Patent ID: 9040283
Filing Date: 2015-05-26
Classification: C12M,C12N

Abstract:
1. A photosynthetic reactor suitable for the culture of photosynthetic organisms, comprising: at least one photosynthetic reaction pipe in which the liquid culture medium circulates and which is provided with at least one substantially horizontal reaction section and at least partly made in a material transparent to light radiation, said reaction pipe having a low end positioned in the low portion of the reactor and a high end positioned in the high portion of the reactor above the low end; at least one return pipe ensuring the fluidic connection between the low end and the high end of the reaction pipe; at least one circulation device for circulating the liquid culture medium; at least one gas injector positioned in the reaction section or upstream from said reaction section with respect to the direction of the circulation of the gas, said gas injector allowing gas to be injected into the reactor; and at least one exhaust positioned in the high portion of the reactor and allowing the gas injected into the reactor to escape; wherein the circulation device is positioned in the return pipe and the gas injector is positioned in the low portion of the reactor or upstream from said low portion with respect to the direction of the circulation of the gas so that the gas injected through the gas injector moves up to as far as the exhaust by circulating in the reaction pipe, in a direction of circulation from the low end to as far as the high end of the reaction pipe, so that the injected gas and the liquid culture medium establish gas/liquid two-phase flow in the substantially horizontal reaction section, wherein circulation of the liquid culture medium is ensured by the at least one circulation device, and wherein the reactor further comprises a short-circuit pipe positioned in parallel on the return pipe and connecting two connection points provided on the reactor, including a first connection point positioned on the reaction pipe and a second connection point positioned on the return pipe or on the reaction pipe; two valves positioned on either side of said first connection point with one of the valves positioned on the short-circuit pipe; and two valves positioned on either side of said second connection point with one of the valves positioned on the short-circuit pipe; so that by handling the valves it is possible to isolate the portion of the reactor located between the first and the second connection points on the side of the reaction pipe and the gas/liquid culture medium mixture circulates in the short-circuit pipe and in the non-isolated portion of the reactor located between the first and second connection points on the side of the return pipe.