Assessment of RPT calibration need during microalgae culturing and other biochemical processes

Abstract

The calibration maps relating counts with the position of the radioactive particle is essential to reconstruct the instantaneous positions of the particle and consequently measurements in a 3D manner of the local velocity field and turbulent parameters in the split photobioreactor for the microalgae system by using advanced radioactive particle tracking (RPT) technique. The calibration experiments should perform at the same operating conditions of an actual test. No studies in literature account for the effect of the growth of microalgae on the physical properties of the culturing medium by employing the calibration curves operations. This work used a Plexiglas split column of 5.0 inch (12.7cm) diameter and 59 inches (150 cm) high with a Plexiglas plate that divides the column into two equal areas. As a result, there is no significant change in counts of gamma ray (calibration system) through deference growth steps, then the experiments show that the one calibration experiment and one isotope tracer particle are enough to perform RPT operations even if the medium of the culturing becomes highly dense at this microorganism system. This knowledge and findings will help to reduce the cost and the efforts of the RPT experiments including air-water-microalgae cell systems during the culturing process.