Biomass Production

Abstract

A process of growing a phototrophic biomass in a reaction zone, including a reaction mixture that is operative for effecting photosynthesis upon exposure to photosynthetically active light radiation, is provided. The reaction mixture includes phototrophic biomass that is operative for growth within the reaction zone. In one aspect, the carbon dioxide supply is modulated in response to detected process parameters. In another aspect, inputs to the reaction zone are modulated based on changes to the carbon dioxide supply. In another aspect, dilution of the carbon dioxide-comprising supply is effected. In another aspect, pressure of the carbon dioxide-comprising supply is increased. In another aspect, water is condensed from the carbon dioxide-comprising supply and recovered for re-use. In another aspect, the produced phototrophic biomass is harvested at a rate which approximates a predetermined mass growth rate of the phototrophic biomass.

1 . A process for growing a phototrophic biomass in a reaction zone, wherein the reaction zone includes a reaction mixture that is operative for effecting photosynthesis upon exposure to photosynthetically active light radiation, wherein the reaction mixture includes phototrophic biomass that is operative for growth within the reaction zone, comprising:
 while exposing the reaction mixture to photosynthetically active light radiation and effecting growth of the phototrophic biomass in the reaction zone, wherein the effected growth includes growth effected by photosynthesis, and while discharging phototrophic biomass from the reaction zone, when a phototrophic biomass growth indicator is different than a target value of the phototrophic biomass growth indicator, modulating the rate of discharge of mass of the phototrophic biomass from the reaction zone, wherein the target value of the phototrophic biomass growth indicator is based upon a predetermined growth rate of the phototrophic biomass within the reaction mixture which is disposed within the reaction zone and is being exposed to photosynthetically active light radiation.   
     
     
         2 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 ;
 wherein the target value of the phototrophic biomass growth indicator is correlated with the predetermined growth rate of the phototrophic biomass.   
     
     
         3 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 ;
 wherein the modulating is effected in response to detection of a difference between the phototrophic biomass growth indicator and the target value of the phototrophic biomass growth indicator.   
     
     
         4 . The process as claimed in  claim 3 ;
 further comprising detecting a phototrophic biomass growth indicator to provide a detected phototrophic biomass growth indicator.   
     
     
         5 . The process as claimed in  claim 4 ;
 wherein the detected phototrophic biomass growth indicator is representative of the mass concentration of the phototrophic biomass within the reaction mixture.   
     
     
         6 . The process as claimed in  claim 4 ;
 wherein the detected phototrophic biomass growth indicator is the mass concentration of the phototrophic biomass within the reaction mixture.   
     
     
         7 . The process as claimed in  claim 4 ;
 wherein the detected phototrophic biomass growth indicator is the mass concentration of the phototrophic biomass within a reaction zone product being discharged from the reaction zone, wherein the reaction zone product further includes water.   
     
     
         8 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 ;
 wherein the target value of the phototrophic biomass growth indicator is predetermined.   
     
     
         9 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 ;
 wherein the effected growth of the phototrophic biomass is being effected at a rate of growth that is within 10% of the predetermined growth rate.   
     
     
         10 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 ;
 wherein the effected growth of the phototrophic biomass is being effected at a rate of growth that is within 5% of the predetermined growth rate.   
     
     
         11 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 ;
 wherein the effected growth of the phototrophic biomass is being effected at a rate of growth that is within 1% of the predetermined growth rate.   
     
     
         12 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 ;
 wherein the reaction zone is disposed within a photobioreactor, and wherein the discharged phototrophic biomass is included in an overflow that is discharged from the photobioreactor, and the overflow is effected by supplying of an aqueous feed material to the reaction zone.   
     
     
         13 . The process as claimed in  claim 12 ;
 wherein the modulating of the rate of discharge of mass of the phototrophic biomass from the reaction zone is effected by modulating the rate of supply of the aqueous feed material to the reaction zone.   
     
     
         14 . The process as claimed in  claim 4 ;
 wherein, when the detected phototrophic biomass growth indicator is less than the phototrophic biomass growth indicator target value, the modulating includes effecting a decrease in the rate of discharge of mass of the phototrophic biomass from the reaction zone.   
     
     
         15 . The process as claimed in  claim 14 ;
 wherein the reaction zone is disposed within a photobioreactor, and wherein the discharged phototrophic biomass is included in an overflow that is discharged from the photobioreactor, and the overflow is effected by supplying of an aqueous feed material to the reaction zone.   
     
     
         16 . The process as claimed in  claim 15 ;
 wherein the modulating is effected by effecting a decrease in the rate of supply of the aqueous feed material to the reaction zone.   
     
     
         17 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 ;
 wherein, when the phototrophic biomass growth indicator is greater than the target value of the phototrophic biomass growth indicator, the modulating includes effecting an increase in the rate of discharge of mass of the phototrophic biomass from the reaction zone.   
     
     
         18 . The process as claimed in  claim 17 ;
 wherein the reaction zone is disposed within a photobioreactor, and wherein the discharged phototrophic biomass is included in an overflow that is discharged from the photobioreactor, and the overflow is effected by supplying of an aqueous feed material to the reaction zone.   
     
