Industrial cultivation of photosynthetic material by solar irradiation - with heat trap screens to supply electricity from surplus solar energy

摘要

Process and installation are for controlled growth of a photosynthetic material in suspension in a nutritious, aq. medium in contact with CO2. The suspension is piped through alternate zones in which it is alternately exposed to and screened from high level irradiation. The screened zones are formed by interposing screen sections between the suspension and the source of radiation, i.e., usually the sun. The screen sections are made of a material which absorbs part of the radiation and recovers at least some of the absorbed energy for conversion and utilisation. In processing the suspension by passing it through a transparent pipe coil, the ratio of exposed time to screened time is pref. 1:1-1:100. In each exposed zone the duration of irradiation is pref. between 1 and 1/100 second. Used for cultivation of all known photosynthetic materials e.g., monocellular organisms contg. chloroplasts, photosynthetic bacteria, etc. In regions where solar radiation regularly achieves levels of energy well above that which can be efficiently employed in photosynthesis, the heat trap screens will provide a source of electric power.