Systems and methods for positioning flexible floating photobioreactors

摘要

A top reference photobioreactor system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a flexible floating photobioreactor having a buoyancy tube filled with a gas that is less dense, and a ballast tube filled with a substance, such as saltwater, that is more dense, than the liquid in which the photobioreactor floats. A top reference photobioreactor method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes controlling a depth of the top reference photobioreactor by controlling a volume and/or density of ballast in the ballast tube and/or by controlling a volume and/or density of gas in the buoyancy tube.

主权项

1. A photobioreactor system comprising:
a reservoir containing liquid, the liquid having a top surface level; a photobioreactor, wherein the photobioreactor is flexible and is floating in the liquid, the photobioreactor comprising: a growth chamber containing media in which organisms may be grown; and a ballast chamber containing a fluid, the fluid having an effective density greater than that of the liquid, such that the ballast chamber exerts a force on the photobioreactor in a downward direction; wherein the photobioreactor is one of a plurality of photobioreactors each substantially the same as the photobioreactor, wherein the plurality of photobioreactors is floating in the liquid, and wherein the plurality of photobioreactors are positioned one next to the other such that a spacing between two adjacent photobioreactors of the plurality of photobioreactors is determined by widths of adjacent abutting ballast chambers.