Plate Photobioreactor Research Articles

Application of computational fluid dynamics in optimizing microalgal photobioreactors

Developing more efficient microalgal photobioreactors (closed cultivation systems) is impelled by increasing interest in microalgal cultivation to produce high-value products. Compared to open cultivation systems closed photobioreactors (PBRs) offer several advantages, including the potential for high productivity in a small footprint, ability to maintain a controlled environment, and their scalability for commercial production. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) provides a powerful tool to simulate flow conditions of microalgal cultivation systems and analyze operational parameters which may affect cultivation key factors such as light (wavelength, intensity, and period of exposure), accessibility to nutrients, and mixing. Besides, geometric modifications employing CFD can accelerate the design process and considerably reduce the need for a thorough, empirical exploration of reactor configurations and the associated costs. This paper provides a comprehensive review of recent updates on the application of CFD in various microalgal cultivation systems with special focus on different geometry optimization of flat plate photobioreactors.This review examines recent studies that have employed various multiphase and turbulence methods within the CFD framework to simulate fluid flow and turbulence within reactors, aiming to improve flow characteristics and enhance microalgal productivity. Specifically, the application of CFD in optimizing flat plate photobioreactors is explored, with researchers investigating a range of baffles and sparger configurations to enhance microalgal productivity. Additionally, the advantages of adopting CFD are discussed, and the potential future applications of CFD in microalgal cultivation are outlined.

A comprehensive review on effective parameters on microalgae productivity and carbon capture rate

Rising carbon emissions caused by population growth and industrialization is a significant environmental challenge in various countries. To combat this issue, Renewable Energy (RE) and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies should be commercialized to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and generate carbon-free energy. One such technology is the use of microalgae, which can directly capture CO2 from the air through photosynthesis and potentially produce biofuels due to their high energy content. However, the carbon capture rate of microalgae varies globally due to numerous parameters and variables affecting microalgae productivity. Additionally, microalgae productivity and carbon capture formulas yield different results worldwide, especially in outdoor industrial-scale cultivation. This research aims to comprehensively review the effective variables and parameters in carbon capture by microalgae based on microalgae productivity and carbon capture formulas. The research also ranked countries based on CO2 production in four different categories to determine whether the biggest carbon producer countries could exhibit suitable weather conditions for microalgae cultivation. Findings reveal optimal ranges of critical variables in the microalgae growth formula, including temperature, solar radiation intensity, Photon Flux Density (PFD), and sunlight duration. The study also analyzes microalgae cultivation, carbon capture, and oxygen production formula in different systems such as Open Ponds (OP), Tubular Photobioreactors (TPBR), and Flat Plate Photobioreactors (FPPBR), while discussing other influential parameters. In conclusion, emphasizing the adjustment and utilization of optimal values of effective parameters in microalgae cultivation not only holds promise for future carbon capture by microalgae but also pushes human beings toward sustainable development goals.

Development and evaluation of low-cost flat plate photobioreactors for microalgae and cyanobacteria cultivation with biotechnological potential.

The high performance of biomass and metabolite biosynthesis by photosynthetic microorganisms is directly influenced by the cultivation system employed. Photobioreactors (PBRs) stand out as controlled and fundamental systems for increasing the production of biocompounds. However, the high costs associated with these systems hinder their viability. Thus, a more practical and economical approach is necessary. Accordingly, this study aimed to design and evaluate low-cost flat-panel photobioreactors on a laboratory scale for the cultivation of photosynthetic microorganisms, using economical materials and instruments. Additionally, internal optimization of the low-cost system was aimed to maximize growth and biomass production. The PBRs were designed and built with uniform dimensions, employing 4 mm translucent glass and agitation through compressors. The internally optimized system (PBR-OII) was equipped with perforated acrylic plates used as static mixers. To evaluate the performance of the low-cost PBR-OII, a comparison was made with the control photobioreactor (PBR-CI), of the same geometry but without internal optimization, using a culture of Synechocystis sp. CACIAM 05 culture. The results showed that the PBR-OII achieved maximum biomass yield and productivity of 6.82 mg/mL and 250 mg/L/day, respectively, values superior to the PBR-CI (1.87 mg/mL and 62 mg/L/day). Additionally, the chlorophyll concentration in the PBR-OII system was 28.89 ± 3.44 µg/mL, while in the control system, the maximum reached was 23.12 ± 1.85 µg/mL. Therefore, low-cost photobioreactors have demonstrated to be an essential tool for significantly increasing biomass production, supporting research, and reducing costs associated with the process, enabling their implementation on a laboratory scale.

