[A novel flat plate photobioreactor for microalgae cultivation]

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Algal Biotechnology
• Photobioreactor Engineering

Background:

• Microalgae cultivation is crucial for biofuels and bioproducts.
• Optimizing light delivery in photobioreactors is key to enhancing microalgal growth.
• Flashing light effects can improve light utilization and biomass productivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of baffles in a flat-plate photobioreactor on microalgae growth.
• To evaluate the influence of light intensity and inlet velocity on Chlorella sp. biomass and light efficiency.
• To enhance the flashing light effect for improved microalgae cultivation.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a modified flat-plate photobioreactor with inclined baffles.
• Cultivated Chlorella sp. as the model organism.
• Varied light intensity and inlet velocity to assess their effects on biomass concentration and light efficiency.

Main Results:

• Increased light intensity led to higher cell dry weight but decreased light efficiency at 0.16 m/s inlet velocity.
• Higher inlet velocity increased both cell dry weight and light efficiency under 500 μmol/(m²·s) light intensity.
• The novel photobioreactor achieved a 39.23% increase in Chlorella sp. cell dry weight compared to the traditional design.

Conclusions:

• Inclined baffles effectively enhance the flashing light effect in flat-plate photobioreactors.
• The modified photobioreactor design significantly improves microalgae biomass productivity.
• This study demonstrates a promising approach for more efficient large-scale microalgae cultivation.