Compact rotary algae biofilm reactor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12330972-B2
Application number	US-202418804458-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 14, 2024
Priority date	Aug 30, 2023
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

A compact rotary algae biofilm reactor includes an algae biofilm module and a light guide module. The algae biofilm module includes a plurality of rotary members and a reaction tank. In the rotary member, an algae biofilm growth carrier and a power transmission belt are wound on a driving shaft and a driven shaft. A top end of the rotary member is fixed on a fixing frame while a bottom end thereof is submerged in the reaction tank. The light guide module includes a rotatable lens holder. The rotatable lens holder is fixedly provided with a linear Fresnel lens on an upper end thereof and is provided with a light guide plate on a lower end thereof. One side of the linear Fresnel lens is provided with a step motor configured to control the linear Fresnel lens to rotate with an angle of sunlight.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A compact rotary algae biofilm reactor comprising an algae biofilm module and a light guide module embedded therein, wherein the algae biofilm module comprises a plurality of rotary members and a reaction tank ( 5 ) containing no activated sludge, the reaction tank ( 5 ) is provided with a fixing frame ( 6 ) on an upper part thereof, and the rotary member comprises a low-speed motor ( 1 ), an algae biofilm growth carrier ( 2 ) and a power transmission belt ( 9 ), wherein the low-speed motor ( 1 ) is fixed on an upper part of the fixing frame ( 6 ), one side of the low-speed motor ( 1 ) is connected with a driving shaft ( 3 ), the reaction tank ( 5 ) is provided with a driven shaft ( 4 ) below a liquid surface therein, above the liquid surface of the reaction tank ( 5 ) is air and below is a liquid, the air and the liquid form a gas-liquid medium, and the algae biofilm growth carrier ( 2 ) and the power transmission belt ( 9 ) are both wound on the driving shaft ( 3 ) and the driven shaft ( 4 ); and wherein the light guide module comprises a rotatable lens holder ( 11 ), the rotatable lens holder ( 11 ) is fixedly provided with a linear Fresnel lens ( 12 ) on an upper end thereof, the rotatable lens holder ( 11 ) is provided with a light guide plate ( 13 ) on a lower end thereof, one side of the linear Fresnel lens ( 12 ) is provided with a step motor ( 10 ), and the step motor ( 10 ) is arranged on the fixing frame ( 6 ); and wherein the number of the rotary members is two or more, the linear Fresnel lens ( 12 ) is driven by the step motor ( 10 ) to slowly rotate with a change of angle of sunlight, so that the sunlight is always linearly focused on one side of the light guide plate ( 13 ) to form an area light source on two sides of the light guide plate ( 13 ), the linear Fresnel lens ( 12 ) is arranged on a top end of two adjacent rotary members, the light guide plate ( 13 ) is inserted between adjacent rotary members and the light guide plate ( 13 ) is parallel to a surface of the algae biofilm growth carrier ( 2 ), the low-speed motor ( 1 ) is connected to the driving shaft ( 3 ) and rotated, and the power transmission belt ( 9 ) drives the driven shaft ( 4 ) submerged under the liquid surface of the reaction tank ( 5 ) to rotate, so that the algae biofilm growth carrier ( 2 ) is rotated alternately in the gas-liquid medium in the reaction tank ( 5 ) following the power transmission belt ( 9 ).

2. The compact rotary algae biofilm reactor according to claim 1 , wherein the rotatable lens holder ( 11 ) has a base in an inverted V shape.

3. The compact rotary algae biofilm reactor according to claim 1 , wherein the algae biofilm growth carrier ( 2 ) is a flexible material.

4. The compact rotary algae biofilm reactor according to claim 3 , wherein the flexible material is a silicone film, nylon cloth, a cotton and linen product or a flexible plastic.

5. The compact rotary algae biofilm reactor according to claim 1 , wherein a water inlet ( 8 ) is provided at a bottom of one side of the reaction tank ( 5 ), and a water outlet ( 7 ) is provided on another side opposite the water inlet ( 8 ).

