Patent ID: 8409852

Claim:
A continuous-microalgae-production apparatus operating in an aquatic field comprising: a microalgae production-support system suitably configured to support continuous-microalgae-production in said aquatic field, said microalgae production-support system comprising: (a) a floatable, waves-protective, outer-barrier structure suitably configured to surround said continuous-microalgae-production apparatus, and wherein said outer-barrier structure defines an inner perimeter and an outer perimeter, and wherein said inner perimeter defines an aquatic area, and wherein said outer-barrier structure is suitably configured to provide waves protection for said aquatic area; and (b) a floatable, microalgae processing-and-control assembly deployed inside said aquatic area, wherein said floatable microalgae processing-and-control assembly further comprises a submerged microalgae-storage tank mechanically associated with and in hydraulic communication with said floatable microalgae processing-and-control assembly; and a continuous-microalgae-production system comprising: (a) at least one continuous-production, dual-zone, photo-bioreactor configured to operate underwater independent of atmospheric, land-based, or ship-based supplied carbon dioxide gas, and wherein said at least one continuous-production, dual-zone, photo-bioreactor is suitably configured to allow the carbon dioxide dissolved in the surrounding waters to enter said at least one continuous-production, dual-zone, photo-bioreactor, and wherein said at least one continuous-production, dual-zone, photo-bioreactor defines the shape of a shallow-box container comprising an upper surface and a lower surface separated by a plurality of side surfaces thereby defining an internal volume and wherein at least part of said upper surface defines a underwater-gas-permeable top-membrane assembly and a light-transparent top-membrane sub-assembly, and wherein at least part of said lower surface defines a underwater-gas-permeable bottom-membrane assembly; and (b) a floatable, support-structure deployed inside said aquatic area at least partly adjacent to said microalgae-processing-and-control assembly and at least partly below said at least one continuous-production, dual-zone, photo-bioreactor, wherein said support-structure is suitably configured to partition at least part of said aquatic area into at least one photo-bioreactor-deployment area suitably configured to keep submerged in the proximity of the water surface said at least one continuous-production, dual-zone, photo-bioreactor, and wherein said floatable support-structure is mechanically associated with both of said waves-protective outer-barrier structure and said microalgae-processing-and-control assembly.