Abstract
AbstractRapid population and economic growth in the world have accelerated the search for new sustainable and environment‐friendly energy sources. Power‐producing systems generally add to the carbon load in the environment, contributing to global climate change. In photosynthesis, energy from light splits water molecules into oxygen, protons, and electrons. Algal biophotovoltaic (BPV) platforms were developed to harvest these electrons to generate bioelectricity through algal photosynthesis. Irradiance is one of the most important parameters that determine power output efficiency from algal BPV devices. In this study, the effective range of irradiance levels for power generation from algal BPV devices comprising of suspension and alginate‐immobilized Chlorella cultures on ITO anodes was determined. Immobilized cultures were prepared by entrapping the algal cells in 2% sodium alginate solution. The algal BPV devices were illuminated by four different irradiance levels (30, 90, 150, and 210 µmol photons m−2 s−1). The maximum power density of 0.456 mW m−2 was generated from the prototype algal fuel cell at the irradiance level of 150 µmol photons m−2 s−1. At 210 µmol photons m−2 s−1, low power density was produced due to photoinhibition as indicated by Fv/Fm values generated through PAM fluorometry. In terms of carbon fixation rate, the highest value was recorded in immobilized culture at 217.11 mg CO2 L−1 d−1. The algal biophotovoltaic device is multifunctional and can provide sustainable energy with simultaneous carbon dioxide removal.
Highlights
Effect of Different Irradiance Levels on Bioelectricity Generation from Algal Biophotovoltaic (BPV) Devices
Algae are being used in the development of biophotovoltaic (BPV) platforms, which are used to harness solar energy for bioelectricity generation
A very small amount of solar energy absorbed is transformed into chemical energy while the rest is wasted as heat and fluorescence
Summary
Effect of Different Irradiance Levels on Bioelectricity Generation from Algal Biophotovoltaic (BPV) Devices C H Thong1, S M Phang1, F L Ng1, V Periasamy2, A Gonzalez-Aravena3, K Yunus3, A C Fisher3 Abstract: The exploitation of renewable energy sources for delivering carbon neutral or carbon negative solutions has become challenging in the current era because conventional fuel sources are of finite origins.
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