Independence Bio-Products (IBP) of Dublin, Ohio has received a patent from the U.S. Patent Office covering the company’s low-cost open-pond system for producing algae year-round, regardless of climate or season. IBP’s system uses heat recovered from power plants and other manufacturing facilities to maintain water temperatures within precise temperature ranges that optimize algae production.
The patent for invention number 7,905,049 B2 covers methods and systems for growing algae in water with a heating source; drying the algae with a heat source; and alternatively partially covering the body of water where the algae is grown. Heat recovery systems, algae processing and covers are also included.
The CO2 delivery system at the demonstration project
IBP’s low-cost open-pond system was validated in an 18-month demonstration project adjacent to a power plant in Shadyside, Ohio. The project used CO2 from the power plant to feed the algae while waste heat recovered from the plant was used to ensure proper water temperatures. This newly patented system enabled IBP to grow algae year-round, even during harsh winter months. The project yielded algae solids for animal feeds and algae oil.
To access heat and CO2, IBP’s patented system will be deployed adjacent to coal-fired power plants and other industrial facilities, producing significantly more feed per acre than traditional crops, Erd noted. The company is now developing a 400-acre project in Texas on reclaimed mining land. The facility is scheduled to open in 2012, with potential future expansion to more than 20,000 acres.
Source: http://www.algaeindustrymagazine.com/independence-bio-products-algae-production-system/