The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 25, 2014
Filed:
Sep. 15, 2009
Rudiger Gorny, Oakdale, PA (US);
James P. Mason, Carnegie, PA (US);
Glenn Hilton, Gibsonia, PA (US);
Peter Schwarz, Krefeld, DE;
Rudiger Gorny, Oakdale, PA (US);
James P. Mason, Carnegie, PA (US);
Glenn Hilton, Gibsonia, PA (US);
Peter Schwarz, Krefeld, DE;
Bayer MaterialScience LLC, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Bayer MaterialScience AG, Leverkusen, DE;
Abstract
The present invention provides a flow-through photobioreactor containing at least one thermoplastic multi-wall sheet having an upper layer and a lower layer having arranged there between at least two sidewalls, at least one inner wall and two or more end caps. Also provided is a process for the production of a biofuel with the inventive photobioreactor. The photobioreactor and process of the present invention have the following advantages: genetically engineered microbes that give higher yields cannot escape into the environment, water in the system does not evaporate, no weeding (presence of unwanted algae), UV light from the sun is filtered out by the reactor walls, temperature control is possible, COfrom power plants, breweries, etc. can be artificially fed to increase yield. The inventive photobioreactor is also less expensive to build than pipe reactors and may have low energy costs to operate, because little or no energy is needed for agitation and pumping in a preferred gravity assisted embodiment.