Polyhydroxyalkanoate production in a biofilm by mixed culture phototrophic bacteria

Anoxygenic purple phototrophic bacteria (PPB) were utilised in an 80 L biofilm flat plate photobioreactor to generate polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) over 44 cycles, with acetate as feed. Over the cycles, net PHA yield (growth + accumulation) averaged 21% while accumulation yield averaged 55%. Average PHA content was 35 wt% volatile solids (VS), with the majority (>80%) being harvested from the biofilm at 100 gTotal solids (TS) L−1. The PPB microbial population averaged 45% of total population. Detailed cycle studies indicated that PHA content (and yield) peaked at 0.5–1 d into the accumulation stage (peak of 53 wt% VS), suggesting that cycle time optimisation could improve both yield and selection of PHA accumulators. The resulting polymeric material was comprised of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) with 95.5 mol% 3-hydroxybutyrate and 4.5 mol% 3-hydroxyvalerate content, but the molecular weight, at >1090 kDa, is unusually high for extracted, microbially produced PHA and a feature of this work.

Stimulating carbon and nitrogen metabolism of Chlorella pyrenoidosa to treat aquaculture wastewater and produce high-quality protein in plate photobioreactors

Wastewater treatment by microalgae is the economical and environmentally friendly strategy, but is still challenged with the strict discharge standards and valuable biomass exploitations. The carbon and nitrogen metabolism of Chlorella pyrenoidosa was improved by the red LED light and starch addition to treat Tilapia aquaculture wastewater (T-AW) and produce protein simultaneously in a plate photobioreactor. The red LED light was applied to improve the nutrient removals at an outdoor temperature, but the concentrations except total nitrogen did not satisfy the discharge standards. After starch addition, the removal efficiencies of total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chemical oxygen demand, and total ammonia nitrogen were 85.15, 96.96, 88.53, and 98.01 % in a flat-plate photobioreactor, respectively, which met the discharge standards and the protein production reached 0.60 g/L. At a molecular level, the metabolic flux and transcriptome analyses showed that red light promoted carbon flux of the Embden-Meyerhof-Pranas pathway and tricarboxylic cycle, and upregulated the levels of genes encoding α-amylase, glutamine synthetase, glutamate dehydrogenase, nitrate transporter, and ammonium transporter, which facilitated nutrients removal and provided nitrogen sources for protein biosynthesis. The harvesting C. pyrenoidosa possessed the 62 % essential amino acids and great lipid composition for biofuels. This study provided a new orientation for outdoor wastewater treatment and protein production by collaboratively regulating the carbon and nitrogen metabolism of microalgae.

Resource recovery using enriched purple phototrophic bacteria in an outdoor flat plate photobioreactor: Suspended vs. attached growth

Purple phototrophic bacteria (PPB) can produce single-cell protein from wastewater at high yields. Growing in a biofilm vs suspended can improve product quality and consistency. This study compares suspended and attached growths of enriched PPB cultures in an outdoor flat plate photobioreactor treating poultry-processing wastewater. Attached growth had lower VFA removal efficiencies (95 ± 2.7 vs 84 ± 6.4 %) due to light limitations and low substrate diffusion rates. Nevertheless, similar overall treatment performances and productivities were achieved (16 ± 2.2 and 18 ± 2.4 gCOD·m−2·d−1 for attached and suspended) at loading rates of 1.2–1.5 gCOD·L−1·d−1. Biofilms had higher quality than suspended biomass, with lower ash contents (6.9(0.6)% vs 57(16)%) and higher PPB abundances (0.45–0.67 vs 0.30–0.45). The biofilm (20–50 % of the total biomass) might be used as feed and the suspended fraction as fertiliser, improving the economics of the process. Semi-continuous PPB growth outdoors as biofilm is technically feasible, obtaining a superior product without jeopardising performance.

