PhotoBioLib: A Modelica library for modeling and simulation of large-scale photobioreactors

Perez-Castro, Agustin; Moreno, José Sánchez; Castilla, M.

doi:10.1016/j.compchemeng.2016.12.002

Cited by 8 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 12 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Another concept would be open pond photobioreactors like open pond raceways. Different photobioreactor setups are reviewed in [18,[36][37][38][39]. A promising alternative is an integrated algae-based biorefinery, e.g., for the production of biodiesel, astaxanthin and PHB as presented by [40] or [41].…”

Section: Phb Production By Cyanobacteria: Current State Of Knowledgementioning

confidence: 99%

Cyanobacteria for PHB Bioplastics Production: A Review

Markl¹,

Grünbichler²,

Lackner³

2019

Algae

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, can be used as host to produce polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), which are promising bioplastic raw materials. The most important material thereof is polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), which can replace the commodity polymer polypropylene (PP) in many applications, yielding a bio-based, biodegradable alternative solution. The advantage from using cyanobacteria to make PHB over the standard fermentation processes, with sugar or other organic (waste) materials as feedstock, is that the sustainability is better (compare first-generation biofuels with the feed vs. fuel debate), with CO 2 being the only carbon source and sunlight being the sole energy source. In this review article, the state of the art of cyanobacterial PHB production and its outlook is discussed. Thirty-seven percent of dry cell weight of PHB could be obtained in 2018, which is getting close to up to 78% of PHB dry cell weight in heterotrophic microorganisms in fermentation reactors. A good potential for cyanobacterial PHB is seen throughout the literature.

show abstract

Section: Phb Production By Cyanobacteria: Current State Of Knowledgementioning

confidence: 99%

Cyanobacteria for PHB Bioplastics Production: A Review

Markl¹,

Grünbichler²,

Lackner³

2019

Algae

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…A method to address this is by scaling prototype reactors. This approach is important, however effective modelling can accelerate development and lead to better reactor performance [183].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distributed parameter modelling of phototrophic bioreactor systems

Barry¹

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purple phototrophic bacteria (PPB) use infrared light to generate microbial energy, with electron, carbon and nitrogen supplied chemically. They have broad applicability for resource recovery from wastes and wastewater, as they have potential value as microbial product and very high growth yields on substrate. Although PPB processes are gaining relevance in the aforementioned industries, reactor design, particularly effective consideration of light in chemical kinetics and hydraulics is a critical issue. This thesis aims to assess key limitations and define their physical behaviour mathematically. The first limitation was that there was no mixed culture PPB process model describing the behaviour of PPB in the presence of ammonia, organic matter and other nutrients. The mixed population models of the International Water Association (IWA) provide a good framework for process modelling and control. As such, a process model for a mixed-culture PPB system was developed based on five key processes: photoheterotrophic growth, photoautotrophic growth, chemoheterotrophic growth, hydrolysis/fermentation, and decay. This model was developed as a set of ordinary differential equations varying in time and lumped in space (as for the IWA models). The second limitation is that the radiative field has not been considered. This can vary spatially and temporally. The radiative field in a PPB system attenuates sharply, which influences the growth domains. A CFD modelling framework was therefore developed in OpenFOAM to describe the spatial variations and interactions between biomass growth, the flow field and the radiative field. It was found that lumped modelling approaches and distributed parameter approaches differed in results based on different reactor domains and behaviours. The deviation from lumped parameter behaviour was greater for a cylindrical stirred reactor than for a flat plate reactor. Therefore, spatial considerations are necessary in the design phase of a photobioreactor. Finally, biofilms are a critical aspect in PPB growth, and a coupled biofilm radiative transfer model has not been previously considered. The model was thus extended to include biofilm formation of a mixed PPB system in the presence of a spatially varying radiative field. A volume-of-fluid approach was used as a basis for this model, considering three particulate species (phototrophic bacteria, biodegradable particulate matter, and inert particulates). The radiative-solid-liquid coupling overall was found to be critical in operation, with traditional lumped parameter approaches to design and analysis not well suited to the emerging challenges of mixed culture photo-bio systems. These aspects should be further considered through model based analysis and experimental validation for future system design.

show abstract