Simulation of photosynthetically active radiation distribution in algal photobioreactors using a multidimensional spectral radiation model

Characteristic time scales of mixing, mass transfer and biomass growth in a Taylor vortex algal photobioreactor

“…Light limitations caused by absorption and scattering can occur even in dilute cell cultures, depending upon the distance of the light path through the reactor and the intensity of the incident radiation (Hu and Richmond, 1996). Near the reactor irradiated surface, algal radiative exposure is usually adequate or in excess, whereas a dark volume with insufficient light for photosynthesis to occur often resides only a few centimeters or less from the irradiated surface, depending on the cell concentration (Kong and Vigil, 2014). For this reason, a key factor in the design of PBRs is the incorporation of mechanisms to periodically transport cells between light and dark regions of the reactor (mixing-induced light/dark cycles) in order to efficiently utilize radiation near the illuminated reactor surface and distribute it evenly to microorganisms (Hu and Richmond, 1996;Ugwu et al, 2005;Sobczuk et al, 2006;Huang et al, 2014).…”

Experimental measurement of oxygen mass transfer and bubble size distribution in an air–water multiphase Taylor–Couette vortex bioreactor

“…1. The flow patterns and instabilities produced in this canonical flow geometry have been extensively studied over the course of many decades [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22], and Taylor vortex flow patterns have been used in many varied applications such as water purification [23], emulsion polymerization [24,25], liquid-liquid extraction [26,27], pigment preparation [28], photocatalysis [29], culture of animal cells [30], and cultivation of microalgae [31][32][33][34]. Nevertheless, despite the sustained and significant attention that Taylor vortex flow has received and the multiphase nature of many of its applications, multiphase TaylorCouette flow remains relatively poorly understood.…”

An adaptive model for gas–liquid mass transfer in a Taylor vortex reactor

“…Although numerous empirical correlations have been developed for gas-liquid mass transfer in bubble columns [2][3][4][5], airlift reactors [6][7][8], and stirred tanks [9][10][11][12], comparatively little is known concerning interphase mass transfer in Taylor-Couette flow cells [13][14][15][16], which have recently gained interest for use as bioreactors [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24]. These devices, which consist of fluids confined in the annular space between two coaxial cylinders (see Fig.…”