60 results about "Algal growth" patented technology

The invention discloses a method for biologically remediating a water body and soil comprehensively utilizing resources. The method comprises the steps: (1), determining main pollutants in a selected land area or water body area; (2), selecting to plant and / or cultivate fast-growing herbaceous plants, fast-growing alga, trees, bushes, fungi or microorganisms with high remediation efficiency in the selected land area or water body area; (3), harvesting or collecting the fast-growing herbaceous plants and the fast-growing alga after growing to reach a suitable height or size; (4), concentratedly processing the harvested or collected fast-growing herbaceous plants and the fast-growing alga, and comprehensively utilizing to prevent the pollutants from dispersing; (5), remediating an eutrophic water body by adopting an artificial floating island; (6), remediating a heavy metal polluted water body by confining floating plants; (7), repairing cadmium and zinc polluted soil by mixed-cropping festuca arundinacea and bluegrass; (8), remediating polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) polluted soil by mixed-cropping alfalfa and italian ryegrass; and (9), extracting and recovering silver from silver-containing wastewater remediation plants.

Methods and compositions are disclosed for treating swimming pool waters in order to remove one or more nutrients necessary for algal growth and to accelerate the breakdown of objectionable chloramines within chlorinated pool waters. The target nutrients of preference are those containing phosphorus or nitrogen. Phosphorus nutrients are preferably removed by ion-exchange with finely divided lanthanum carbonate, or by direct precipitation in the pool with liquid lanthanum chloride. Nitrogen nutrients (including, in particular, chloramines) may be removed (possibly with the aid of catalysts and in separate reactors). The same reagents used to scavenge phosphates are useful in this regard, the nitrogen being released from the pool water as a nitrogenous gas. To allow the fine lanthanum carbonates to be conveniently handled in the pool environment, they may be linked to larger carrier particles, such as those of diatomaceous earth, or they may be embedded within porous beads formed from polymers or gels. In this form the reagent can be either added to, retained within and backwashed from pool filters, or added directly to pools (with or without a flocculating agent) and sucked to waste after settling. A variety of formulations for these purposes is disclosed.

The present disclosure describes use of filamentous algae to form insulating construction materials which provide thermal and noise insulation. Algae from the order Zygnematales, the Cladophorales, or the Ulotrichales can be dried and formed for use as insulating material. Algae mass can be combined into several layers, using a binder to attach the layers to each other. A composite material of algae mass and an additive can be used and form the body of insulation panels having honeycomb-shaped chambers, which are sealed by a foil that is laminated onto the body.Various plants for cultivating algae for use in construction material are disclosed. Plants utilizing gravity harvest comprise cultivation ponds located at a slope, wherein the ponds can be opened to allow algae and water to flow downhill through a collector grill. Plants utilizing net harvest, overflow harvest or rake harvest are described. Carbon dioxide injection concepts utilizing direct and indirect injection of carbon dioxide into algae cultivation ponds are disclosed. An algae harvesting machine is disclosed. Control concepts for controlling the growth of algae in an algae cultivation plant are described.

A novel algae bioreactor and biofuel production system is presented that uses an efficient distribution and delivery mechanism for light, water, nutrient, and carbon dioxide. An efficient light delivery system uses multiple LEDs at red and blue wavelengths to enhance / optimize the algal growth. In addition, multiple light rods are immerses in large and deep bioreactor to achieve even growth of algae within the tank. A novel water / nutrient / CO2 delivery and distribution system enhances CO2 retention in the culture, produces even distribution of nutrient and results in even and rapid algae growth throughout the bioreactor tank. A nutrient delivery system is disclosed based on processing of aquatic waste for superior nutrient for algal growth. The modular design of the system allows for scaling and maintenance, for continuous operation of the plant.

