Abstract
Optimal production of microalgae in photo-bioreactors (PBRs) largely depends on the amount of light intensity received by individual algal cells, which is affected by several operational and design factors. A key question is: which process parameters have the highest potential for the optimization of biomass productivity? This can be analyzed by simulating the complex interplay of PBR design, hydrodynamics, dynamic light exposure, and growth of algal cells. A workflow was established comprising the simulation of hydrodynamics in a flat-panel PBR using computational fluid dynamics, calculation of light irradiation inside the PBR, tracing the light exposure of individual cells over time, and calculation the algal growth and biomass productivity based on this light exposure. Different PBR designs leading to different flow profiles were compared, and operational parameters such as air inlet flowrate, microalgal concentration, and incident light intensity were varied to investigate their effect on PBR productivity. The design of internal structures and lighting had a significant effect on biomass productivity, whereas air inlet flowrate had a minimal effect. Microalgal concentration and incident light intensity controlled the amount of light intensity inside the PBR, thereby significantly affecting the overall productivity. For detailed quantitative insight into these dependencies, better parameterization of algal growth models is required.
Highlights
There is a clear difference between the flow characteristics of the Standard Design and those of the two Alternate Designs for an air inlet flowrate of 0.5 L/min (Figure 5)
The profiles of velocity and turbulent kinetic energy were similar to the results from previous studies of rectangular PBRs with larger volumes [21,24,34]
Were systematically studied in silico. Operational parameters such as air inlet flowrate tory PBR were systematically studied in silico
Summary
Produced biomass represents an important contribution for overcoming the dependence of the economy on fossil resources and reducing the CO2 footprint [1,2,3]. For different applications, such as fuels, chemicals, and food, different strategies to generate alternative biomass have been pursued, e.g., growing annual or perennial crops for biomassbased energy and products [4,5], development of circular flows in agricultural production systems by utilization of agricultural biomass residues [6,7], and algae cultivation for high-value products [8,9].
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