Patent ID: 8187861

Claim:
A method for removing phosphorous from algae, comprising: providing a body of water containing algae, collecting at least a portion of said algae from said body of water, and providing a first tank having a removable, sealable lid and a closed first outlet conduit, providing a vacuum source, providing a first valve for selectively connecting said first tank to said vacuum source or to ambient air, adding said algae to said first tank, closing said lid, operating said first valve to connect said first tank to said vacuum source and activating said vacuum source, evacuating said first tank, thereby bursting the cell walls of said algae, deactivating said vacuum source and arranging for said first valve to admit ambient air to said first tank, providing a second tank having a second, closed outlet conduit with second, third, and fourth valves, said valves respectively connected to a storage tank for oil-less debris, a storage tank for scum and rust, and a conduit to said body of water, said second tank also containing sacrificial electrodes and rust-covered electrodes, opening said first outlet conduit and urging the contents of said first tank to move into said second tank, providing a source of biological materials that assist in removing the contents of said algae after said walls of said algae are burst, adding said biological materials to said second tank, adding sufficient water to nearly fill said second tank, allowing said algae, said water, and said biological materials to settle for a predetermined period of time so that lipids from said algae float to the top of the contents in said second tank and oil-less debris settles to the bottom of said tank, skimming said lipids from said top of said contents in said second tank and moving said lipids to a lipid storage container, temporarily opening said valve connected to said storage tank for oil-less debris so that said debris moves from said second tank into said storage tank for oil-less debris, providing an electrical source having positive and negative terminals, connecting said sacrificial electrodes to said positive terminal and said rust-covered electrodes to said negative terminal, activating said electrical source for a predetermined period of time until the majority of said rust from said rust-covered electrodes has been removed from said rust-covered electrodes and fallen to the bottom of said second container, and a phosphorous-rich scum has gathered at the top of said contents of said second container, deactivating said electrical source, skimming said scum and removing said scum to said storage tank for scum and rust, opening said third valve and permitting said rust at the bottom of said second container to move into said storage tank for scum and rust, and opening said fourth valve and urging the remaining water in said second tank to return to said body of water, whereby when said algae are removed from said body of water and treated, said phosphorous content of said body of water is reduced.