Analysis of Heat Transfer From a Photobioreactor

Abstract

A photobioreactor (PBR) was operated for sixteen days producing S. Leopoliensis. The PBR was lit by two LED panels, one on each of the long sides of the PBR. The PBR dimensions were nominally 51mm by 273mm with a height of 319mm (273mm liquid depth). Each LED panel was powered at 14.1W (11.2V and 1.26A). Measurements of ambient temperature, ambient relative humidity, water loss from the PBR, relative humidity of the exhaust gas from the PBR, air flow rate through the PBR, air pressure in the plenum, growth medium temperature, and LED panel temperature were made approximately daily. Measurements show that the growth medium (water) temperature was relatively insensitive to the ambient temperature which varied from 22.7C to 33.6C. The medium temperature ranged from 23.9C (beginning of the test) to 40.6C. The medium temperature mirrored the LED panel temperature staying 2–4C below the LED panel temperature after the first day. The elevated LED panel temperature was likely due to the inefficiency of the LED lights and the fact that much of the light passing through the reactor volume was incident on the LED panel on the opposite side of the reactor. The panels are black in color and absorbed a significant portion of the light passing through the reactor volume. The air flow rate through the PBR ranged from 1.33×10−5m3/s to 1.67×10−5m3/s. The parallel between panel temperature and PBR medium temperature indicate that the amount of air moving through the PBR was insufficient to affect the medium temperature significantly. The heat loss from the PBR to the ambient environment was also small likely due to the small area available to heat loss to the environment when the PBR walls with the LED panels are excluded. The LED panels covered nominally 88% of the PBR reactor volume area. The measured data and measurements of light intensity passing through the two short walls of the panel will be used to estimate heat loss parameters of the PBR. The exhaust air from the PBR varied from 42.6% to 99.1% with the higher measurements occurring days 6–11. Estimates of the energy stored in the algal biomass are also evaluated in the analysis.