Light requirements in microalgal photobioreactors: an overview of biophotonic aspects

Carvalho, Ana P.; Silva, Susana; Baptista, J. M.; Malcata, F. Xavier

doi:10.1007/s00253-010-3047-8

Cited by 414 publications

(238 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…Since light intensity decreases exponentially in a PBR, the fraction in which there is sufficient light for microalgal growth is limited to a few centimeters from the light source. However, increasing the light intensity does not simply increase the growth area because high intensity light is known to cause photo-inhibition [26]. Therefore, a better way to improve lighting efficiency is to design a PBR with a high surface/volume ratio (SVR) and/or control biomass concentration.…”

Section: Optimum Microalgae Concentration In a Membrane Photobioreactormentioning

confidence: 99%

Optimization of Hydraulic Retention Time and Biomass Concentration in Microalgae Biomass Production from Treated Sewage with a Membrane Photobioreactor

Honda

Teraoka

Noguchi

et al. 2017

J. of Wat. & Envir. Tech.

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Treated sewage is a promising source of nitrogen and phosphorus in microalgae biomass production for carbon-neutral biofuel and chemical products. In this study, Chlorella vulgaris was continuously cultivated in membrane photobioreactors (MPBRs) under short hydraulic retention times (HRTs) and with different numbers of submerged membrane modules to investigate potential microalgae productivity when treated sewage was used as a nutrient source. Microalgae biomass concentrations were independent of HRT in MPBRs with one membrane module owing to microalgae biomass deposition on the membrane. Installation of an additional submerged membrane module effectively reduced deposition on the submerged membrane, resulting in increased microalgae biomass concentration and volumetric productivity. Growth kinetics suggested that HRT is the essential parameter influencing the volumetric productivity of microalgae under nutrient-limited conditions, and that optimization of the biomass concentration, which depends on the surface/volume ratio of the photobioreactor and initial light intensity, is critical to maximization of the volumetric productivity under light-limited conditions.

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Section: Optimum Microalgae Concentration In a Membrane Photobioreactormentioning

confidence: 99%

Optimization of Hydraulic Retention Time and Biomass Concentration in Microalgae Biomass Production from Treated Sewage with a Membrane Photobioreactor

Honda

Teraoka

Noguchi

et al. 2017

J. of Wat. & Envir. Tech.

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“…For this purpose phototrophic processes are advantageous using light as energy and carbon dioxide as carbon source for biomass formation with only little additional mineral nutrient necessary. Besides higher land plants like sugarcane, maize, canola and corn, algae show high potential because of higher growth rates and productivities as well as higher photosynthetic efficiencies (efficiency of biomass build-up from sunlight energy) [5][6][7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Application of Transparent Glass Sponge for Improvement of Light Distribution in Photobioreactors

Jacob¹,

Bucharsky²,

GuenterSchell³

2012

J Bioproces Biotechniq

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A new concept for improving light dilution and light distribution in photobioreactors by applying transparent, openpored sponges was realized during cultivation experiments. A manufacturing process based on the polymer replica technique was established. A polyurethane template is impregnated with a nanoscaled SiO 2 powder suspension (solids loading of 60 wt% at around pH 10) and dried. The green body is prepared by burning-out the polymer at 800°C. Subsequently the sintering of the remaining SiO 2 structure to transparent cellular bodies is carried out at 1330°C. Many different factors influence the process. The slurry stabilization (viscosity, zeta-potential, pH) is important to generate a stable and self-supporting SiO 2 shell around the template and achieve appropriate green bodies. The sintering temperature determines the transition of amorphous (transparent) into crystalline silica. The 8 ppi sponge has a porosity of 0.9, the specific surface area of 568 m -1 means an increase of the (inner) surface to volume ratio of the reactor. Porous glass has a very high surface to volume ratio (about 0.26 m 2 /g of glass at 10 µm pore size). Because of multiple and complex reflection of light into the porous glass, the algae can obtain light energy at any location of the total volume. First cultivation experiments in special designed Miniplate reactors show an increase in growth rate (about +25%) at low cell densities. The photo conversion efficiency was enlarged from 4.9% for the empty reactor to 5.6% and 5.9% for the 8 and 15 ppi sponge filled reactor. The effect and the improved efficiency of biomass build-up per applied light will be more apparent at high cell densities. Therefore concentration of the standard Tris-Phosphate (TP) medium (2.5 fold) and feeding are necessary.

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“…The growth of microalgae was known to remarkably depend on the appropriate light intensity, light duration, and light wavelength [25]. Our initial study on C. debaryana AT24 indicated that it is not sensitive to photoinhibition, and there was a possible "saturation" effect [15].…”

Section: Light Saturationmentioning

confidence: 97%

Sustainable Production of Algal Biomass and Biofuels Using Swine Wastewater in North Carolina, US

et al. 2016

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Algae were recently considered as a promising third-generation biofuel feedstock due to their superior productivity, high oil content, and environmentally friendly nature. However, the sustainable production became the major constraint facing commercial development of algal biofuels. For this study, firstly, a factorial experimental design was used to analyze the effects of the process parameters including temperatures of 8-25˝C, light intensity of 150-900 µmol¨m´2s´1, and light duration of 6-24 h on the biomass yields of local alga Chlamydomonas debaryana in swine wastewater. The results were fitted with a quadratic equation (R 2 = 0.9706). The factors of temperature, light duration, the interaction of light intensity-light duration, and the quadratic effect of temperature were statistically significant. When evaluating different scenarios for the sustainable production of algal biomass and biofuels in North Carolina, US, it showed that: (a) Growing C. debaryana in a 10-acre pond on swine wastewater under local weather conditions would yield algal biomass of 113 tonnes/year; (b) If all swine wastewater generated in North Carolina was treated with algae, it will require 137-485 acres of ponds, yielding biomass of 5048-10,468 tonnes/year and algal oil of 1010-2094 tonnes/year. Annually, hundreds of tonnes of nitrogen and phosphorus could be removed from swine wastewater. The required area is mainly dependent on the growth rate of algal species.

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Light requirements in microalgal photobioreactors: an overview of biophotonic aspects

Cited by 414 publications

References 45 publications

Optimization of Hydraulic Retention Time and Biomass Concentration in Microalgae Biomass Production from Treated Sewage with a Membrane Photobioreactor

Optimization of Hydraulic Retention Time and Biomass Concentration in Microalgae Biomass Production from Treated Sewage with a Membrane Photobioreactor

The Application of Transparent Glass Sponge for Improvement of Light Distribution in Photobioreactors

Sustainable Production of Algal Biomass and Biofuels Using Swine Wastewater in North Carolina, US

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