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Optimize Flue Gas Settings to Promote Microalgae Growth in Photobioreactors via Computer Simulations
Published on: October 1, 2013
Three-dimensional numerical simulation of light penetration in an optimized flow field composed of microalgae cells,
Wangbiao Guo1, Jun Cheng1, Yanmei Song1
1State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
Abstract:
In order to evaluate light penetration and its influence on microalgae growth in a raceway pond with alternatively permutated conic baffles (RWP-APCB), 3D numerical simulation of light penetration was performed using computational fluid dynamics in an optimized flow field composed of microalgae cells, CO2 bubbles and culture medium. Results showed that light intensity in the culture medium attenuated faster in accordance with solution depth, with increased microalgae cell concentration, increased bubble volume fraction and decreased CO2 bubble diameter. Light zone fraction (i.e. ratio of light zone length to solution depth) increased with promoted incident irradiation. It was found that around 75% of microalgae cells were distributed in light zone and non-photochemical quenching coefficient of microalgae decreased by 32% in RWP-APCB. This resulted in a 16% increase of the Chlorella pyrenoidosa biomass growth rate, to 0.36 g/L/d.
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