6. The compact rotary algae biofilm reactor according to claim 1 wherein the light guide plate illuminates the algae biofilm growth carrier of each adjacent rotary member in air above the liquid surface of the reaction tank.

7. The compact rotary algae biofilm reactor according to claim 6 wherein the light guide plate extends over substantially an entire height of each adjacent rotary member above the reaction tank.

8. A compact rotary algae biofilm reactor comprising:
a reaction tank for containing a liquid to be treated;
a fixing frame disposed atop the reaction tank;
a plurality of rotary members, each rotary member comprising a driving shaft which has a lengthwise direction and is rotatably supported on the fixing frame above the reaction tank, a driven shaft rotatably mounted inside the reaction tank at a height at which it can be submerged within the reaction tank, a first motor disposed on an upper portion of the fixing frame and drivingly connected to the driving shaft for rotating the driving shaft, a power transmission belt connecting the driving shaft and the driven shaft for transmitting rotation of the driving shaft to the driven shaft, and an algae biofilm growth carrier wound around the driving shaft and the driven shaft such that the algae biofilm growth carrier travels in a continuous path around the driving shaft and the driven shaft when the first motor rotates the driving shaft;
at least one light guide module, each light guide module comprising a light guide plate disposed between two adjacent ones of the rotary members and having first and second light emitting surfaces each opposing one of the algae biofilm growth carriers of the adjacent rotary members in air above the reaction tank for illuminating portions of the algae biofilm growth carriers outside of the reaction tank, a linear Fresnel lens which is disposed above the fixing frame and has a focal point coinciding with an upper end of the light guide plate when the lens is irradiated with light perpendicular to a plane of the Fresnel lens and focuses light into a linear light band extending in the lengthwise direction of the driving shaft and is supported for movement along an arc centered on the focal point, and a second motor drivingly connected to the Fresnel lens for moving the Fresnel lens along the arc.

9. The compact rotary algae biofilm reactor according to claim 8 wherein each light guide plate is parallel to the algae biofilm growth carriers of the adjacent rotary members.

10. The compact rotary algae biofilm reactor according to claim 8 wherein each light guide plate is vertical.

11. The compact rotary algae biofilm reactor according to claim 8 wherein each light guide plate irradiates portions of the carriers located outside the reaction tank.

12. The compact rotary algae biofilm reactor according to claim 8 wherein the second motor comprises a step motor.

13. The compact rotary algae biofilm reactor according to claim 8 wherein each light guide module includes a rotatable lens holder on which the Fresnel lens is mounted, and which is drivingly connected to the second motor for rotation about an axis offset from the Fresnel lens.

14. The compact rotary algae biofilm reactor according to claim 8 wherein the reaction tank contains a liquid for treatment which contains no activated sludge, and each driven roller is submerged in the liquid.

15. The compact rotary algae biofilm reactor according to claim 8 wherein each Fresnel lens is disposed above upper ends of the adjacent rotary members and overlaps the adjacent rotary members in a horizontal direction.

16. The compact rotary algae biofilm reactor according to claim 8 wherein for each rotary member, the driving shaft is coaxially connected to the first motor.

Assignees

• Nanjing University

Inventors

• Lin Yuan
• Liu Yueying
• Xu Ke
• Yu Yuexin
• Wang Liye
• Wang Yanru
• Ren Hongqiang

Classifications

• G02B6/32

  having lens focusing means {positioned between opposed fibre ends (with lens being an integral part of the single fibre end G02B6/262)} · CPC title

• G02B6/262

  Optical details of coupling light into, or out of, or between fibre ends, e.g. special fibre end shapes or associated optical elements · CPC title

• C12M27/14

  Rotation or movement of the cells support, e.g. rotated hollow fibers · CPC title

• C12M23/26 Primary

  flexible (flexible containers for laboratory use B01L3/505) · CPC title

• C12M21/02

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