Continuous microalgae culture module and method of culturing microalgae containing macular pigment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11286453-B2
Application number	US-201816202921-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2018
Priority date	Jun 13, 2018
Publication date	Mar 29, 2022
Grant date	Mar 29, 2022

Abstract

Provided is a continuous microalgae culture module, including an outdoor culture unit, a high-density culture unit, a pigment induced unit, and a harvesting unit. A method of culturing microalgae containing macular pigment is also provided, including sequentially culturing microalgae with medium in the outdoor culture unit and the high-density culture unit, producing macular pigment in the pigment induced unit through different light irradiation, and collecting the microalgal biomass containing macular pigment in the harvesting unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A continuous microalgae culture module, comprising sequentially:
an outdoor culture unit configured to contain microalgae producing macular pigment and a medium, the outdoor culture unit comprising a plurality of first containers, each one of the first containers comprising:
a first upper pipe located at an upper portion of each one of the first containers;
a second upper pipe arranged at a position opposite to the first upper pipe and located at the upper portion of each one of the first containers,
a first lower pipe located at a lower portion of each one of the first containers, and
a second lower pipe arranged at a position opposite to the first lower pipe and located at the lower portion of each one of the first containers;
wherein the first upper pipes and the second upper pipes of the adjacent two of the first containers are connected, and the first lower pipes and the second lower pipes of the adjacent two of the first containers are connected;

a high-density culture unit connected to the outdoor culture unit, and the high-density culture unit comprising a first light source, the high-density culture unit comprising a plurality of second containers, each one of the second containers comprising:
a third upper pipe located at an upper portion of each one of the second containers;
a fourth upper pipe arranged at a position opposite to the third upper pipe and located at the upper portion of each one of the second containers,
a third lower pipe located at a lower portion of each one of the second containers, and
a fourth lower pipe arranged at a position opposite to the third lower pipe and located at the lower portion of each one of the second containers;
wherein the first upper pipe of the first container adjacent to the fourth lower pipe of the second container are connected,
wherein the first light source of the high-density culture unit is capable of emitting red light;

a pigment inducing unit, comprising:
a culture device comprising a first inlet and a first outlet, wherein the first inlet is connected to the third upper pipe of one of the second containers of the high-density culture unit adjacent to the culture device; and
a second light source adjacent to the culture device, wherein the second light source is capable of emitting a blue light; and

a harvesting unit, comprising:
a collecting tank comprising a second inlet and a second outlet, wherein the second inlet is located at an upper portion of the collecting tank and connected to the first outlet of the culture device of the pigment inducing unit, and the second outlet is located at a lower portion of the collecting tank.

2. The continuous microalgae culture module of claim 1 , wherein the outdoor culture unit comprises a plurality of first containers, and the first containers are connected in a manner such that the media and the microalgae pass through the first containers in a series or parallel manner.

3. The continuous microalgae culture module of claim 2 , wherein the first containers are transparent columns.

4. The continuous microalgae culture module of claim 1 , wherein the high-density culture unit further comprises a plurality of second containers, adjacent ones of the second containers are connected with each other, and the first light source is adjacent to the second containers.

5. The continuous microalgae culture module of claim 4 , wherein the second containers are connected in a manner such that the media and the microalgae pass through the second containers in a series or parallel manner.

6. The continuous microalgae culture module of claim 4 , wherein the second containers are transparent columns.

7. The continuous microalgae culture module of claim 1 , wherein the culture device of the pigment inducing unit is a flexible transparent hose surrounding the second light source.

8. The continuous microalgae culture module of claim 1 , wherein the harvesting unit further comprises:
at least one branch pipe located above the second outlet and at one side of the collecting tank, wherein the at least one branch pipe is connected to the outdoor culture unit; and
a stirring device located inside the collecting tank.

9. The continuous microalgae culture module of claim 1 , further comprising:
a gas supplying unit, comprising:
a gas delivery device;
a first pump connected to the gas delivery device and connected to a bottom of the outdoor culture unit; and
a second pump connected to the gas delivery device and connected to a bottom of the high-density culture unit; and
a gas recovery unit, comprising:
a gas collecting device connected to a top of the outdoor culture unit and a top of the high-density culture unit; and
a gas controlling device connected with the first pump, the second pump of the gas supplying unit and the gas collecting device.

10. A method of culturing microalgae containing macular pigment, comprising sequentially:
disposing a medium containing microalgae in an outdoor culture unit, and lighting and culturing the medium containing the microalgae at outdoors, such that the microalgae grow to a first density; wherein the outdoor culture unit comprises a plurality of first containers, each one of the first containers comprises:
a first upper pipe located at an upper portion of each one of the first containers;
a second upper pipe arranged at a position opposite to the first upper pipe and located at the upper portion of each one of the first containers,
a first lower pipe located at a lower portion of each one of the first containers, and
a second lower pipe arranged at a position opposite to the first lower pipe and located at the lower portion of each one of the first containers;
wherein the first upper pipes and the second upper pipes of the adjacent two of the first containers are connected, and the first lower pipes and the second lower pipes of the adjacent two of the first containers are connected;

after culturing the medium containing the microalgae at outdoors, transporting the medium containing the microalgae to a high-density culture unit, and continuously lighting and culturing the medium containing the microalgae in the high-density culture unit using a red light, such that the microalgae grow to a second density greater than the first density; wherein, the high-density culture unit comprises a plurality of second containers, each one of the second containers comprises:
a third upper pipe located at an upper portion of each one of the second containers;
a fourth upper pipe arranged at a position opposite to the third upper pipe and located at the upper portion of each one of the second containers,
a third lower pipe located at a lower portion of each one of the second containers, and
a fourth lower pipe arranged at a position opposite to the third lower pipe and located at the lower portion of each one of the second containers;
wherein the first upper pipe of the first container adjacent to the fourth lower pipe of the second container are connected;

after culturing the medium containing the microalgae in the high-density culture unit, transporting the medium containing the microalgae to a pigment inducing unit, and culturing and continuously lighting the medium containing the microalgae in the pigment inducing unit with a blue light, thereby increasing an amount of macular pigment in the microalgae; and
after culturing the medium containing the microalgae in the pigment inducing unit, transporting the medium containing the microalgae to a harvesting unit, and collecting the microalgae containing the macular pigment from a bottom of the harvesting unit.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the medium containing the

Assignees

• Univ National Chiao Tung

Inventors

• Lin Chih-Sheng
• Kuo Chiu-Mei
• Yang yi-chun
• Zhang wen-xin

Classifications

• C12M23/58

  Reaction vessels connected in series or in parallel (combinations of bioreactors with other apparatus, C12M43/00) · CPC title

• C12M23/18

  Open ponds; Greenhouse type or underground installations · CPC title

• C12M23/44 Primary

  Multiple separable units; Modules · CPC title

• C12M21/02 Primary

  Photobioreactors (culturing algae A01G33/00, A01H4/001, C12N1/12) · CPC title

• C12P23/00

  Preparation of compounds containing a cyclohexene ring having an unsaturated side chain containing at least ten carbon atoms bound by conjugated double bonds, e.g. carotenes (containing heterorings C12P17/00) · CPC title