Uncoupling solid and hydraulic retention time in photobioreactors for microalgae mass production: A model-based analysis

Barberà, Elena; Sforza, Eleonora; Grandi, Alessia; Bertucco, Alberto

doi:10.1016/j.ces.2020.115578

Cited by 24 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…As the model used was not able to reproduce, with a unique set of parameters, all the data at different thicknesses, the model parameters were retrieved separately for sets of data obtained with the same light paths. The values of

and

were found to be comparable for each series and similar to those reported by Barbera et al (2020 ). Thus, the values of such parameters were fixed and

were estimated separately for each reactor thickness.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 87%

“…Interestingly, the values of

and

were found to be correlated to the reactor thickness, as shown in Figure 3 . For convenience, in Figure 3A ,

is shown, that is,

is normalized at the corresponding value of 413 µmol m −2 s −1 in Barbera et al (2020 ). The increase of

for higher reactor thicknesses reflects qualitative experimental results in Figure 1 : self-shading increases with culture depth, and the amount of light for optimal growth increases accordingly.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To interpret our experimental data, we used a model by Bernard and Rémond (2012 ) presented in Barbera et al (2020 ). Assuming a rectangular geometry, the light extinction profile is predicted by the Lambert–Beer law as:

where

(

is the incident light intensity,

(

) is the Lambert–Beer light extinction coefficient,

(

) is the biomass concentration inside the reactor, and

(

) is the axial coordinate of the reactor depth.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Microalgae growth in ultra-thin steady-state continuous photobioreactors: assessing self-shading effects

Saccardo

Bezzo

Sforza

2022

Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol.

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To disclose the net effect of light on microalgal growth in photobioreactors, self-shading and mixing-induced light–dark cycles must be minimized and discerned from the transient phenomena of acclimation. In this work, we performed experiments of continuous microalgal cultivation in small-scale photobioreactors with different thicknesses (from 2 to 35 mm): working at a steady state allowed us to describe the effect of light after acclimation, while the geometry of the reactor was adjusted to find the threshold light path that can discriminate different phenomena. Experiments showed an increased inhibition under smaller culture light paths, suggesting a strong shading effect at thicknesses higher than 8 mm where mixing-induced light–dark cycles may occur. A Haldane-like model was applied and kinetic parameters retrieved, showing possible issues in the scalability of experimental results at different light paths if mixing-induced light–dark cycles are not considered. To further highlight the influence of mixing cycles, we proposed an analogy between small-scale operations with continuous light and PBR operations with pulsed light, with the computation of characteristic parameters from pulsed-light microalgae growth mathematical modeling.

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and

were found to be comparable for each series and similar to those reported by Barbera et al (2020 ). Thus, the values of such parameters were fixed and

were estimated separately for each reactor thickness.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 87%

“…Interestingly, the values of

and

were found to be correlated to the reactor thickness, as shown in Figure 3 . For convenience, in Figure 3A ,

is shown, that is,

is normalized at the corresponding value of 413 µmol m −2 s −1 in Barbera et al (2020 ). The increase of

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

where

(

is the incident light intensity,

(

) is the Lambert–Beer light extinction coefficient,

(

) is the biomass concentration inside the reactor, and

(

) is the axial coordinate of the reactor depth.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Microalgae growth in ultra-thin steady-state continuous photobioreactors: assessing self-shading effects

Saccardo

Bezzo

Sforza

2022

Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol.

Self Cite

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“…To overcome this drawback, MPBRs have been developed (Gao et al, 2019;González-Camejo, Jiménez-Benítez, et al, 2019a). As aforementioned, in MPBRs, more concentrated microalgae biomass and higher nutrient loads can be achieved (Barbera et al, 2020). In comparison with conventional microalgae cultivation systems, higher-quality effluents can be attained in MPBRs at shorter HRTs.…”

Section: Closed Photobioreactorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cultivation mode influences the microalgae growth rate and productivity (Barbera, Sforza, Grandi, & Bertucco, 2020; Behera et al, 2018). Lab‐scale studies have been traditionally based on batch cultivation (AlMomani & Örmeci, 2016; Gupta et al, 2016).…”

Section: Microalgae Cultivationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Outdoor microalgae‐based urban wastewater treatment: Recent advances, applications, and future perspectives

et al. 2021

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Although microalgae‐based wastewater treatment has been traditionally carried out in extensive waste stabilization ponds, recent trends focus on the use of microalgae to apply the circular economy principles in the wastewater treatment sector due to the capacity of algae to absorb carbon dioxide while recovering nutrients from sewage. To this aim, the development of new intensive microalgae‐based systems with higher efficiency and level of process control is required. Results obtained for these systems at lab scale are generally promising. However, upscaling to outdoor conditions is often uncertain. Some advances have been made in terms of applying open systems at large scale. However, there are still some issues related to land requirements and the economic feasibility and robustness of the process that have to be overcome to widely implement these systems. This article aims at describing the main design and operating factors regarding outdoor microalgae cultivation. It will also explain some microalgae cultivation technologies to treat wastewater, showing their advantages, disadvantages, and the possibility to treat different wastewater streams with microalgae cultures. Future perspectives of this biotechnology will be commented as well. This article is categorized under: Engineering Water > Engineering Water

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Methods for the separation of hydraulic retention time and solids retention time in the application of photosynthetic microorganisms in photobioreactors: a review

Keet,

Du Toit,

Pott

2024

World J Microbiol Biotechnol

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Photosynthetic microorganisms have a wide range of biotechnical applications, through the application of their versatile metabolisms. However, their use in industry has been extremely limited to date, partially because of the additional complexities associated with their cultivation in comparison to other organisms. Strategies and developments in photobioreactors (PBRs) designed for their culture and applications are needed to drive the field forward. One particular area which bears examination is the use of strategies to separate solid- and hydraulic-residence times (SRT and HRT), to facilitate flow-through systems and continuous processing. The aim of this review is to discuss the various types of PBRs and methods which are currently demonstrated in the literature and industry, with a focus on the separation of HRT and SRT. The use of an efficient method of biomass retention in a PBR may be advantageous as it unlocks the option for continuous operation, which may improve efficiency, and improve economic feasibility of large-scale implementation of photosynthetic biocatalysts, especially where biomass is not the primary product. Due to the underexplored nature of the separation of HRT and SRT in reactors using photosynthetic microorganisms, limited literature is available regarding their performance, efficiencies, and potential issues. This review first introduces an overview into photosynthetic microorganisms cultivated and commonly exploited for use in biotechnological applications, with reference to bioreactor considerations specific to each organism. Following this, the existing technologies used for the separation of HRT and SRT in PBRs are explored. The respective advantages and disadvantages are discussed for each PBR design, which may inform an interested bioprocess engineer.

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Uncoupling solid and hydraulic retention time in photobioreactors for microalgae mass production: A model-based analysis

Cited by 24 publications

References 29 publications

Microalgae growth in ultra-thin steady-state continuous photobioreactors: assessing self-shading effects

Microalgae growth in ultra-thin steady-state continuous photobioreactors: assessing self-shading effects

Outdoor microalgae‐based urban wastewater treatment: Recent advances, applications, and future perspectives

Methods for the separation of hydraulic retention time and solids retention time in the application of photosynthetic microorganisms in photobioreactors: a review

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