University of South Florida

The United States of America As Represented by the Administrator of the

Melanie Pickett

Daniel H Yeh

David Fulcher

Ivy Lea Cormier Drexler

Luke Roberson

Robert A Bair

Ahmet Erkan Uman

Talon Bullard

In one embodiment, an algae cultivation system includes a basin that contains a liquid and a photobioreactor at least partially immersed in the liquid of the basin, the photobioreactor comprising a closed container including multiple panels that together define an interior space in which algae can be cultivated, at least one of the panels being transparent, the photobioreactor further comprising an inflatable float associated with the container that can be filled with a gas to change one or both of the position and orientation of the container within the liquid.

Systems and methods for cultivating algae

A modular system for waste treatment, water recycling, and resource recovery includes a buffer tank to receive and pre-treat raw organic waste, at least one reactor tank configured as an anaerobic bioreactor that receives and digests pre-treated waste from the buffer tank, a membrane module having a membrane configured to filter waste from the digested waste from the at least one reactor tank to produce a permeate, a permeate collection tank configured to collect and store the permeate generated by the membrane module, a pump system having a plurality of pumps, and a control system configured to monitor the flow of waste and to control the pump system to control the flow of waste between the buffer tank, the at least one reactor tank, the membrane module, and the permeate collection tank.

Modular system for waste treatment, water recycling, and resource recovery in a space environment

In one embodiment, an algae cultivation system includes a photobioreactor adapted for immersion in growth media contained within the growth media reactor, the photobioreactor including a closed container including multiple panels that together define an interior space in which algae can be cultivated, at least one of the panels being transparent, a porous membrane filter incorporated into one of the panels that enables water, carbon dioxide, and nutrients contained within the growth media to pass into the interior space but prevents contaminants contained within the growth media from passing into the interior space, and a gas control valve incorporated into one of the panels that when open enables photosynthetic gas produced by algae growth within the container to escape but when closed prevents the photosynthetic gas from escaping so as to build pressure within the container that forces water out from the container and dewaters the algae.

Systems for cultivating and dewatering algae

Growing community of inventors

Tampa, FL, United States of America

Melanie Pickett