Air purifying photobioreactor to improve indoor air quality

Abstract

This invention is a bioreactor device adapted to improve air quality. The bioreactor consists of a base that houses the mechanical components and a vessel that holds liquid mixture of water, a photosynthetic microorganism, and a media. The bioreactor has an air pump which draws room air into the base of the device through an air filter. The bioreactor bubbles the air through the liquid mixture. Photosynthesis converts the carbon dioxide to oxygen.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A photobioreactor device adapted to improve indoor air quality, the photobioreactor comprising:
 a base, a liquid-holding vessel connected to the base, and a lid on the vessel;   the base with a cavity having: an air pump, at least one air inlet, and a light source; wherein the air pump is positioned within the cavity, wherein the air inlet(s) are configured to permit the air pump to draw indoor air through the base into the pump, and wherein the light source is directed from the base into the vessel;   the vessel configured to hold a liquid mixture and having a substantially cylindrical shape, an opening at the top of the vessel, and a bottom shaped to converge to a small opening, the small opening connected to a one-way valve, connected to the air pump;   the liquid mixture comprising water, a photosynthetic microorganism, and a media; and   the lid configured to attach to the top opening of the vessel.   
     
     
         2 . The photobioreactor of  claim 1 , wherein the vessel is separable from the base and the one-way valve connects with a tube connected to the air pump. 
     
     
         3 . The photobioreactor of  claim 1 , wherein a dry-particle air filter is positioned within the base cavity and is connected to the air pump. 
     
     
         4 . The photobioreactor of  claim 1 , wherein the light source comprises an incandescent bulb. 
     
     
         5 . The photobioreactor of  claim 1 , wherein the light source comprises an LED. 
     
     
         6 . The photobioreactor of  claim 5 , wherein the LED is powered via a low-voltage transformer. 
     
     
         7 . The photobioreactor of  claim 1 , wherein the light source comprises a fluorescent bulb. 
     
     
         8 . The photobioreactor of  claim 1 , wherein the lid is substantially dome-shaped. 
     
     
         9 . The photobioreactor of  claim 1 , wherein the lid is at least partly constructed of a material that permits gas exchange. 
     
     
         10 . The photobioreactor of  claim 1 , wherein the lid has a plurality of holes to drain liquid from the lid into the vessel. 
     
     
         11 . The photobioreactor of  claim 1 , wherein the photosynthetic microorganism is a type of microalgae. 
     
     
         12 . A method of indoor air purification comprising:
 growing a photosynthetic microorganism in a photobioreactor;   producing oxygen through photosynthesis of the microorganism;   percolating the indoor air through the photobioreactor; and   removing airborne contaminants in the indoor air by interaction of the indoor air with the microorganism while circulating the microorganism through the photobioreactor.   
     
     
         13 . The method of indoor air purification of  claim 12 , further comprising the step of filtering the indoor air through a dry-particle filter.