Integrated Model for Design, Optimization, Scale-Up, Culture Scheme, and Production Evaluation of a Bioreactor and Its Application for Improving Algal Biomass and Carbon Fixation in Bioreactors

A comprehensive numerical model system for the bioreactor design, structure and cultivation condition optimization, scale-up, and carbon fixation performance evaluation was proposed. Three basic models of computational fluid dynamics, particle and mass transfer, and two improved models of algae growth and light accumulation were integrated innovatively. The algae growth model directly predicted the algal production performance of the bioreactor, and the error was less than 15% compared with the experimental results. The light accumulation model was proposed to simulate the spatial distribution of light utilization with the changes of algal concentration and light intensity. The model system was applied to scale up the flat plate photobioreactor with inclined baffles, and the results showed that the photobioreactor with 9 cm light path had a maximum ideal areal productivity (505.94 g/m2) and better performance. Based on the light accumulation model, the strategy of changing the surface light intensity during the cultivation was proposed to maintain the light utilization and increase the production. Under the optimized surface light intensity, the maximum algal concentration and the average carbon fixation rate of the bioreactor were 43.41 and 248.35% higher than those of the constant light intensity. The proposed model system is a reliable and efficient experimental alternative tool for algal production evaluation and carbon fixation application of the bioreactor.

Modeling Effect of Bubbles on Time-Dependent Radiation Transfer of Microalgae in a Photobioreactor for Carbon Dioxide Fixation

Microalgae are considered one of the most efficient and environmentally friendly ways for carbon dioxide fixation. The bubbles play an important role in analyzing the radiation transfer in photobioreactors during microalgae growth. Herein, Chlorella sp. and Scenedesmus obliquus were cultured in the airlift flat plate photobioreactor and evaluated for the temporal evolution of radiation characteristics. A one-dimensional model of bubbles on time-dependent radiation transfer in a photobioreactor was proposed, and it was well verified with the experimental result. The results indicated that with the increase of bubble volume fraction or the decrease of bubble radius, the local irradiance increased at the illuminated surface of the microalgal culture and was attenuated more rapidly along with the radiation transfer. The average specific growth rate of microalgae decreases as bubble volume fraction increases or bubble radius decreases. The volume fraction of 0.003 and a radius of 3.5 mm are the optimal operating conditions in this study for microalgae growth and carbon dioxide fixation. The presented analysis would facilitate the design and optimization of the optical and aeration configurations of photobioreactors for carbon dioxide fixation.

Maximizing unsaturated fatty acids production by using sugarcane agroindustry wastes in cultivation of Desmodesmus sp. in a flat plate photobioreactor

Microalgae lipid accumulation can be accomplished by different strategies rather than naturally reaching the stationary phase. Many studies employ nitrogen (N) depletion to improve lipid production; however, this approach might not be a suitable alternative when growth in wastewater is attempted. Agro-industry effluents in particular can have high concentrations of N, so nutrient removal is also required. This study evaluated two possibilities of achieving stress conditions in Desmodesmus sp. cultivation: light intensity and CO2 concentration. The culture medium also included liquid and solid residues from the sugarcane agro-industry: vinasse and a biofertilizer produced from bagasse biochar. Optimization of growth in a flat plate photobioreactor was conducted by combining a two-level factorial design and simplex methodology. Both the highest biomass and polyunsaturated fatty acid productivities (150.2 and 21.4 mg L−1 day−1, respectively) were achieved near the central points (5% CO2 in air and 1000 μmol m−2 s−1 light intensity). These results show the possibility of microalgae growth in a sustainable medium coupled with high-value lipid production, e.g., omegas-3, − 6, and − 9.

Seasonal variation in the growth, lipid accumulation, and fatty acid composition of Chlorella sp. GN1 cultured in flat plate photobioreactors outdoors

Seasonal variation in the growth, lipid accumulation, and fatty acid composition of Chlorella sp. GN1 cultured in flat plate photobioreactors outdoors

Outdoor demonstration-scale flat plate photobioreactor for resource recovery with purple phototrophic bacteria

