3D Stacked Bioreactor with Vane Wheel Generator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current water purification and sewage treatment technologies face challenges such as high energy consumption, large area occupation, high costs, and environmental impact, making them unsustainable and burdensome, especially for large-scale applications.
Innovation Solution
A super-large scale photon capture bioreactor system that utilizes a sealable three-dimensional structure with planar layers, microbe filter diaphragms, float-planted plants, and aquatic animals, powered by a vane wheel generator, which reduces energy consumption and area requirements while promoting biological reactions for efficient water purification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional membrane bioreactor technology is used for water purification, then effluent quality and stability are improved, but energy consumption and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses natural buoyancy forces to drive water circulation through the bioreactor layers without mechanical pumps. Plants and aquatic animals naturally float and sink, creating water flow that passes through multiple filter units, eliminating the need for energy-consuming pumping equipment while maintaining continuous water purification.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces mechanical pumping systems with natural physical processes. Instead of using motor-driven pumps to circulate water, the system utilizes buoyancy-driven natural convection currents created by temperature and concentration differences between water layers, substituting mechanical energy input with passive physical mechanisms.
2Reliability
If traditional aerobic biological treatment processes are used, then water purification is achieved, but energy consumption increases due to aeration requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the aeration system from traditional aerobic treatment processes. By removing the mechanical aeration equipment and its energy consumption, the system achieves purification through alternative natural mechanisms while maintaining the essential biological treatment function.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses natural hydraulic gradients and pressure differences between water layers to drive flow through the bioreactor. Water naturally flows from upper to lower layers and returns through buoyancy-driven convection, eliminating the need for mechanical aeration while maintaining water circulation and biological activity.
3Productivity
If large-scale sewage treatment plants are built using traditional methods, then treatment capacity increases, but occupied area and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from horizontal expansion to vertical development by stacking multiple bioreactor layers vertically. Water flows through series-connected layers from top to bottom, enabling large treatment capacity within a compact vertical footprint, dramatically reducing the occupied ground area while maintaining high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system nests multiple functional layers within a vertical stack, with each layer containing plants, aquatic animals, and filter units. This nested arrangement allows multiple purification stages to occupy overlapping vertical space, maximizing treatment capacity per unit area.
4Reliability
If chemical methods such as chlorine disinfection are used for water purification, then organic matter removal is improved, but harmful by-products and mutagenic activity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts potentially harmful concentrated organic waste into beneficial resources by using it as food for plants and aquatic animals in the bioreactor. The organic matter that would require chemical disinfection is instead metabolized by living organisms, producing oxygen and biomass while eliminating the need for chlorine and its harmful by-products.
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 bioreactor achieves significant reductions in energy consumption (over 90% compared to traditional methods), occupies less than 30% of the area, and generates economic benefits through the harvesting of plants and aquatic animals, creating a sustainable and low-cost water purification solution.
Implementation Method 1
A vane wheel is arranged under a water outlet of the water ditches in an upper layer and is connected with the generator
Implementation Method 2
plant growth illustrating lights are arranged above the float-planted plants at an adjustable height
Implementation Method 3
A pump is provided for driving water to be purified in a water pool to the water inlet of the uppermost layer through the water pipe
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
A super-large scale photon capture bioreactor for water purification and aquaculture, includes a sealable three-dimensional room. Water ditches (2) are constructed in a circuitous way at each planar layer inside the three-dimensional room. The water ditches (2) in a same planar layer includes a water inlet (12) and water outlet (13). A plurality of filter units (4) are formed at intervals in water ditches (2) at each layer. Float-planted plants (5) are provided on water surface of each filter unit, aquatic animals (6) and microorganisms (7) are provided underwater, and plant growth illustrating lights (8) are arranged above the float-planted plants (5) at an adjustable height. A vane wheel (15) is arranged under a water outlet (13) of the water ditches (2) in an upper layer and is connected with the generator (16). A water inlet (12) of the water ditches (2) in a next layer is arranged under the vane wheel (15). Water to be purified is guided to a water inlet (12) at an uppermost layer. The photon capture bioreactor is characterized in low energy consumption, less occupied area, no pollution and clean production.