Photobioreactors on Highest Levels
Principles and Design
A photobioreactor supplies light and CO2 to microalgae and other plant cells. The algae grow to a dense green, red or brown liquid when additionally supplied with nutrients. The harvest of microalgae biomass is done with centrifuges or sieves after the algae culture has reached maximal cell count or dry biomass content. Smaller installations are operated batch-wise, while scaled photobioreactors are operated in fed-batch-mode.
bbi supplies photobioreactors from lab- up to production scale. The successful scaling of our design principles is founded on the application of high-value glass tubes, which do in contrast to other plastic plate or bag systems allow modular and centralized photobioreactor construction layouts bbi has integrated the experience of Prof. Pulz in photobioreactor engineering, design and construction into its own life science portfolio after 30 years of know-how production at IGV. This allows to design in-situ sterilizable photobioreactors for high-end research as well as production scale photobioreactors in greenhouse our outdoor installation. We rely on glass tubes for designing the photoactive system parts, as the following advantages of glass convince:
- Optimal light supply tot hin layers of algae suspension
- 100% flat surfaces prevent immobilization and biofouling
- 100% flat surfaces for minimized pump energy input
- Both best transmission rates and light-fastness
- Guaranteed glass tube shelf life of at least 10 years
- Reduced investment in comparison to plastic materials
xCUBIO phar – Sterile Technology for Blue Biotechnology
The xCUBIO phar combines pharmaceutical and special process technologies with the requirements of microalgae cultivation. Only the xCUBIO phar supplies the whole set of sensors and analytical devices phototrophic organisms. Hence, these photobioreactors are essential for valuable and solid scientific work or for reliable supply of clean and dense inoculum biomass for production scale installations.
xCUBIO phar
xCUBIO phar: High-End Microalgae Research
- Overall volume app. 5 litres
- Glass tube app. 9 m long with 20 mm diameter
- LED-illumination with up to four separately controlled wavelengths and multiple cycle regimes
- Internal system vessel for CO2-feed, oxygen removal, tempering, sensor installation and level control
- Autoclavable circular system pump with magnet coupling for high flow rates, successfully tested with many algae strains
- System devices with contact to algae autoclavable in lab-autoclave after finished mounting and media filling
Photobioreactor xCUBIO in-situ phar
xCUBIO in-situ phar: in-situ Sterilizable Photobioreactors
- Fully automatic sterilization with steam
- Operational volume from 25 up to 250 litres
- All media contact devices are stainless steel
- Accredited for GMO-cultivation
- Possibility for qualification and validation
- GMP- and FDA-compliant design
- Cultivation even of the most sensitive microalgae species
MEDUSA: Aseptic Airlift Photobioreactor
MEDUSA – in-situ Sterilizable Air Lift Photobioreactor
- Bubble column by airlift principle
- Standardized volumes 25, 50 and 100 litres
- For microalgae, mosses and plant cells with high sensitivity towards shearing stress
- For extreme purity requirements
- Fully in-situ-sterilizable with steam, steam generator available as an option
- All media contact devices are high-value borosilicate glass
- Controlled illumination with fluorescent tubes
xCUBIO Photobioreactors: Scaled Technology for Efficient Production
Photobioreactor Scaleup (c) IGV
We only select parts and devices in industry quality level to set up our whole photobioreactor portfolio. This ensures best technical availability and allows economic operation of the whole production plant. The operator gets a photobioreactor installation with xCUBIO automation systems, which are user-friendly and have low maintenance demands.
The variety of potential microalgae products and the plant location demand for adapted engineering solutions to achieve highest output rates. We developed our photobioreactor series with the support of Prof. Pulz’s (IGV) longtime experience with the result, the photobioreactor modules can be installed as compact inoculum- or pilot installations or be combined to large scale industry installations.
Please find a selection from our portfolio on the following tabs:
Lab-Scale-Photobioreactor 100 L (c) IGV
Photobioreactors for Microalgae Cultivation in the Lab
- Operational volume from 25 up to 250 litres
- High-value xCUBIO process automation with touch-screen and remote access
- Artificial illumination with controlled sequences or natural light
- Compact skid installation on mobile steel frame
- Pretested and ready for operation immediately
- Interfaces: electrical supply, CO2, fresh water, waste water
Mobile Photobioreactor 3000 L (c) IGV
Your Successful Start into Microalgae Production
- Operational volume from 1000 up to app. 8000 Litres
- Scaled process technology in modular, mobile construction and flexible design
- Simple and robust construction with high operational availability
- Artificial illumination available as an option
- Integrated supply of harvest system with separator available as an option
- Inoculum production for scaled algae production systems
- Production of test biomass for product development and marketing
- Interfaces: suitable installation area, electrical supply, CO2, fresh water, waste water
Industry-Photobioreactor 42000 L (c) IGV
Scaled Microalgae Production Installations
- Operational volume of singular photobioreactor modules up to app. 100’000 Litres
- Industrial up- and downstream technology
- Algae cultivation in greenhouses or outdoors
- Glass tubes with more than 10 years guaranteed shelf life
- Project specific CAD-engineering in 2D and 3D
- Installation with competent technical advise
- Commissioning service and remote maintenance
- Reliable and predictable production
- Interfaces: suitable installation area or building, electrical supply, CO2, fresh water, waste water
Did we pique your curiosity on some more details? Please do not hesitate to contact us!