To make purple phototrophic bacteria (PPB)-based technologies a reality for resource recovery, research must be demonstrated outdoors, using scaled reactors. In this study, a 10 m long PPB-enriched flat plate photobioreactor (FPPBR) with a volume of 0.95 m3 was operated for 253 days, fed with poultry processing wastewater. Different operational strategies were tested, including varying influent types, retention times, feeding strategies, and anaerobic/aerobic conditions in a novel mixed metabolic mode concept. The overall results show that regardless of the fermented wastewater fed (raw or after solid removal via dissolved air flotation) and the varying environmental conditions (e.g., light exposure and temperatures), the FPPBR provided effective volatile fatty acids (VFAs), N, and P removals (average efficiencies of >90%, 34–77%, and 28–45%, respectively). The removal of N and P was limited by the availability of biodegradable COD. Biomass (C, N and P) could be harvested at ∼90% VS/TS ratio, 58% crude protein content and a suitable amino acid profile for potential feed applications. During fully anaerobic operation with semicontinuous/day-only feeding, the FPPBR showed biomass productivities between 25 and 84 g VS m−2 d−1 (high due to solid influx; the productivities estimated from COD removal rates were 6.0–24 g VS•m−2•d−1 (conservative values)), and soluble COD removal rates of up to 1.0 g•L−1•d−1 (overall average of 0.34 ± 0.16 g•L−1•d−1). Under these conditions, the relative abundance of PPB in the harvested biomass was up to 56%. A minimum overall HRT of 2–2.4 d (1.0–1.2 d when only fed during the day) is recommended to avoid PPB washout, assuming no biomass retention. A combined daily-illuminated-anaerobic/night-aerobic operation (supplying air during night-time) exploiting photoheterotrophy during the day and aerobic chemoheterotrophy of the same bacteria at night improved the overall removal performance, avoiding VFA accumulation during the night. However, while enabling enhanced treatment, this resulted in a lower relative abundance of PPB and reduced biomass productivities, highlighting the need to balance resource recovery and treatment goals.

Novel bioreactor with inclined baffles in cost-efficiently increasing algal biomass and carbon fixation

We assess the cultivation of microalgae and possible improvements of photobioreactor (PBR) design and operation. A systematic method based on numerical modeling and experiments was proposed to guide the study of reactor performance. Taking the novel flat plate photobioreactor (FPPBR) with inclined baffles (IBs) as an example, the method was applied to investigate an effective way to improve the cultivation potential of the reactor. To obtain good mass transfer and light utilization, the optimal ratio of baffle opening gap to bioreactor width was 0.25. The algal biomass in the FPPBR with IBs at 3% CO2 aeration and an aeration rate of 0.05 vessel volume per minute (vvm) was 27.08% and 48.34% higher than that of FPPBR without baffles under the same cultivation conditions and higher air aeration rate of 0.15 vvm. The maximum carbon fixation rate increased by 106% when using the IBs under the same 3% CO2 aeration condition. The installation of the optimal IBs made it possible to achieve highly efficient cultivation under low energy aeration input, and it is also a cost-efficient way to increase carbon fixation in the bioreactor.

Enhancing microalgae production by installing concave walls in plate photobioreactors

In order to optimize light distribution for promoting biomass growth rate of Chlorella pyrenoidosa, concave walls were installed in plate photobioreactors (PBR) to generate rotational flow field of microalgal solution circulated from top inlets to bottom outlets. Flow vortices in four corners of concave-wall PBR resulted in decreased mixing time and increased mass transfer coefficient. The CO2 bio-fixation by C. pyrenoidosa increased by 27% and chlorophyll-a concentration enhanced by 18.5% in concave-wall PBR compared to those in control (flat-wall) PBR. The concave walls diverge light rays to enhance frontal light exposure and supply more light photons into interior regions of PBRs. The promotion in light distribution and vortex flow field with concave walls enhanced light and nutrients utilization by microalgal cells, leading to an increased biomass growth rate by 21%.

Development a novel hexagonal airlift flat plate photobioreactor for the improvement of microalgae growth that simultaneously enhance CO2 bio-fixation and wastewater treatment

A novel hexagonal airlift flat plate (HAFP) photobioreactor was designed to improve microalgae growth rate and compared with traditional flat plate (TFP) photobioreactor. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation was used to determine hydrodynamic parameters and optimal aeration rate in the photobioreactors. Additionally, the capability of the HAFP photobioreactor to enhance microalgae based CO2 bio-fixation and wastewater treatment were investigated. The results of CFD simulation indicated that the HAFP photobioreactor could improve hydrodynamic parameters of turbulence kinetic energy (TKE), average fluid velocity, dead zone (DZ), and water shear stress (WSS) up to 78 %, 41 %, 44 % and 40 %, respectively, under optimal aeration rate of 0.6 vvm. The proposed HAFP photobioreactor showed a drastic improvement in microalgae growth (up to 61 %). The maximum CO2 removal of 53.8 % and bio-fixation of 0.85 g L−1 d−1 were achieved in the HAFP photobioreactor which were approximately 70 % more than that in the TFP photobioreactor. The results suggested that the HAFP photobioreactor could accelerate nutrients removal and achieve remarkably higher efficiencies of 91 %, 99 %, 97 % and 93 % of ammonia (NH3), nitrate (NO3−), phosphate (PO43−) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) within seven days of cultivation.