A wastewater treatment system and process biologically treats wastewater to produce substantially clean water effluent and byproducts. The treatment system includes an array of media wheels that rotate into and out of exposure to sunlight for sustained algae growth. One byproduct is algae removed from the rotating media wheels, which may be provided to other processing facilities to produce, for instance, bio-diesel fuel. Waste CO2 from the processing facility may also be returned to the treatment system for enhanced algae growth. Bacteria is provided to form a symbiotic relationship with the algae, fueled by sunlight to effectively remove toxic materials from the wastewater. Large scale facilities may integrate the treatment systems in a regenerative cycle in which the biomass obtained from the algal colonies is used in a separate facility and byproducts of the operation of the separate facility are used by the treatment system to fuel further algal growth.

A method of growing algae is described that is part of a cogenerational energy production plant in which solar energy from a solar collecting and concentrating field is used to provide photonic energy for the growth and stress phase of algae as well as to provide heat for driving a turbine. The supplementary energy for the power plant is provided by natural gas and by biomethane that is produced by fermentation of the algal biomass. The carbon dioxide that is a by-product of the combustion of both the natural gas and the biomethane is recycled to provide the carbon source for the algal growth.

Recombinant oleaginous alga that include one or more heterologous genes that increase the ability of the alga to use one or more natural saccharides such as cellulosic or hemicellulosic sugars for algal growth are described. The recombinant oleaginous algae are transformed to include one or more genes expressing sugar metabolizing enzymes or sugar transporting proteins, along with suitable control elements. Use of natural saccharides as a carbon source can allow the algae to produce biofuel precursors in a relatively efficient manner. Processes for preparing the alga, growing the alga, and extracting the biofuel precursors from the alga are also described.

This invention provides a filtration system for home aquaria that uses a closed-circuit pathway having a surface that contacts a flow of water moving between a tank inlet and tank outlet. The surface allows for algal growth thereon, and for transmission of light thereonto so as to provide photosynthetic energy to the algae. The algae acts to scrub contaminants (nitrogenous compounds, for example) as part of its growth cycle, and thereby purify the water. Additional components, such as injected air and filter media can also be provided to the water circuit to enhance algal growth, oxygenate the water and remove particulates. In an illustrative embodiment, the surface is transparent or translucent and a light that transmits appropriate wavelengths (for example, full-visible spectrum) is placed in proximity to the surface.

Apparatuses and methods for growing filamentous algae are disclosed. An apparatus comprises vertical surfaces such as plates or tubes which are suspended above the fill line of a water tank. Surfaces can have a frosted texture for algal growth. The surfaces are kept moist by pumping water from the tank through spray bars to the surfaces. Sprayed water drips back into the water tank. Algae growing on a surface can be processed into products such as biofuel and glycerin. Aquatic animals such as fish can be grown in a tank. An aquatic animal can generate nitrogenous waste as nutrient for algae, and provide food for human consumption. The amount of harvestable algae produced by an apparatus can exceed the amount produced from other systems of comparable size over comparable durations. An apparatus can also be utilized to scrub CO2.

Provided are compositions and methods for sustainable cultivation of algae for biomass, biofuel and bioproduct production, preferably with minimal addition of exogenous nutrients, comprising co-cultivating at least one algal species with at least one aerobic bacterial species and at least one diazotroph (or, in certain embodiments, cultivation of at least one algal species with at least one diazotroph) under continuous sustainable symbiotic conditions, wherein a significant proportion of the macronutrients derive from endogenous decomposed algal and bacterial cells. Certain aspects provide continuous symbiotic diazotroph-attenuated nitrogen stress co-cultivation, wherein a continuous, balanced attenuated nitrogen-stress response provides for adequate sustained algal growth, while yet preserving advantages of algal nitrogen stress responses for algal bioproduct production. Preferred aspects provide for enhanced algal production of at least one of: lipids; triacylglycerols (TAGs); percentage of lips as TAGs; and percentage of saturated and mono-saturated fatty acids relative to polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in TAGs.

