Patent ID: 9738868
Date: 2017-08-22
CPC Classifications: C12M,C12N

Claim:
1. A photobioreactor for producing and harvesting microalgae, the photobioreactor comprising: a vessel for cultivating microalgae, the vessel having at least one wall and an interior, at least a portion of the at least one wall being transparent to permit light of a frequency necessary to promote microalgae growth to enter into the interior of the vessel, an electrode consisting of at least part of the transparent portion of the at least one wall, said electrode comprising a layer of transparent conductive oxide selected from the group consisting of indium doped tin oxide, fluorine doped tin oxide, antimony doped tin oxide, zinc doped tin oxide, aluminum doped zinc oxide and a mixture thereof, the layer of transparent conducting oxide being transparent to light of the frequency necessary to promote microalgae growth and opaque to light of an infrared frequency range; and, a counter-electrode within the interior of the vessel, the counter-electrode being electrically connected to the layer of transparent conductive oxide for providing a potential difference across at least a portion of the interior of the vessel between the layer of transparent conductive oxide and the counter-electrode, with the proviso that the counter electrode is not a coating on a wall of the vessel.