Desktop Photobioreactor

[Robotguy]

I started perusing these forums for inspiration on my latest project, and boy did I get inspired. The projects here are so great, I just had to get started. I thought I would post a few pics of my project.

First a bit of background. I was researching types of houseplants to replace the Spider Plant from my office that I just killed and discovered that algae is much more efficient at converting CO2 to O2. Half an hour worth of netsurfing later, I decided to build a photobioreactor (http://www.algaegeek.com/). I combined this with several other projects on my "someday" list, hoping to increase my chances of completion; my WRT54G (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Openwrt) needed a reason to live, I wanted to build something steampunk (Filimon is my new hero), and a friend at work gave me a couple of nice size solar panels . This should be quite the "green" project...

I have started some building, but here's a quick look at some of my materials:
(click on the thumbnail to see larger images)

http://robotguy.net/PBR/tn_PBR_Case.JPG (http://robotguy.net/PBR/PBR_Case.JPG)
The case. Yes, it's an urn. No, there wasn't anyone in it when I got it from the thrift store...

http://robotguy.net/PBR/tn_PBR_Inside.JPG (http://robotguy.net/PBR/PBR_Inside.JPG)
Here's the inside of the case. The LCD is a 24x8 serial display from PJRC (http://www.pjrc.com/store/mp3_display.html).

http://robotguy.net/PBR/tn_PBR_Tank.JPG (http://robotguy.net/PBR/PBR_Tank.JPG)
The algae tank. It's 1/4" acrylic sandwiched across some polypropylene with an o-ring groove. I work for a company that does subsea robotics, so the o-ring seal just seemed the right way to go.

http://robotguy.net/PBR/tn_PBR_Air_2.JPG (http://robotguy.net/PBR/PBR_Air_2.JPG)http://robotguy.net/PBR/tn_PBR_Air_1.JPG (http://robotguy.net/PBR/PBR_Air_1.JPG)
Here are some parts I put together to make what I'm calling the bubble pump (Wikipedia calls it an airlift pump (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airlift_pump)). The theory is that the rising air from the air stone will lift some of the water along with it. Initial prototyping doesn't look good, so I may need to rethink this. I machined the brass hex stock, added o-ring grooves (the o-ring kit from AS&S* is finally coming in handy). The glass is a Pyrex test tube (again surplus, from the local university) cut with a Dremel and a cutting disk. There will be two of these pumps, one on each side.

*If you haven't seen American Science & Surplus (http://www.sciplus.com/), check it out. My guess is that most people here would dig the place.

http://robotguy.net/PBR/tn_PBR_1.JPG (http://robotguy.net/PBR/PBR_1.JPG)
The nifty spiral thingamabobs are candle holders from Ikea. I sealed the ends of the spiral tubes with epoxy putty, then drilled and tapped them for the fittings. If all works out, the water/algae mix will flow out the bottom of the rectangular tank, through the bubble pumps, up the spirals and back into the tank.

http://robotguy.net/PBR/tn_PBR_Sketch.JPG (http://robotguy.net/PBR/PBR_Sketch.JPG)http://robotguy.net/PBR/tn_PBR_Bellows.JPG (http://robotguy.net/PBR/PBR_Bellows.JPG)
Here's a sketch of my idea for an air pump and a pic of one of the bellows I found for it. The machinery will be brass and powered by a fake steam piston, which is actually a hacked together linear actuator powered by a stepper motor from an old floppy drive read head. I'll post a pic when I find that darned thing. I know it's here in the lab somewhere....

[blueonblack]

Excellent! I love projects that are... outside the norm, we'll say. This is great, and looking good as well.

Any idea where I can find those candle holders? I can't seem to find them on Ikea's website?

Oh, welcome to TBCS, here's some rep to get you started. :D

[Robotguy]

The candle holders don't seem to be available on the Ikea website. They were in the past, but the link I had doesn't work anymore, and a search for the product code comes up empty. Come to think of it, I haven't seen them in the store lately (we have an Ikea a couple miles from here...)

[Kayin]

This is SO freaking awesome. +rep for the idea. Post your plans, man!

[Liquid_Scope_99]

very cool idea man

[Loki]

Great start for a steampunk!!
+rep :D

[Robotguy]

A bit of progress this weekend....

http://robotguy.net/PBR/tn_bushing.jpg (http://robotguy.net/PBR/bushing.jpg)
Making a Teflon bushing for the rails that the bellows will slide on.

http://robotguy.net/PBR/tn_threading1.jpg (http://robotguy.net/PBR/threading1.jpg)
Threading the ends of the rails for mounting onto the box.

http://robotguy.net/PBR/tn_ring.jpg (http://robotguy.net/PBR/ring.jpg)
This is the ring that holds the bellows to the blocks of wood, and the bushings that ride on the rails. The rails are some 1/4" brass hex that I picked up from the local industrial surplus store. The wood blocks are plywood from the hobby store, cut into hexagons on my CNC mill.

http://robotguy.net/PBR/tn_bellows1.jpg (http://robotguy.net/PBR/bellows1.jpg)
The whole bellows assembly.

http://robotguy.net/PBR/tn_airhole.jpg (http://robotguy.net/PBR/airhole.jpg)
Mounted to the case. The airhole in the center opens into the center of the bellows.

http://robotguy.net/PBR/tn_fake.jpg (http://robotguy.net/PBR/fake.jpg)
And last but not least, a little amateur photoshopping to get an idea of how it's going to look. I decided to rotate the bellows horizontal so the driving mechanism will be inside the box. I am considering a faux steam boiler on top in between the spirals, including LED "fire." I should be getting some "scrap" sapphire windows this week, and I had a nifty idea about projecting the LED through an LCD scavenged from a cellphone onto the firebox window. We'll see how that works out.

Everything is a bit rough because I haven't been doing a lot of planning, just making it up (and changing things) as I go. This week I'll decide if I am going to make a Rev II bellows, or cover the blemishes with some brass trim...

[Oneslowz28]

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite projects on here. Keep up the good work and +rep.