Floating Cover System for Algae Pond Contamination and CO2 Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Open pond systems for algae growth face challenges such as contamination, inefficient CO2 utilization, water loss, and complex harvesting processes, while closed photobioreactors offer improved growth rates but are expensive and require multiple units to match productivity, and neither effectively concentrates algae products.
Innovation Solution
A modular cover system for algae growth ponds that includes various cover portions to manage light, CO2, water, and gas exchange, allowing for enhanced CO2 utilization, reduced water loss, and improved product harvesting, comprising thermal management, diffusion, and product recovery modules, which can cover a portion of the pond surface to optimize conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If an open pond system is used for algae growth, then construction cost is low and algae growth rate is high, but the system is subject to contamination, water loss, and inefficient CO2 utilization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible floating cover made of thin film material that can be easily deployed over open ponds. This cover acts as a physical barrier to prevent contamination from external sources while allowing light transmission for algae photosynthesis. The flexible nature allows it to conform to the pond surface and be easily installed or removed as needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The floating cover serves as an intermediary element between the open pond environment and the algae culture. It mediates the interaction by blocking harmful contaminants, reducing water evaporation, and capturing CO2 from the atmosphere, thereby improving the growth environment without requiring complete enclosure.
2Reliability
If a closed photobioreactor system is used, then contamination is prevented and CO2 utilization is improved, but construction cost increases and system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible floating cover made of thin film material that can be easily deployed over open ponds. This cover acts as a physical barrier to prevent contamination from external sources while allowing light transmission for algae photosynthesis. The flexible nature allows it to conform to the pond surface and be easily installed or removed as needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts only the essential protective functions from complex closed photobioreactor systems. By using a simple floating cover that provides contamination protection, CO2 capture, and evaporation reduction, it achieves the key benefits of closed systems without the complexity of fully enclosed reactors, pumps, and control systems.
3Productivity
If an open pond with large surface area is used, then algae growth rate is high, but water evaporation loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The floating cover serves as an intermediary element between the open pond environment and the algae culture. It mediates the interaction by blocking harmful contaminants, reducing water evaporation, and capturing CO2 from the atmosphere, thereby improving the growth environment without requiring complete enclosure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a flexible floating cover made of thin film material that can be easily deployed over open ponds. This cover acts as a physical barrier to prevent contamination from external sources while allowing light transmission for algae photosynthesis. The flexible nature allows it to conform to the pond surface and be easily installed or removed as needed.
4Productivity
If algae are grown in open pond, then CO2 can be introduced to enhance growth, but CO2 is lost through the open surface
Solution Approach 1:
The floating cover serves as an intermediary element between the open pond environment and the algae culture. It mediates the interaction by blocking harmful contaminants, reducing water evaporation, and capturing CO2 from the atmosphere, thereby improving the growth environment without requiring complete enclosure.
Solution Approach 2:
The floating cover creates a semi-closed environment that traps CO2 near the pond surface, effectively creating a localized CO2-rich atmosphere for the algae. This prevents CO2 from dispersing into the broader atmosphere and ensures that introduced CO2 remains available for photosynthesis.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The cover system enhances algae growth and lipid production by increasing CO2 utilization, reducing water loss, and facilitating efficient product collection, achieving higher algae concentrations and improved productivity with reduced operational costs compared to traditional systems.
Implementation Method 1
A first type of cover portion has a thermal management coating that absorbs or reflects at least one of ultraviolet, actinic and/or infrared light
Implementation Method 2
A first cover portion that selectively allows diffusion of O2 relative to CO2
Implementation Method 3
A first cover portion that allows at least about 50% of incident actinic light intensity to pass through to a pond surface
Data Source
AI summary
Management of a pond for algae growth and harvesting is facilitated by use of a cover system. The cover system can include one or more types of cover portions for management of various interactions between a pond and an ambient environment, such as management of incident light, thermal management, facilitating product recovery, and management of gas diffusion. The cover system can be used in conjunction with both active and passive mixing devices.