US application to a research photobioreactor

Celldeg of Berlin has the '049 application to a rearch photobioreactor:


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1. Research photobioreactor for the warranty of the photoautotrophic growth of cyanobacteria and microalgae under axenic conditions at extremely high photoautotrophic activities with small losses of CO.sub.2 and water to the atmosphere, comprising a horizontally orientated basis chamber 1 that can be closed from the atmosphere and fixed on a shaking desk, wherein a CO.sub.2 concentration above 1% (vol/vol) can be maintained, at least one horizontally extended reaction chamber 2 for inclusion of the cell suspension that is fixed on the upper board of the basis chamber, the volume of which persists in gaseous exchange with the basis chamber exclusively through a horizontally orientated planar, microporous and hydrophobic first membrane 3, whereat the critical pressure of this membrane for infiltration by water in the air-saturated state surpasses 100 kPa and its permeability for air at atmospheric pressure surpasses 10 mm.sup.3 cm.sup.-2 s.sup.-1, a porous hydrophobic gas-permeable second membrane 4 with a critical pressure for infiltration with water in the air-saturated state of more than 100 kPa and a permeability to air at atmospheric pressure of more than 10 mm.sup.3 cm.sup.-2 s.sup.-1 kPa.sup.-1, separating the reaction volume 5 from a gas exchange volume 6, as well as at least one channel 7 connecting the gas exchange volume with the outer atmosphere having a width of at least 0.01 cm whereat the common gas diffusion resistance of all channels surpasses several times that of the second gas-permeable membrane and the surface area A of the reaction chamber exposed to light, whereat the length L.sub.n and the cross sectional area Q.sub.n of each channel are chosen in such limits, that the geometry factor F=A/.SIGMA.(Q.sub.nL.sub.n.sup.-1) is a value between 20 and 1000 cm.


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