This study focuses on the characterization of the technical and economic feasibility of an enclosed photobioreactor microalgae system with annual production of 37.85 million liters (10 million gallons) of biofuel. The analysis characterizes and breaks down the capital investment and operating costs and the production cost of unit of algal diesel. The economic modelling shows total cost of produ...

We have studied the autotrophic growth of the marine microalga, Isochrysis galbana Parke, in a batch photobioreactor, comparing five different culture media and analysing the influence of each on growth kinetics as well as on the fatty-acid composition and protein content of the biomass. All the experiments were performed at 15 degrees C, with the culture medium at pH 8.0, a specific rate of ai...

The photosynthetic microorganism growth description is usually based on the so-called microbial kinetics, i.e. on the lumped parameter models (LPM) describing the photosynthetic response in small cultivation systems with a homogeneous light distribution [3, 6]. However, there is an important phenomenon, the so-called flashing light enhancement, which demands some other model than it residing in...

Article Type: Full Length Research Article Microalgae have the potential to produce enough biofuels to meet current US fuel demands. In order to achieve this potential, photobioreactors (PBRs) that are efficient, scalable, and affordable need to be developed. Models are an analytical tool that can be used to evaluate various PBRs. In this article, a physics-based dynamic model was developed for...

To monitor biofilm growth on polydimethylsiloxane in a photobioreactor effectively, the biofilm cells and liquids were separated and measured using a sensor with two U-shaped, double-tapered, fiber-optic probes (Sen. and Ref. probes). The probes' Au-coated hemispherical tips enabled double-pass evanescent field absorption. The Sen. probe sensed the cells and liquids inside the biofilm. The poly...

Cyanobacteria, as photoautotrophic organisms, provide the opportunity to convert CO2 to biomass with light as the sole energy source. Like many other prokaryotes, especially under nutrient deprivation, most cyanobacteria are able to produce polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) as intracellular energy and carbon storage compounds. In contrast to heterotrophic PHA producers, photoautotrophic cyanobacteri...

This study investigated the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from the effluent of a submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor (SAnMBR) by means of a lab-scale photobioreactor in which algae biomass was cultured in a semi-continuous mode for a period of 42 days. Solids retention time was 2 days and a stable pH value in the system was maintained by adding CO(2). Nitrogen and phosphorus concentrat...

Lab scale studies were conducted in a customized photobioreactor to assess the lipid productivity of Chlorella pyrenoidosa under fed-batch mode using 0.025g/l to 0.1 g/l urea and sodium nitrate as nitrogen source in nutrient medium. The light intensities used were 100 μmol ms and 135 μmol ms. The results indicated maximum lipid productivity of 0.103 g/d.l in BG11 medium with 0.1g/l sodium nitra...