Easy de-fouling and general cleaning
Enables the growth of Algae in any climate
Designed to reduce contamination risk from outside
Efficient mixing without damage to growing algae cells
Modular, scalable and energy efficient
No water loss due to evaporation
Tested at 2m3, 26m3, 42m3, 106m3 and 125m3 scale over all 4 seasons
10+ years of development dedicated to this technology
We’re growing the legend of Algae,
in our patented, one-of-a-kind Algae Cultivation System.
Symbiotic’s Algae Cultivation Systems has undergone over 10 years of development and rigorous scientific pilot testing. It has been proven not only to be a highly efficient alternative to modern-day terrestrial crop farming, but, it also has been proven to be very effective at remediating agricultural, industrial, and municipal wastewater and greenhouse gases.
The system utilizes wastewater, waste heat, CO2, and other waste streams emitted from present-day industrial and agricultural processes as inputs towards the goal of achieving a net neutral carbon demand. It’s a system of easily deployable photobioreactor modules that utilize both solar and artificial light, a one-of-a-kind media agitation system, and a gas mixing and delivery system for even nutrient delivery to effectively accelerate algal growth.
The Mac-B™ overcomes the limitations of first-generation photobioreactor technologies, unlocking the ability to co-locate algae cultivation activities, in extremely hot, moderate, or colder climates, in close proximity to waste emitters irrespective of their geographic locale. It is unaffected by daily climate or weather changes and is insusceptible to extreme weather events. When integrated with Symbiotic’s organic solids biowaste bioconversion technology, the integrated platform effectively enables the utilization and “monetization” of non-productive liability waste. It takes advantage of the incredible ability of microalgae to quickly metabolize and volatilize the nutrients in non-productive waste streams, transforming them into renewable biomass that in turn is used in the production of multiple valuable output products.
The bioreactor modules are insulated and combine natural and artificial light to maximize algae production 24/7. They are portable and scalable by multiples of two, making it possible to size the biofield™ to match available wastewater and CO2 waste streams.
Scalability
Scaling is achieved by adding connectable bioreactor modules. The Mac-B™ system consists of up to four commercial-scale (125,000 liters, 125m3) (33,022 gallons) modular components, that are coupled together to form production cells. Each module is engineered to minimize water loss due to evaporation and when coupled together, they provide significant wet growth media capacity in a relatively small footprint.
One production cell (4x125m3 modules) has a wet growth media capacity of 500,000 liters. Sixteen production cells are configured together to form a typical commercial cultivation biofield™ that fits easily in a one-acre footprint with more than adequate room for laneways through and around the biofield™. The 64 module biofield™ configuration has a wet growing capacity of 8,000,000 liters. The production cells are controlled by a Head Control Module (HCM) which houses the nutrient dosing, Water-Gas-Mixing Unit, circulation pump, and PLC.
Deployment
A flat solid foundation with grade beams or cement pad is all that is required to support the portable bioreactor modules. No permanent structures or extensive groundwork is needed. Modules can be delivered by truck and spotted near the waste source in minimal space. For permanent applications, the modules can be assembled or built into permanent structures.
Submersible Lighting
Each commercial-scale module is equipped with surface-mounted, Artificial Intelligence (AI) controlled, high-efficiency Nano LED lighting designed exclusively for use with the Mac-B™ system. The LED’s operational, spectral, and irradiance profiles are tailored to optimize photosynthetic saturation levels throughout the reactor trough to effectively accelerate cell growth. The spectrum, intensity, and duty cycle are programmable and can be programmed to accommodate the different growth characteristics of different algae strains. The LED lighting fixtures are designed so that a percentage of waste heat given off by the light elements is captured and used to maintain the growth media at the prescribed temperature.
Mixing
The ACS-2K, (used for laboratory and pilot studies) and commercial-scale ACS-42K and ACS-125K, CCRS all use an innovative approach for agitating the growth media. All designs incorporate a unique mechanical propulsion system to physically stir, mixes and move the large volume of growth media without sheer damage to the growing algae cells while ensuring equal distribution of nutrients and even exposure to light.
De-fouling
The modules are large enough to allow easy access to the inside of the reactor trough for de-fouling and general cleaning.
Growth Environment
The reactor trough is fully enclosed to reduce contamination risks from the outside while maintaining an un-corruptible growth environment at the ideal thermal levels (heating and cooling) for optimally supporting algae growth. The modules can be configured so that the reactor troughs are isolated from each other to reduce the risk of cross- contamination from within, or to limit propagation in the event of catastrophic internal bacterial infection. Each module can also selectively be taken offline for routine maintenance without shutting down the other modules in the biofield™.
Versatility
The Mac-B™ system is ideal where space is limited. The modules can be assembled in multiple outdoor biofield™ configurations. The ACS-42K and ACS-125K, CCRS is designed for growing microalgae in sunbelt regions using sunlight, and in northern regions using both sunlight (when available) and LED lighting.
Durability
The Mac-B™ system is designed for infinitely sustainable performance. It is a commercially scalable, industrially robust system, made of stainless steel and polycarbonate materials for maximum operational usage and long service life.
Patents and Intellectual Property
US patent No: 9763398
Canadian patent: 2-777-567
Global PCT patent pending: ACS-125K, CCRC