PFI:AIR - TT: Passive membrane photobioreactor for cultivation and harvesting of algal biomass and sustainable nutrient management

这个PFI: AIR技术翻译项目的重点是翻译一种被动浮动膜光生物反应器技术，以满足生物质/生物燃料可持续微藻培养的需求，同时从废水等受损水域中去除营养物质。ICARUS过程（即利用选择性的藻类资源的隔离培养）非常重要，因为它允许同时生产低成本和可持续的藻类衍生生物燃料和生物产品，同时减少过量养分径流造成的环境污染和废水处理的相关成本。该项目将产生一个ICARUS豆荚的原型系统，能够在废水处理设施中培养和收获高质量的微藻。ICARUS具有以下独特的特点：无源性、模块化、作物隔离和保护，以及与现有基础设施的兼容性。与该市场领域领先的竞争藻类培养和收获技术相比，这些特点提供了以下优势：1)能够在废水等“肮脏”环境中培养单一藻类，同时利用自由可用的碳、营养物质和水；2)能够在同一原料池内分别培养多种藻类；3)使污水处理设施的现有基础设施能够同时多重使用，从而加速过程集约化；4)生产密集的培养物，被动脱水，从而大大降低了收获和下游加工的成本。该项目解决了从研究发现到商业应用的以下技术差距：1)扩大反应堆体积的几何考虑；2)多个吊舱连接成一个互联ICARUS系统的策略；3)对关联系统的过程控制；4)大体积藻生长动力学与产率；5)长期膜性能。此外，参与该项目的人员，包括一名博士后、一名博士生和两名本科生，将接受创业、知识产权和商业化、数字3D设计、工艺缩放、藻类生物学、废水工艺设计和建模以及膜科学方面的培训。该项目让佛罗里达州的污水处理公司和藻类公司共同开发一种可持续的商业产品（用于生物产品/生物燃料的藻类生物质），同时降低废水处理的成本，并帮助公用事业公司实现其监管目标。

This PFI: AIR Technology Translation project focuses on translating a passive floating membrane photobioreactor technology to fill the need for sustainable microalgae cultivation for biomass/biofuel while simultaneously removing nutrients from impaired waters such as wastewater. The ICARUS process (which stands for Isolated Cultivation of Algal Resources Utilizing Selectivity) is important because allows the simultaneous production of low-cost and sustainable algal-derived biofuel and bioproducts, while reducing environmental pollution from excess nutrient runoff and the associated costs of wastewater treatment. The project will result in a prototype system of ICARUS pods which are capable of cultivating and harvesting high-quality microalgae at a wastewater treatment facility. ICARUS has the following unique features: passivity, modularity, crop isolation and protection, and compatibility with existing infrastructure. These features provide the following advantages when compared to the leading competing algae cultivation and harvesting technologies in this market space: 1) ability to cultivate algae monocultures in a "dirty" environment like wastewater, while utilizing freely-available carbon, nutrients and water; 2) ability to grow multiple algal species separately but within the same feedstock tank; 3) enabling multiple simultaneous use of existing infrastructure at a wastewater treatment facility, thereby accelerating process intensification; 4) production of dense cultures which passively dewater, thereby greatly reducing the costs of harvesting and downstream processing.This project addresses the following technology gap(s) as it translates from research discovery toward commercial application: 1) geometric considerations for scaling up reactor volume; 2) strategy for linking multiple pods into an interconnected ICARUS system; 3) process control for a linked system; 4) large-volume algal growth kinetics and productivity; 5) long-term membrane performance. In addition, personnel involved in this project, including a post-doc, a PhD student, and two undergraduate students, will receive training on entrepreneurship, intellectual property and commercialization, digital 3D design, process scaling, algal biology, wastewater process design and modeling, and membrane science.The project engages Florida wastewater utilities and algae companies to develop a sustainable commercial product (algae biomass for bioproducts/biofuel), while simultaneously reducing the costs of wastewater treatment and helping utilities meet their regulatory goals.