Effect of different illumination patterns on the growth and biomolecular synthesis of isolated Chlorella Thermophila in a 50 L pilot-scale photobioreactor

Optimum light exposure for the cultivation of microalgae to obtain high biomass density varies between different species. In the current work, isolated microalgae strain Chlorella thermophila was used to investigate the growth and biomolecular content under exposure of various light regimes in a pilot-scale flat plate photobioreactor (50 L). Here, three different lighting patterns namely fixed (4500 lx intensity with 14:10 light/dark ratio), variable (0−4500 lux variable intensity with 14:10 light/dark ratio) and continuous mode (4500 lx intensity with 24:0 light/dark ratio) were studied for the evaluation of the importance of light/dark period and sinusoidal illumination. Results demonstrated that the light/dark period had a significant influence on the growth and synthesis of biomolecules. The biomass concentration at fixed mode was found to be 5.6 and 1.9 fold higher compared to continuous mode and variable mode, respectively. Chlorophyll content was found to be the highest (4.8 %, w/w) in fixed mode while protein content was highest (68 %, w/w) in variable mode. The highest content of carotenoids (0.69 %, w/w) and carbohydrates (38 %, w/w) were noticed in continuous lighting mode. The highest average productivity of 16.4, 10.5, 4.03, 0.76, 0.6 (mg/L.day) were achieved for biomass, proteins, carbohydrate, chlorophylls and carotenoids, respectively in fixed mode.

Developing a three-dimensional tangential swirl plate photobioreactor to enhance mass transfer and flashlight effect for microalgal CO2 fixation

A novel three-dimensional tangential swirl plate (TTSP) photobioreactor was proposed to strengthen flow perpendicular to central cross-section between two side walls, resulting in more widespread turbulence for improving microalgal CO2 fixation. The axes of four center-symmetrically arranged nozzles were tangential to a horizontal cylinder to form two staggered vortexes. When angle θ between nozzle axis and central cross-section increased from 0° to 22.1° and then to 40.0°, mixing time and average bubble diameter first decreased to the minimum (16.55 s and 0.57 mm) and then increased. When relative diameter of tangential cylinder d/D increased from 0.11 to 0.34 and then to 0.56, flashlight frequency and light time ratio first increased to the maximum (0.21 Hz and 42.8%) and then decreased. Accordingly, flashlight frequency was 90.9% higher in TTSP photobioreactor than that in two-dimensional jet-aerated tangential swirl plate (JTSP) photobioreactor, leading to an increase in microalgal CO2 fixation rate by 30%.

A multicriteria decision analysis for the evaluation of microalgal growth and harvesting

Biomass obtained from microalgae research studies gained momentum in recent years because of their extensive application potential in multiple industries such as high-value nutraceuticals, bioproducts, cosmetics, animal feed industries, and biofuels while being a sustainable and environmentally friendly option. Although they have high biomass yields and rapid growth rates there are some limitations and challenges that remain for large-scale commercialized cultivation and harvesting methods of microalgae. Since there are multiple pathways related to efficient cultivation and harvesting methods to be viable, this study adopted, TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution), a multicriteria decision-making tool, to find the most acceptable alternative by using excel spreadsheets to evaluate the information that is derived from literature and pilot-scale studies. As a result, tubular (helical) and plate (flat panel) photobioreactors (PBRs) for cultivation and chemical harvesting (with chitosan) and bio-flocculation for harvesting were deemed suitable, while plastic bag PBR and suspended air flotation were deemed unsuitable.

Biochemical and phylogenetic characterization of the wastewater tolerant Chlamydomonas biconvexa Embrapa|LBA40 strain cultivated in palm oil mill effluent.