     
         19 . The process as claimed in  claim 18 ;
 wherein the modulating is effected by effecting an increase in the rate of supply of the aqueous feed material to the reaction zone.   
     
     
         20 . The process as claimed in  claim 12 ;
 wherein the aqueous feed material includes substantially no phototrophic biomass.   
     
     
         21 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 ;
 wherein the effecting of the growth of the phototrophic biomass includes supplying carbon dioxide to the reaction zone and exposing the production purpose reaction mixture to photosynthetically active light radiation.   
     
     
         22 . The process as claimed in  claim 21 ;
 wherein the carbon dioxide is supplied while the growth is being effected.   
     
     
         23 . The process as claimed in  claim 22 ;
 wherein at least a fraction of the carbon dioxide being supplied to the reaction zone is supplied from a gaseous exhaust material while the gaseous exhaust material is being discharged from a gaseous exhaust material producing process.   
     
     
         24 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 ;
 wherein the reaction mixture further includes water and carbon dioxide.   
     
     
         25 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 ;
 wherein the predetermined growth rate of the production purpose phototrophic biomass is at least 90% of the maximum rate of growth of mass of the production purpose phototrophic biomass within the reaction mixture which is disposed within the reaction zone and is being exposed to the photosynthetically active light radiation.   
     
     
         26 . A process for growing a production purpose phototrophic biomass in a reaction zone, wherein the reaction zone includes a production purpose reaction mixture that is operative for effecting photosynthesis upon exposure to photosynthetically active light radiation, wherein the production purpose reaction mixture includes production purpose phototrophic biomass that is operative for growth within the reaction zone, comprising:
 while exposing the reaction mixture to photosynthetically active light radiation and effecting growth of the production purpose phototrophic biomass in the reaction zone, wherein the effected growth includes growth effected by photosynthesis, and while discharging production purpose phototrophic biomass from the reaction zone,   when a phototrophic biomass growth indicator is different than a predetermined target value of the phototrophic biomass growth indicator, modulating the rate of discharge of mass of the production purpose phototrophic biomass from the reaction zone, wherein the target value of the phototrophic biomass growth indicator is based upon a predetermined growth rate of the production purpose phototrophic biomass within the reaction mixture which is disposed within the reaction zone and is being exposed to photosynthetically active light radiation;   wherein the predetermination of the target value includes:   supplying an evaluation purpose reaction mixture that is representative of the production purpose reaction mixture and is operative for effecting photosynthesis upon exposure to photosynthetically active light radiation, such that the phototrophic biomass of the evaluation purpose reaction mixture is an evaluation purpose phototrophic biomass that is representative of the production purpose phototrophic biomass;   while the evaluation purpose reaction mixture disposed in the reaction zone is exposed to photosynthetically active light radiation and growth of the evaluation purpose phototrophic biomass is being effected within the evaluation purpose reaction mixture:
 at least periodically detecting the phototrophic biomass growth indicator to provide a plurality of detected values of the phototrophic biomass growth indicator that have been detected during a time period; and 
 calculating growth rates of the evaluation purpose phototrophic biomass based on the plurality of detected values of the phototrophic biomass growth indicator such that a plurality of growth rates of the evaluation purpose phototrophic biomass are determined during the time period; 
   establishing a relationship between the growth rate of the evaluation purpose phototrophic biomass and the phototrophic biomass growth indicator, based on the calculated growth rates and the detected values of the phototrophic biomass growth indicator upon which the calculated growth rates have been based, such that the established relationship between the growth rate of the evaluation purpose phototrophic biomass and the phototrophic biomass growth indicator is representative of a relationship between the growth rate of the production purpose phototrophic biomass within the reaction zone and the phototrophic biomass growth indicator, and such that the relationship between the growth rate of the production purpose phototrophic biomass within the reaction zone and the phototrophic biomass growth indicator is thereby determined;   selecting the predetermined growth rate of the production purpose phototrophic biomass; and   defining the phototrophic biomass growth indicator target value as the phototrophic biomass growth indicator at which the predetermined growth rate is being effected based on the determined relationship between the growth rate of the production purpose phototrophic biomass within the reaction zone and the phototrophic biomass growth indicator, such that the correlation between the phototrophic biomass growth indicator target value and the predetermined growth rate is also thereby effected.   
     
     
         27 . The process as claimed in  claim 26 ;
 wherein the effected growth of the evaluation purpose phototrophic biomass is effected while the reaction zone is characterized by at least one evaluation purpose growth condition, wherein each one of the at least one evaluation purpose growth condition is representative of a production purpose growth condition by which the reaction zone is characterized while the growth of the production purpose phototrophic biomass, within the reaction zone, is being effected.   
     
     
         28 . The process as claimed in  claim 27 ;
 wherein the production purpose growth condition is any one of a plurality of production purpose growth conditions including composition of the reaction zone, reaction zone temperature, reaction zone pH, reaction zone light intensity, reaction zone lighting regimes, reaction zone lighting cycles, and reaction zone temperature.   
     
