Journal article
Comparison of four outdoor pilot-scale photobioreactors
Biotechnology for biofuels, Vol.8(1), pp.215-215
12/18/2015
DOI: 10.1186/s13068-015-0400-2
PMCID: PMC4683866
PMID: 26689675
Abstract
Background: Microalgae are a potential source of sustainable commodities of fuels, chemicals and food and feed additives. The current high production costs, as a result of the low areal productivities, limit the application of microalgae in industry. A first step is determining how the different production system designs relate to each other under identical climate conditions. The productivity and photosynthetic efficiency of Nannochloropsis sp. CCAP 211/78 cultivated in four different outdoor continuously operated pilot-scale photobioreactors under the same climatological conditions were compared. The optimal dilution rate was determined for each photobioreactor by operation of the different photobioreactors at different dilution rates.
Results: In vertical photobioreactors, higher areal productivities and photosynthetic efficiencies, 19-24 g m(-2) day(-1) and 2.4-4.2 %, respectively, were found in comparison to the horizontal systems; 12-15 g m(-2) day(-1) and 1.5-1.8 %. The higher ground areal productivity in the vertical systems could be explained by light dilution in combination with a higher light capture. In the raceway pond low productivities were obtained, due to the long optical path in this system. Areal productivities in all systems increased with increasing photon flux densities up to a photon flux density of 30 mol m(-2) day(-1). Photosynthetic efficiencies remained constant in all systems with increasing photon flux densities. The highest photosynthetic efficiencies obtained were; 4.2 % for the vertical tubular photobioreactor, 3.8 % for the flat panel reactor, 1.8 % for the horizontal tubular reactor, and 1.5 % for the open raceway pond.
Conclusions: Vertical photobioreactors resulted in higher areal productivities than horizontal photobioreactors because of the lower incident photon flux densities on the reactor surface. The flat panel photobioreactor resulted, among the vertical photobioreactors studied, in the highest average photosynthetic efficiency, areal and volumetric productivities due to the short optical path. Photobioreactor light interception should be further optimized to maximize ground areal productivity and photosynthetic efficiency.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Comparison of four outdoor pilot-scale photobioreactors
- Creators
- Jeroen H. de Vree - Wageningen University & ResearchRouke Bosma - Wageningen University & ResearchMarcel Janssen - Wageningen University & ResearchMaria J. Barbosa - Wageningen UR, AlgaePARC, Food & Biobased Res, NL-6700 AA Wageningen, NetherlandsRene H. Wijffels - Wageningen University & Research
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Biotechnology for biofuels, Vol.8(1), pp.215-215
- DOI
- 10.1186/s13068-015-0400-2
- PMID
- 26689675
- PMCID
- PMC4683866
- NLM abbreviation
- Biotechnol Biofuels
- ISSN
- 1754-6834
- eISSN
- 1754-6834
- Publisher
- Springer Nature
- Number of pages
- 12
- Grant note
- BioOils DSM Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation Staatsolie Suriname Synthetic Genomics TOTAL; Total SA SABIC Paques Simris Alg Province of Gelderland Exxon Mobil; Exxon Mobil Corporation Drie Wilgen Development Nijhuis BioSolar Cells Cellulac Proviron Neste GEA Westfalia Separator Heliae Roquette BASF Unilever
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 12/18/2015
- Academic Unit
- International Programs; Spanish and Portuguese
- Record Identifier
- 9984398028602771
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