The present invention relates to various methods to produce a variety of omega-3 fatty acids from various species of alga using crude glycerol as a substrate for algal growth. In one embodiment, the present invention relates to various methods to produced docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) from a Schizochytrium, Phaeodactylum, Thraustochytrid, Ulkenia, and / or Labyrinthulea species of alga. In another embodiment, the present invention relates to various methods to produced eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) from a Schizochytrium, Phaeodactylum, Thraustochytrid, Ulkenia, and / or Labyrinthulea species of alga. In one instance, the methods of the present invention utilize crude glycerol as at least a portion of the culture medium for the various micro-organisms disclosed herein to enable the production of one or more omega-3 fatty acids. In one embodiment, the crude glycerol of the present invention can be generated from a biodiesel process as a substrate for the production of either docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) or eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).

The invention discloses a system and a method for controlling reaction of alga. By adopting a layering gathering-scattering type control structure, a master controller performs unified configuration of the environmental parameter for growth of alga required by a plurality of sub-controllers in the system and transmits the environmental parameter of the alga to the sub-controller corresponding to areactor for cultivating the alga; and the sub-controller monitors the environment of the reactor according to the received environmental parameter to ensure that the environmental parameter of the reactor is in a state suitable for growth of the alga. Accordingly, a great amount of alga cultivating sub-controllers are monitored to make the large-scale industrial production possible.

The inventive technology relates to methods for the algae-based treatment of challenged water. Embodiments of the inventive technology include methods for commercially scalable algal-growth in challenged water. Such methods include, for example a step-wise conditioning process to select and condition algae strains for high growth yields in the presence of challenged water generated from the production of oil and gas or other waste water sources. Such algae-based treatment, in addition to removing harmful chemical compounds from this water may also capture and sequester heavy metal contaminants as well as other compounds for later extraction and processing. The invention also may include embodiments for an algae based desalination system of challenged water, resulting in the production of brine salts and the like. The inventive technology also encompasses an algae-based system to capture and sequester carbon-dioxide from gas and other emissions generated from industrial sources.

Provided herein are systems and methods for extracting lipids and / or producing biofuel from algae in marine and freshwater environments, wherein algae and bivalves are co-cultured in a system of enclosures comprising water that comprises recycled nutrients that are essential for algal growth. The system also include enclosures for culturing fishes which are used to harvest the algae.

Provided herein are systems and methods for extracting lipids and / or producing biofuel from algae in marine and freshwater environments, wherein algae and bivalves are co-cultured in a system of enclosures comprising water that comprises recycled nutrients that are essential for algal growth. The system also include enclosures for culturing fishes which are used to harvest the algae.

Method and system for estimating a growth stage of an alga in an ambient fluid. Measured light beam absorption or reflection values through or from the alga and through an ambient fluid, in each of two or more wavelength sub-ranges, are compared with reference light beam absorption values for corresponding wavelength sub-ranges for in each alga growth stage to determine (1) which alga growth stage, if any, is more likely and (2) whether estimated lipid content of the alga is increasing or has peaked. Alga growth is preferably terminated when lipid content has approximately reached a maximum value.

The invention discloses a treatment method of eutrophic aquatic product culture wastewater. The method comprises the steps of preparing a copper steel-attapulgite adsorbent, carrying out activation, carrying out loading, and carrying out purification. The method has the beneficial effects that complex florae in a treatment agent metabolize oxidation resisting substances through a propagation action and a synergistic effect, and a stable ecosystem is generated, so that the activity of protozoans, microbes and aquatic organisms with a water purification function in water is recovered; a water purifying agent can be used for decomposing organic macromolecular substances in the water into saccharides, amino acids, vitamins, bio-active substances and the like, which are absorbent to animals and plants, degrading organic macromolecules and inhibiting algal growth; and COD, ammonia nitrogen and nitrite can be effectively removed from the water, the water pollution is improved, the concentration of dissolved oxygen is increased, the content of heavy-metal ions is lowered, the organic macromolecules are degraded, the growth of algae is inhibited, the flocculating settling action on suspended substances in the water is relatively high, and the degree of eutrophication of the aquatic product culture wastewater can be effectively relieved.

