the support 10 can be circulated between the upper roll 21 and the lower roll 22 by rotating the upper roll 21 and the lower roll 22 in one direction. In this case, algae can be cultured in both the portion of the support 10 that faces from the upper roll 21 to the lower roll 22 and the portion that faces from the lower roll 22 to the upper roll 21, so that the algae can be efficiently cultured.

[0116] In the above embodiment, the recovery unit 50 uses the plate-shaped contact plate 51 (contact portion) to peel off the algae from the support 10, but the shape of the contact portion is not particularly limited. That is, the shape of the contact portion can be changed as desired as long as the shape allows the algae to be peeled off from the support 10.

[0117] In the above embodiment, the support 10 and the like are housed in the housing 70, but it is not always necessary to provide the housing 70. For example, if there is no risk of the support 10 being contaminated or of unwanted matter such as insects coming into contact with the support 10, algae may be cultured without providing the housing 70. [Explanation of symbols]

[0118] 1. Algae Cultivation System 10. Support 11 Surface 12 Back side 20 Mobile section 21 Upper roll 22 Lower roll 30 Culture medium 50 Collection Department 51 Contact plate 60 Spray section

Claims

1. A support part that is permeable to a culture medium and capable of supporting algae on a first surface thereof; A culture medium holding portion capable of contacting a second surface located on the back side of the first surface of the support portion and capable of holding the culture medium; A moving unit capable of moving the support unit; A recovery unit capable of recovering the algae supported on the support unit as the support unit is moved by the moving unit; An algae cultivation system comprising:

2. The moving unit is The support includes a roll on which the support is wound. The algae cultivation system according to claim 1 .

3. The recovery section includes: a contact portion that contacts the first surface of the support portion being moved by the moving portion; The algae cultivation system according to claim 1 .

4. Further comprising a supply unit that supplies the algae collected by the collection unit to the support unit. The algae cultivation system according to claim 1 .

5. The culture medium holding unit includes: The support member is movable between a contact position in contact with the second surface of the support member and a spaced position spaced from the second surface of the support member. The algae cultivation system according to claim 1 .

6. The moving unit is The support portion includes a pair of rolls around which the support portion is wound, The culture medium holding unit includes: The pair of rolls are parallel to the direction in which they are arranged, and the pair of rolls have a contact surface that can contact the second surface of the support portion. The algae cultivation system according to claim 1 .

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