Abstract
Two variants of open photobioreactors were operated at surface-to-volume ratios up to 170 m−1. The mean values for July and September obtained for photobioreactor PB-1 of 224 m2 culture area (length 28 m, inclination 1.7%, thickness of algal culture layer 6 mm), operated in Třeboň (49∘N), Czech Republic, were: net areal productivity, P net = 23.5 and 11.1 g dry weight (DW) m−2 d−1; net photosynthetic efficiency (based on PAR – Photosynthetic Active Radiation), η = 6.48 and 5.98%. For photobioreactor PB-2 of 100 m2 culture area (length 100 m, inclination 1.6%, thickness of algal culture layer 8 mm) operated in Southern Greece (Kalamata, 37∘N) the mean values for July and October were: P net = 32.2 and 18.1 g DW m−2 d−1, η = 5.42 and 6.07%. The growth rate of the alga was practically linear during the fed-batch cultivation regime up to high biomass densities of about 40 g DW L−1, corresponding to an areal density of 240 g DW m−2 in PB-1 and 320 g DW m−2 in PB-2. Night biomass loss (% of the daylight productivity, P L) caused by respiration of algal cells were: 9–14% in PB-1; 6.6–10.8% in PB-2. About 70% of supplied CO2 was utilized by the algae for photosynthesis. The concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO) increased from about 12 mg L−1 at the beginning to about 35 mg L−1 at the end of the 100 m long path of suspension flow in PB-2 at noon on clear summer days. Dissipation of hydraulic energy and some parameters of turbulence in algal suspension on culture area were estimated quantitatively.
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- A :
-
size of the culture area (m2)
- C O 2 :
-
concentration (DO) of dissolved oxygen (gO2m−3)
- C O2,0 :
-
DO concentration at the beginning of culture area (gO2m−3)
- C O2,L :
-
DO concentration at the end of culture area (gO2m−3)
- C O 2*:
-
DO concentration in equilibrium with oxygen content in ambient atmosphere (gO2m−3)
- C O2,mean :
-
mean DO concentration on culture area (gO2m−3)
- D CO 2 :
-
carbon dioxide diffusion coefficient in the algal suspension (m2h−1)
- D O 2 :
-
oxygen diffusion coefficient in the algal suspension (m2h−1)
- G :
-
rate of carbon dioxide supply into the bioreactor (gCO2h−1)
- h :
-
thickness of the suspension layer on culture area (m)
- I :
-
inclination of the culture area (−)
- I 0 :
-
PAR (Photosynthetically Active Radiation) irradiance (Wm−2)
- K H :
-
Henry's constant for carbon dioxide (gCO2m−3kPa−1)
- K I :
-
light saturation constant (Wm−2)
- K L,CO 2 :
-
mass transfer coefficient for carbon dioxide (mh−1)
- K L,O 2 :
-
mass transfer coefficient for oxygen (mh−1)
- L :
-
length of the culture area (m)
- n :
-
roughness of the culture area (m1/3s−1/2)
- pCO2 * :
-
partial pressure of carbon dioxide in ambient atmosphere (kPa)
- pCO2,mean :
-
mean partial pressure of carbon dioxide in algal culture (kPa)
- P L :
-
daylight productivity (gDWm−2d−1)
- P net :
-
net algae productivity calculated from the differences between each morning algal mass in the bioreactor (gDWm−2d−1)
- Q :
-
volumetric flow rate of the suspension (m3h−1)
- Q CO 2 :
-
volumetric rate of carbon dioxide supply (m3h−1)
- R CO 2, mean :
-
mean rate of carbon dioxide consumption by algae referred to 1m2 of culture area (gCO2m−2h−1)
- R O 2 :
-
local (at the distance x) rate of oxygen evolution by algae referred to 1m2 of culture area (gO2m−2h−1)
- R O 2 ,mean :
-
mean rate of oxygen evolution by algae referred to 1m2 of culture area (gO2m−2h−1)
- u :
-
velocity of suspension flow on culture area (mh−1)
- u mean :
-
mean velocity of suspension flow on culture area (mh−1)
- V :
-
volume of the suspension in the bioreactor (L)
- x :
-
coordinate considered in the direction of flow of the suspension on culture area (m)
- X :
-
biomass concentration (gDWL−1)
- Y :
-
mass of carbon dioxide consumed by algae, related to mass of oxygen evolved by algae (gCO2gO2 −1)
- Z :
-
loss of supplied CO2 not absorbed in the suspension (gh−1)
- ϕ 0 :
-
quantity of CO2 absorbed in suspension related to quantity of supplied CO2 (−)
- κ:
-
Karman's constant (−)
- |v|:
-
velocity of turbulent eddies (mh−1)
- ρCO2 :
-
density of gaseous carbon dioxide (gm−3)
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Doucha, J., Lívanský, K. Productivity, CO2/O2 exchange and hydraulics in outdoor open high density microalgal (Chlorella sp.) photobioreactors operated in a Middle and Southern European climate. J Appl Phycol 18, 811–826 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-006-9100-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-006-9100-4