The present invention provides methods and compositions for increasing oil content in algae. More particularly, the present invention relates to enhancement of phytohormone activity in algae, by genetic transformation thereof or by supplementing the algal growth medium with phytohormones, to maximize the production of oil within the algae cells.

The invention relates to a preparation method and application of a bio-organic fertilizer for cultivation of beneficial algas in ponds, and belongs to the field of aquaculture subject. The preparation method comprises the following steps: pigs dying of diseases and auxiliary materials are treated with physical crushing, stirring, high-temperature processing and biological fermentation to prepare basic materials; the basic materials are sieved; middle and trace mineral elements are compounded; according to a certain proportion, a restrictive amino acid combination, organic / inorganic N / P or C / N needed by the growth of the aquatic beneficial algas are added to prepare an animal and plant oriented bio-organic fertilizer; according to the method needed by the ecological restoration of the aquaculture water environment, the fertilizer is soaked and splashed or directly and uniformly spread with the fertilizer being dry. According to the preparation method, high-temperature processing at the temperature of over 90 DEG C for 24 hours and high temperature resistant complex beneficial microorganisms are adopted, therefore, the situation that the bio-organic fertilizer avoids the secondary pollution of virus, bacteria and parasites is ensured, loss of nutritional substances like animal and plant oriented protein is guaranteed to be avoided, and the nutrition demands of the aquatic beneficial algas are met through compound.

This invention relates to a compound material for suppressing growing of alga including a carrier with porous basic substance and a nm metal mixture covering the carrier, in which, said mixture includes nm metal particles and a substance fixing the particles on the carrier. This invention further provides a method for suppressing the growing of alga.

The present invention relates to various methods to produce a variety of omega-3 fatty acids from various species of alga using crude glycerol as a substrate for algal growth. In one embodiment, the present invention relates to various methods to produced docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) from a Schizochytrium, Phaeodactylum, Thraustochytrid, Ulkenia, and / or Labyrinthulea species of alga. In another embodiment, the present invention relates to various methods to produced eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) from a Schizochytrium, Phaeodactylum, Thraustochytrid, Ulkenia, and / or Labyrinthulea species of alga. In one instance, the methods of the present invention utilize crude glycerol as at least a portion of the culture medium for the various micro-organisms disclosed herein to enable the production of one or more omega-3 fatty acids. In one embodiment, the crude glycerol of the present invention can be generated from a biodiesel process as a substrate for the production of either docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) or eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).

The invention discloses equipment for inhibiting alga growth by utilizing ultrasonic wave and relates to ultrasonic alga inhibiting equipment. The equipment solves the problem that conventional ultrasonic alga inhibiting equipment has no detection unit and automatic power regulating function. In the equipment for inhibiting the alga growth by utilizing the ultrasonic wave, a signal output end of an alga concentration detector is connected with a signal input end of a controller; an ultrasonic control signal output end of the controller is connected with a signal input end of an ultrasonic generator; a water pump control signal output end of the controller is connected with a signal input end of a water pump unit; a signal output end of the ultrasonic generator is connected with a signal input end of an ultrasonic transducer which is arranged inside a tank body; the tank body is provided with a water inlet and a water outlet; and a water outlet of the water pump unit is communicated with the water inlet of the tank body. Bubbles generated by utilizing the ultrasonic wave have a rapid breaking speed and destroy an alga structure so as to inhibit the alga growth. The equipment is applied to water treatment of ultrasonic alga inhibition.

A multitrophic, inland aquaculture system allows for the cultivation of aquatic animals as a food source and the cultivation of algae for use as biofuel and biomass in a sustainable manner based on the symbiotic nature of the organisms grown. This unique process minimizes biological, energy, and water inputs to create a highly sustainable system by utilizing the cyclic conversion of oxygen to carbon dioxide and back to oxygen as well as using the biological waste from aquatic food organisms to provide nutrients for algae organisms for the benefit of both species. This enables the cultivation of food species in higher densities than previously possible, and eliminates the need to provide additional nutrients, water, and non-atmospheric carbon dioxide for algal growth.