The increasing demand for water, food and energy poses challenges for the world´s sustainability. Tropical palm oil is currently the major source of vegetable oil worldwide with a production that exceeds 55 million tons per year, while generating over 200 million tons of palm oil mill effluent (POME). It could potentially be used as a substrate for production of microalgal biomass though. In this study, the microalgal strain Chlamydomonas biconvexa Embrapa|LBA40, originally isolated from a sugarcane vinasse stabilization pond, was selected among 17 strains tested for growth in POME retrieved from anaerobic ponds of a palm oil industrial plant located within the Amazon rainforest region. During cultivation in POME, C. biconvexa Embrapa|LBA40 biomass productivity reached 190.60 mgDW • L-1 • d-1 using 15L airlift flat plate photobioreactors. Carbohydrates comprised the major fraction of algal biomass (31.96%), while the lipidic fraction reached up to 11.3% of dry mass. Reductions of 99% in ammonium and nitrite, as well as 98% reduction in phosphate present in POME were detected after 5 days of algal cultivation. This suggests that the aerobic pond stage, usually used in palm oil industrial plants to reduce POME inorganic load, could be substituted by high rate photobioreactors, significantly reducing the time and area requirements for wastewater treatment. In addition, the complete mitochondrial genome of C. biconvexa Embrapa|LBA40 strain was sequenced, revealing a compact mitogenome, with 15.98 kb in size, a total of 14 genes, of which 9 are protein coding genes. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed the strain taxonomic status within the Chlamydomonas genus, opening up opportunities for future genetic modification and molecular breeding programs in these species.

Nanocosm: a well plate photobioreactor for environmental and biotechnological studies.

Phytoplankton are key primary producers at the bottom of the aquatic food chain. They are a highly diverse group of organisms essential for the functioning of our ecosystems and because of their characteristics, their biomass is considered for various commercial applications. A full appreciation of their abundance, diversity and potential is only feasible by using systems that enable simultaneous testing of strains and/or variables in a fast and easy way. A major bottleneck is the lack of a cost-effective method with the capacity for complex experimental set-ups that enable fast and reproducible screening and analysis. In this study, we present nanocosm, a versatile LED-based micro-scale photobioreactor (PBR) that allows simultaneous testing of multiple variables such as temperature and light within the same plate. Every well can be independently controlled for intensity, temporal variation and light type (RGB, white, UV). We show that our systems guarantee homogeneous conditions because of controlled temperature and evaporation and adjustments for light crosstalk. By ensuring controlled environmental conditions the nanocosm is suitable for running factorial experimental designs where each well can be used as an independent micro-PBR. To validate culture performances, we assess well-to-well reproducibility and our results show minimal well-to-well variability for all the conditions tested. Possible modes of operation and application are discussed together with future development of the system.

Growth of Porphyridium purpureum (Porphyridiales, Rhodophyta) and Production of B-Phycoerythrin under Varying Illumination

The red pigment B-phycoerythrin (B-PE) belongs to the group of phycobiliproteins (PBPs). It is a part of the light-harvesting pigment complex of the red microalga Porphyridium purpureum (Bory) Drew et Ross, and its amount in cells is determined by the level of irradiation and nitrogen supply. B-PE is a valuable natural pigment whose biotechnological potential is used in nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, food and cosmetic industries, and in biomedical research and clinical diagnostics. The dynamics of cell number and the content of photosynthetic pigments are quite often assessed in experiments with P. purpureum. The culture’s density is low in the majority of the experiments, although it is known that it can reach 10 g/L of dry matter. The aim of the study was to investigate the features of the accumulation and production of PBPs in a dense culture of P. purpureum under varying illumination. The molecular-genetic analysis confirmed the taxonomic affiliation of P. purpureum culture. Algae were grown in flat plate photobioreactors with an average illumination of 5, 10, and 15 klx. The dynamics of culture density, the content of B-PE, and production characteristics were used as indicators. It was shown that an increase in the microalgae culture density corresponding to the calculated nitrogen concentration in the nutrient medium was obtained only under illumination of 5 klx. Illumination increased to 10, and 15 klx caused a decrease in both the maximum and average productivities of the culture by 2.5–3.5 times. It was experimentally shown that the highest content of B-PE in the cells and culture of P. purpureum (5.5% of dry matter and 74 mg/L, respectively) was observed under illumination of 5 klx. The pattern of the change in B-PE content in P. purpureum culture was determined depending on the specific illumination of microalgae cells: the pigment concentration hyperbolically decreased with increasing specific illumination. Thus, the level of illumination of P. purpureum microalgae cells had a significant effect on the growth characteristics of the culture (growth rate, B-PE synthesis rate and yield): a lower level of surface illumination was preferred for P. purpureum cultivation. The approach proposed in the study allows one to reduce material costs during the cultivation of P. purpureum while maintaining a high growth rate of the culture.