An unusual harvester has been created that will remove algae

by time news

They will begin to be processed into fertilizers

A unique installation – a water harvester for collecting and processing blue-green algae that overgrows Russian rivers, was developed by Samara inventors.

Scientists have long been concerned about the rapid growth of cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, which pollute river beds and lead to the death of valuable flora and fish. We are forced to block rivers to create reservoirs, thereby changing their thermal regime. For example, the water of the Kuibyshev reservoir has already warmed up by 4 degrees in comparison with the long-term average values. In addition, the banks of reservoirs are swamped, which harms both the appearance of the rivers and their inhabitants. To help the rivers, specialists have created an algae control unit. It is a self-propelled pontoon with a carrying capacity of 4 tons with special equipment. It is able to harvest a ton of algae in 20 minutes using a bristle conveyor on which the algae is strung.

According to the author of the idea, Evgeny Kutuzov, on the shore, the collected blue-green algae are launched into a bioreactor, where they are processed using a special culture – anaerobic bacteria. As a result of this, a process of thermophilic fermentation is created, as a result of which a new type of organic fertilizer is simultaneously obtained, as well as biogas – methane. Currently, the water harvester has already passed sea trials.

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