Patent Publication Number: US-2010120137-A1

Title: Apparatus for growing biological mass

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to apparatuses for growing a biological mass, for example algae for production of biofuels. 
     It is known to grow a biological mass, in particular algae, and then produce biofuels from them by pressure. In the known apparatuses CO 2  for growing of the biological mass is supplied directly into the container in which the biological mass is accommodated. This however has certain disadvantage that CO 2  is not efficiently used, and also it is difficult to maintain a required level of its concentration in the growing container in which the algae have to grow. Also, it is necessary to provide a significant quantity of CO 2  since it is not completely absorbed by a process, and a part of CO 2  is escaped to atmosphere. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for growing biological mass, which avoid the disadvantages of the prior art. 
     In keeping with these objects and with others which will become apparent hereinafter, one feature of the present invention resides, briefly stated, in an apparatus for growing biological mass, comprising a container for accommodating and growing a biological mass; means for supplying liquid in said container; means for supplying CO 2  in said container; means for supplying a feedstock in said container; and a cavitating device arranged so that a liquid is supplied from means for supplying liquids directly into said cavitating device and CO 2  is supplied to said cavitating device directly from said means for supplying CO 2 , so that in said cavitating device a mixture of liquid is CO 2  is produced with a cavitation process, said cavitating device being connected with said container for supplying the mixed CO and liquid subjected to cavitator into said container. 
     Another feature of the present invention resides, briefly stated, in means for preparing a medium arranged so that said cavitating device is connected with said preparing means and said means for supplying feedstock is connected with said preparing means and therefore in said means for preparing a working medium the liquid means is mixed with CO 2  with the cavitation process and supplied to said means for preparing a working medium where it is mixed with the feedstock, and thereafter is supplied from said means for preparing a working medium into said container. 
     Still a further feature of the present invention resides, briefly stated, in means for withdrawing an excessive liquid from said container into said means for supplying the liquid. 
     Still a further feature of the present invention resides, briefly stated, in a filter arranged between said container and said means for supplying liquid so that from said container a liquid is supplied into said means for supplying liquid after being filtered. 
     The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the present invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of an apparatus for growing biological mass; and 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view of an apparatus for growing biological mass. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     An apparatus for growing biological mass, for example algae for producing biofuels, includes a container  1  for growing biomass. A biomass is introduced into the container  1  and the algae grow in presence of water and CO 2 . 
     Liquid is supplied in the container  1  from a liquid container  3 , a feedstock is supplied into the container from a feedstock container  4 , CO 2  is supplied into the container  1  from CO container  5 . 
     In accordance with the present invention the liquid container  3  and the CO 2  container  5  are not directly connected to the container for growing a biomass  1 . Instead, a cavitator  7  is provided into which the liquid is supplied from the liquid container  3  and CO 2  is supplied from the CO 2  container  5 . In the cavitator  7  the liquid is mixed with the CO 2  under the action of cavitation which is generated in the cavitator  7 . The cavitator  7  can be a known cavitating device which cavitation is achieved by, known methods. One of such cavitators can be a device in which excitation is achieved by whirl-generating pipes creating contacts of outer layers of whirling flows, that generates their acoustic excitation by deformation interaction (RF 2268772). In the cavitator  7  a homogenous mixture of CO 2  in liquid is produced on a molecular level. The thusly produced mixture is supplied to the main container  1  for growing algae. 
     In accordance with a further feature of the present invention, the thusly produced mixture after cavitator is mixed with the feedstock supplied from the feedstock container  4  in a container  6  for preparation of a working medium. In the container  6  the working medium is prepared, which includes cavitated liquid with CO 2  and feedstock. This working medium is supplied then by a pump  8  into the container  1 , preferably through a collector  9 . The collector  9  is which is a tubular collector extending around the peripheral wall of the container  1  and provided with several pipes communicating the interior of the collector  9  with the interior of the container  1 . 
     In the container  1 , as known, the biological mass is grown, for example algae for producing biofuels. 
     With the apparatus is designed in accordance with the present invention, CO 2  is completely absorbed in water, the biological mass obtains better contact with the CO 2  distributed in water by a cavitation process, a necessary level of concentration of CO 2  is easily maintained by adding it from the cavitator  7 , and a process of growing biomass is substantially accelerated. 
     As can be seen from  FIG. 1 , an excessive liquid is supplied from the container  1  into the liquid container  5  through a pipe with a filter  2  therebetween, which filters out biological mass and allows only the liquid to pass into the liquid container  3 . 
     It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the type described above. 
     While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in an apparatus growing biological mass, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. 
     Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, be applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.