Increasing microalgae production and preventing biofilm formation in a horizontal tubular photobioreactor

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F68407700%3A21220%2F23%3A00366974" target="_blank" >RIV/68407700:21220/23:00366974 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

—

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

—

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Increasing microalgae production and preventing biofilm formation in a horizontal tubular photobioreactor

Original language description

Cultivation of microalgae on a semi-operational or fully industrial scale entails several problems related to the maintenance of the cultivation systems, but it is also difficult to achieve equivalent productivity to laboratory apparatus. Hydrodynamic conditions have a significant impact on microalgae production in large-scale photobioreactors. By optimizing the hydrodynamic conditions, specifically by intensifying mixing, all microalgal cells can be effectively irradiated with a light source, which is often the limitation of growth in systems processing large layers of culture mediumor systems achieving high concentrations of microalgae in the culture medium. The intensification of mixing thus prevents the formation of dark zones in the culture medium, where microalgae cells do not grow, further prevents theformation of thermal gradients, and allows the nutrients contained in the culture medium to be used efficiently. Another important element is the formation of biofilms on the transparent surfaces of the photobioreactor, which reduce the intensity of the incident light radiation. The limitation of light radiation negatively affects the growth of microalgae, and it is necessary to carry out a partial cleaning regime of transparent surfaces. By intensifying the mixing, higher shear stresses on the transparent walls can be achieved, which can prevent biofilm formation [2]. A novel static mixer, which can be installed in a transparent tube, was designed for the construction of the horizontal tubular photobioreactor. The design is adapted to intensify the mixing of the culture medium as it flows through the spiral of tubes, while avoiding the attachment of microalgae cells to the walls of the static mixer. The study is focused on the experimental verification of the influence of internal static mixers in a horizontal tubular photobioreactor on the cultivation process. For different operating conditions, the effect of internal static mixers on the intensification of mixing was verified. Based on the measurement results, the influence of internal structures on the production of microalgae in the culture medium was determined. At the same time, it was possible to observe the effect on biofilm formation, which significantly influenced the maintenance requirements of the tubular photobioreactor. Based on the results obtained, optimization of the operational and design parameters of the horizontal tubular photobioreactor was proposed.

Czech name

—

Czech description

—

Type

O - Miscellaneous

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

20402 - Chemical process engineering

Project

<a href="/en/project/EF16_019%2F0000753" target="_blank" >EF16_019/0000753: Research centre for low-carbon energy technologies</a><br>

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Publication year

2023

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů