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:
Aug. 22, 2017
Filed:
Jul. 04, 2012
Farid Bensebaa, Ottawa, CA;
Farid Bensebaa, Ottawa, CA;
National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, ON, unknown;
Abstract
In the present invention, a photobioreactor and process for producing and harvesting microalgae involves a vessel for cultivating microalgae that is at least partially transparent to admit light into the vessel. At least a portion of the transparent part of the vessel is coated with a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer. The TCO layer is transparent to visible light necessary for algae growth, but is opaque to infrared light thereby reducing thermal heating load in the photobioreactor. The TCO layer also acts as an electrode, which when combined with a counter-electrode can provide a potential difference across at least a portion of the interior of the vessel between the TCO layer and the counter-electrode. The electrode arrangement can be utilized in an electrochemical process (e.g. electrodeposition and/or electroflotation) to dewater and harvest the microalgae in the same apparatus as the microalgae was cultivated.