     
         29 . The process as claimed in  claim 26 ;
 wherein the predetermined growth rate of the production purpose phototrophic biomass is at least 90% of the maximum rate of growth of mass of the production purpose phototrophic biomass within the reaction mixture which is disposed within the reaction zone and is being exposed to the photosynthetically active light radiation.   
     
     
         30 . The process as claimed in  claim 26 ;
 the predetermined growth rate of the production purpose phototrophic biomass is at least 99% of the maximum rate of growth of mass of the production purpose phototrophic biomass within the reaction mixture which is disposed within the reaction zone and is being exposed to the photosynthetically active light radiation.   
     
     
         31 . The process as claimed in  claim 26 ;
 wherein the production purpose reaction mixture further includes water and carbon dioxide;   and wherein the evaluation purpose reaction mixture further includes water and carbon dioxide.   
     
     
         32 . A process for growing a phototrophic biomass in a reaction zone, wherein the reaction zone includes a reaction mixture that is operative for effecting photosynthesis upon exposure to photosynthetically active light radiation, wherein the reaction mixture includes phototrophic biomass that is operative for growth within the reaction zone, comprising:
 while exposing the reaction mixture disposed in the reaction zone to photosynthetically active light radiation and growth of the phototrophic biomass is being effected within the reaction mixture, discharging mass of the phototrophic biomass from the reaction zone at a rate that is within 10% of the rate at which the growth of mass of the phototrophic biomass is being effected within the reaction zone;   wherein the effected growth of mass of the phototrophic biomass within the reaction zone is being effected at a rate that is at least 90% of the maximum rate of growth of mass of the phototrophic biomass within the reaction mixture which is disposed in reaction zone and is being exposed to the photosynthetically active light radiation.   
     
     
         33 . The process as claimed in  claim 32 ;
 wherein the reaction zone is disposed within a photobioreactor, and wherein the discharged phototrophic biomass is included in an overflow from the photobioreactor.   
     
     
         34 . The process as claimed in  claim 32 ;
 wherein the effecting of the growth of the production purpose phototrophic biomass includes supplying carbon dioxide to the reaction zone and exposing the production purpose reaction mixture to photosynthetically active light radiation.   
     
     
         35 . The process as claimed in  claim 32 ;
 wherein the effected growth of mass of the phototrophic biomass within the reaction zone is being effected at a rate that is at least 95% of the maximum rate of growth of mass of the phototrophic biomass within the reaction mixture which is disposed in reaction zone and is being exposed to the photosynthetically active light radiation.   
     
     
         36 . The process as claimed in  claim 32 ;
 wherein the effected growth of mass of the phototrophic biomass within the reaction zone is being effected at a rate that is at least 99% of the maximum rate of growth of mass of the phototrophic biomass within the reaction mixture which is disposed in reaction zone and is being exposed to the photosynthetically active light radiation.   
     
     
         37 . The process as claimed in  claim 32 ;
 wherein the discharging of mass of the phototrophic biomass from the reaction zone is effected at a rate that is within 5% of the rate at which the growth of mass of the phototrophic biomass is being effected within the reaction zone.   
     
     
         38 . The process as claimed in  claim 32 ;
 wherein the discharging of mass of the phototrophic biomass from the reaction zone is effected at a rate that is within 1% of the rate at which the growth of mass of the phototrophic biomass is being effected within the reaction zone.   
     
     
         39 . A process for growing a phototrophic biomass in a reaction zone, wherein the reaction zone includes a reaction mixture that is operative for effecting photosynthesis upon exposure to photosynthetically active light radiation, wherein the reaction mixture includes phototrophic biomass that is operative for growth within the reaction zone, comprising:
 while exposing the reaction mixture to photosynthetically active light radiation and effecting growth of the phototrophic biomass within the reaction mixture disposed in the reaction zone, wherein the effected growth of the phototrophic biomass includes growth which is effected by the photosynthesis, discharging phototrophic biomass from the reaction zone such that the rate of discharge of mass of the phototrophic biomass is within 10% of the rate at which the growth of mass of the phototrophic biomass is being effected.   
     
     
         40 . The process as claimed in  claim 39 ;
 wherein the rate of discharge of the phototrophic biomass is within 5% of the rate at which the growth of mass of the phototrophic biomass is being effected.   
     
     
         41 . The process as claimed in  claim 39 ;
 wherein the rate of discharge of the phototrophic biomass is within 1% of the rate at which the growth of mass of the phototrophic biomass is being effected.   
     
     
         42 . The process as claimed in  claim 39 ;
 wherein the rate of discharge of the phototrophic biomass is equivalent to the rate at which the growth of mass of the phototrophic biomass is being effected.   
     
     
         43 . The process as claimed in  claim 39 ;
 wherein the rate at which the growth of the phototrophic biomass is being effected is equivalent to the maximum rate of growth of mass of the phototrophic biomass within the reaction mixture which is disposed within the reaction zone and is being exposed to the photosynthetically active light radiation.