Binary Culture Photobioreactor Gas Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for cultivating photosynthetic microorganisms in enclosed bioreactors require continuous purging to manage CO2 and O2 levels, leading to increased operating costs and reduced efficiency, and are not suitable for continuous operation without venting.
Innovation Solution
A closed system using a binary culture of oxygenic photoautotrophs and aerobic or facultative anaerobic chemoheterotrophs, where the heterotrophic organism consumes O2 and produces CO2, eliminating the need for gas sparging and allowing for self-sustaining growth and product generation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If continuous purging is used to manage CO2 and O2 levels in enclosed bioreactors, then gas composition control is improved, but operating costs increase and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the photosynthetic microorganisms themselves to consume O2 and produce CO2, creating a self-regulating gas composition system that eliminates the need for external purging operations
Solution Approach 2:
Photosynthetic microorganisms act as intermediaries that transform the harmful O2 byproduct into useful CO2, which is then consumed by the same organisms, creating a closed-loop gas management system
2Object-generated harmful factors
If continuous purging is used to remove excess O2, then oxygen removal is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts the harmful effect of excess O2 into a beneficial process by using photosynthetic microorganisms to consume O2 and produce CO2, eliminating the need for energy-intensive purging operations
3Reliability
If enclosed bioreactors are used for controlled cultivation, then protection against contamination is improved, but CO2 delivery and O2 removal become problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The enclosed bioreactor system uses the metabolic activities of photosynthetic microorganisms to automatically manage gas composition, eliminating the need for complex external gas delivery and removal systems
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
This approach enables continuous operation without venting, reduces energy consumption, and enhances biomass and product production by maintaining optimal growth conditions, allowing for the use of waste materials and various light sources, and supports the design of more efficient photobioreactors.
Implementation Method 1
the heterotrophic organism consumes O2 and produces CO2
Implementation Method 2
oxygenic photoautotrophs
Data Source
AI summary
A method, device and system for producing preselected products, (either finished products or preselected intermediary products) from biobased precursors or CO2 and/or bicarbonate. The principal features of the present invention include a method wherein a binary culture is incubated with a biobased precursor in a closed system to transform at least a portion of the biobased precursor to a preselected product. The present invention provides a method of cultivation that does not need sparging of a closed bioreactor to remove or add a gaseous byproduct or nutrient from a liquid medium. This improvement leads to significant savings in energy consumption and allows for the design of photobioreactors of any desired shape. The present invention also allows for the use of a variety of types of waste materials to be used as the organic starting material.