Floating Reaction Jacket for Photosynthetic Reactor
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current photosynthetic reactors face challenges in cultivating fragile microalgae due to mechanical stresses and bubble formation, which limits the growth of sensitive species and reduces production efficiency, while also being complex and costly to deploy on water surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A reaction jacket with two flexible, transparent sheaths that float on water, creating a horizontal gas/liquid diphasic flow path to minimize mechanical stress and bubble formation, allowing for controlled growth of microalgae with reduced shear stress and enhanced gas/liquid transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional mechanical stirring devices are used to mix the culture, then mixing efficiency is improved, but mechanical stress on fragile microalgae increases and production efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical stirring devices with a gas injection system that creates diphasic flow (gas bubbles rising through liquid culture) to achieve mixing. This substitution eliminates direct mechanical contact with microalgae, reducing shear stress and mechanical damage while maintaining effective mixing through bubble-induced convection and flow patterns.
2Quantity of substance
If gas injection is used to enhance gas/liquid transfer, then mass transfer is improved, but bubble formation increases and mechanical stress on microalgae worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating regions of different flow characteristics within the reactor. Gas is injected at specific locations to create controlled bubble columns that rise through the culture, providing intensive gas/liquid transfer zones while other regions maintain gentler flow conditions. This spatial variation in flow intensity optimizes mass transfer where needed while protecting microalgae in other areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes physical parameters of the gas injection system, including bubble size distribution, injection rate, and injection location, to optimize the balance between gas/liquid transfer efficiency and mechanical stress. By controlling bubble diameter and rise velocity, the system achieves adequate mass transfer while minimizing shear forces that could damage fragile microalgae cells.
3Stability of the object's composition
If complex reactor structures are used to deploy on water surfaces, then stability is improved, but device complexity and deployment cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs buoyancy elements (floatation devices) that provide upward force to counterbalance the weight of the reactor structure and culture medium. This anti-weight approach using buoyant forces simplifies the support structure needed for water surface deployment, reducing overall structural complexity while maintaining stability and positioning of the reactor.
Solution Approach 2:
The reactor structure is designed with multi-functional components that serve multiple purposes: the transparent walls provide both structural integrity and light transmission for photosynthesis, the gas injection system provides both mixing and gas/liquid transfer, and the buoyancy elements provide both stability and positioning. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed, simplifying the overall structure.
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 solution enables the growth of fragile microalgae species with increased production efficiency and reduced mechanical stress, while simplifying the reactor design and deployment on water surfaces, leveraging the thermal stability and lift capacity of water to maintain optimal conditions for photosynthetic organisms.
Implementation Method 1
A reaction jacket with two flexible, transparent sheaths that float on water
Implementation Method 2
creating a horizontal gas/liquid diphasic flow path to minimize mechanical stress and bubble formation, allowing for controlled growth of microalgae with reduced shear stress and enhanced gas/liquid transfer
Implementation Method 3
two sheaths, outer and inner, respectively, made at least partially from a material transparent to light radiation
Data Source
AI summary
Reaction jacket for a photosynthetic reactor, configured to float on an expanse of water and to define a gas/liquid culture medium diphasic flow path between first and second openings of the reaction jacket, the jacket including two sheaths, outer and inner, respectively, at least partially made from a material transparent to light radiation, the inner sheath extending inside the outer sheath such that these sheaths define an inter-sheath space between them in fluid connection with the first opening of the jacket, where the outer sheath has an open proximal end and a closed distal end, and the inner sheath has an open proximal end in fluid connection with the second opening of the jacket and a distal end provided with at least one communication orifice between the inside of the inner sheath and the inter-sheath space.