US Patent 8,945,916 comments on Trosch US '188

Text in US Patent 8,945,918 alludes to the earlier US '188 patent. -- One prior art example of a closed system is that of U.S. Pat. No. 6,509,188 (Trosch) which teaches a photobioreactor having a reactor chamber formed of transparent material and having recesses and projections adapted to increase the reactor surface area with tubular projections and extensions. However, the Trosch patent construction does little to increase the structural integrity of the formed reactor panels, and lacks a narrow cross sectional area for limiting diffusion of nutrients to different height levels for the establishment of a nutrient gradient within the reactor. As such, there exists an unmet need for algae culture systems which has a reasonable capital and operational cost to compete with crude oil under normal market conditions. Such a system should be able to continuously achieve an ultra-high cell concentration algal culture. Such a system should provide a structure and deployment thereof which provides a more even means to communicate solar and artificial radiation evenly and controllably. Further, such a system should inherently include means to prevent or limit bio-fouling or deposition of bio-film and should employ components which serve to expand surface area of the photobioreactor inner enclosure and concurrently provide a means for enhanced structural integrity. Additionally, such a system should employ a reactor which is structurally enhanced and which provides a stability of the desired high surface area to volume ratio of the algal culture as well as the desired small cross sectional area available which provides a means for limiting diffusion of nutrient to different height levels for establishing a nutrient gradient.  --