AI bioreactor to bring carbon capture to urban environments
The Eos Bioreactor prototype uses AI to optimize algae growth, carbon capture, and algae output creating a product that is claimed to be more sustainable, efficient, manageable, and smaller in size than other bioreactor prototypes. The algae-based carbon-sequestration solution, says the company, is 400 times more effective than trees, meaning one 3′ x 3′ cube can sequester as much carbon as an acre of trees.
“Our goal at Hypergiant Industries is to use the world’s best technologies to solve the world’s biggest problems,” says Hypergiant Industries CEO and founder, Ben Lamm. “Excess carbon in our atmosphere is driving a number of massive catastrophes for our planet and pushing us to get off planet and colonize space.”
“I want humanity to colonize space because I want to explore the cosmos to better understand our place within it. I don’t want us to colonize space because we are running away from our home planet,” says Lamm. “This device is one of our first efforts focused on fixing the planet we are on. We hope to inspire and collaborate with others on a similar mission.”
Algae has been found to be one of nature’s most efficient tools for carbon capture and sequestration, with the biggest challenge being the ability to create efficient bioreactors that harness the power of algae efficiently and effectively. With machine intelligence, says the company, it can improve the efficiency of its reactor design and use autonomous health monitoring to create a machine that is aware of – and can react to – its surroundings.
“By constantly monitoring and managing the amount and type of light, available CO2, temperature, PH, biodensity, harvest cycles, and more,” says the company, “we can create the perfect environment to maximize carbon sequestration.”
The process works as follows:
- Algae needs three key elements to grow: carbon dioxide (CO2), light, and water.
- Algae has the highest sequestration and capture capacity when it receives a steady stream of CO2 particularly via an industrial HVAC system.
- As algae consumes CO2, it produces biomass. This biomass can then be harvested and processed to create fuel, oils, nutrient-rich high-protein food sources, fertilizers, plastics, cosmetics, and more.
- The device is a controlled closed system model; every part of the growth process is tightly controlled and optimized with machine intelligence to maximize CO2 consumption.
- Algae thrives in the carbon-rich dirty air, particularly those in HVAC units, near exhaust and industrial pipes.
The Eos Bioreactor is a 3′ x 3′ x 7′ cube and designed for use in urban environments where it can fit within office buildings. The long-term concept for the prototype includes integration as part of the company’s larger smart cities program where the algae byproduct of biodiesel can provide fuel for a variety of other products that promote and improve urban living.
Later this year, the company plans to release blueprints for the Eos Bioreactor to the online maker community. The goal, says the company, is to empower individuals to create similar, smaller, and modular devices for use in residential units.
In addition, the company will focus on the use of recycled ocean plastics to create the devices and encourages the community to do so as well. Additional details on productization will be announced in 2020.
Related articles:
NASA CO2 challenge looks to advance biomanufacturing in space
Room temperature carbon capture tech uses liquid gallium
Lithium-CO2 battery captures carbon dioxide
Hyperlocal air quality sensing startup scales to combat climate change
If you enjoyed this article, you will like the following ones: don't miss them by subscribing to :
