Microalgae Culture Tanks with Water Storage Buffer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing microalgae culture devices face challenges in maintaining a suitable temperature for culturing microalgae due to seasonal changes in outdoor environments, despite adjustable tank intervals, leading to suboptimal culturing conditions.
Innovation Solution
A culture device with multiple culturing tanks of varying capacities, where the tanks can be selectively positioned within a water storage tank, allowing for adjustment of the volume occupancy rate to manage temperature through cooling or heating actions based on environmental conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the interval between culturing tanks is adjusted to improve light receiving area, then the culturing efficiency is improved, but the temperature control of culture solution becomes difficult due to seasonal outdoor temperature changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a water storage tank as an intermediary substance between the outdoor environment and the culturing tanks. This stored water acts as a thermal buffer, absorbing excess heat in summer and releasing heat in winter, thereby mediating the temperature impact on culture solutions while allowing tanks to be positioned for optimal light reception
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and thermal parameters of the surrounding environment by storing large volumes of water that can absorb and release thermal energy. This parameter change in the environmental buffer allows the culturing system to maintain stable temperatures despite seasonal outdoor variations
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple culturing tanks with different capacities are used, then the volume occupancy rate can be adjusted, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The water storage tank serves multiple functions: it acts as a thermal buffer for temperature control, provides structural support for positioning culturing tanks, and enables volume occupancy rate adjustment. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate temperature control devices and positioning mechanisms, thereby managing complexity
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 configuration enables effective temperature management, ensuring optimal culturing conditions for microalgae by utilizing the cooling action of stored water in warm seasons and the heat-retaining action in cold seasons, thus maintaining suitable temperatures for microalgae growth.
Implementation Method 1
it becomes possible to effectively obtain a cooling action of the stored water with respect to the culturing tanks
Implementation Method 2
the culture solution in which the microalgae is contained is colored, such as a green color, and absorbs infrared rays and the temperature thereof rises more easily than the stored water which is transparent
Implementation Method 3
it becomes possible to effectively obtain a heat retaining action of the culturing tank
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a culture apparatus and a culture method with which microalgae can be cultured satisfactorily. The culture apparatus includes a plurality of culture tanks and a water storage tank, and cultures microalgae in a culture solution. Each of the plurality of culture tanks has a translucent accommodating portion containing the culture solution and microalgae. The volumes of the accommodating portions of the plurality of culture tanks are different from each other. The water storage tank has a translucent water storage unit for storing a stored water. The plurality of culture tanks are selectively arranged in the water storage unit.