The object of the present invention is an atmospheric bioremediation system focused to reduce the Carbon Dioxide content in the Earth's atmosphere. The disclosed system includes an apparatus to distribute iron in low oxidation states such as zero or plus two trough out the photic region of high nutrients low clorophylls (HNLC) oceans over a period of time. This special apparatus is needed to provide a slow and continuous release of the iron to prevent premature precipitation. It has been shown that microalgae growth is usually initiated by the addition of iron and its sustained feed in water whose only limiting nutrient to prevent algal growth is iron itself. It has also been shown that southern oceans are a possible large batch area where iron is the limiting nutrient.

The invention discloses a method for inhibiting the growth of cyanobacteria, comprising the following steps of: 1, acidification on a water body to be processed: charging CO2 gas into an inoculated alga solution, and acidifying the alga solution by utilizing the characteristic that CO2 and water react to generate H<+> so that the pH value of the alga solution can reach a preset acidity; 2, continuous CO2 charging: regularly charging CO2 into the alga solution in the daily light period so that the pH value of the alga solution can reach the preset acidity after the acidification process starts; and 3, charging pause: stopping CO2 charging when the alga solution is changed to be almost clear from aqua before CO2 charging and the value of chlorophyll a is close to 0 or the inhibition effect does not change remarkably with the acidifying treatment time, wherein the step 2 further comprises a step of monitoring the pH value of the alga solution and the chlorophyll a: measuring the pH value of the alga solution and the chlorophyll a before CO2 charging every day. By utilizing a method of using CO2 to acidify alga growth environment to inhibit the growth of the cyanobacteria, the invention can effectively inhibit the growth of the cyanobacteria with strong practical operability and does not have the problem of secondary pollution.

Belonging to algae removal technologies, the invention relates to a novel algaecide and a new technology for river sand modification and algae reduction with a combined allelopathic modifier. Specifically, natural sediment is adopted as an algae removal carrier, and a natural organic matter (chitosan) is employed as the modifier, after surface coating modification to natural sediment by a combined allelopathic substance (p-hydroxybenzoic acid), the particle surface carrying charge able to neutralize algal cells in water and modify sediment makes algal cells easier to flocculate and gather, and the modifier in the modified sediment can form a network structure to further capture algal cells, and is eventually removed by sedimentation of flocculent bodies or floccules formed by sediment particles. At the same time, as time goes by, allelochemicals released after chitosan hydrolysis can have inhibiting and killing effects on algal growth, thus achieving the purpose of efficient algae removal.

The invention provides a method for controlling quantity of algae in a eutrophic shallow lake. Control of large zooplanktons on algae is improved by reducing predation of fishes of eating zooplanktons on large zooplanktons, so that the target of treating water bloom is reached.

The invention discloses a method for controlling algal blooms by using a submersible type zooplankton incubator. The submersible type zooplankton incubator is a device or structural body composed of abuoyancy frame, a bottom net, a cover net, a biological carrier cage, a reticular biological carrier, an aeration pipe, an air conveying pipe, an aeration fan, aquatic plants, a fixed anchor and a cable. A microbial agent and an algae-eating insect preparation sold in the market serve as a means to drive or strengthen water body pollution control and algal bloom control; through a reticular structure of the incubator and the natural swinging function of the incubator in a water body, planktonic algaes and organic debris in the water body are collected or absorbed; through a microbial membraneand the zoogloea growth, the organic matter is degraded and algal cells are destroyed; through the cultivation and incubation of zooplankton, algae can be eaten and the algal growth is controlled; incremental zooplankton and microbial species in the incubator move outside the incubator under the action of natural swinging of the incubator and biological foraging, and such sustained efficacy is achieved that the scope of water treatment is expanded, the water ecosystem is repaired.