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Related Concept Videos

Bioreactor Controls-I01:28

Bioreactor Controls-I

Maintaining optimal conditions within fermenters is essential for maximizing microbial productivity and ensuring process efficiency. This lesson focuses on key parameters—temperature, foam, pH, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and pressure—and their precise measurement and control strategies in fermentation systems.Temperature ControlTemperature regulation is critical due to the exothermic nature of many fermentation processes. In small laboratory fermenters, temperature is commonly monitored using...
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In aerobic fermentations, oxygen is vital for microbial growth and metabolite production. Since air comprises only about 20% oxygen and the gas is poorly soluble in water—just 9 ppm at 20°C—supplying sufficient oxygen becomes a critical challenge, especially in high-demand processes like yeast growth or citric acid production. Even a fully saturated broth may offer only a few seconds of oxygen availability.To address this, sterile or scrubbed air is introduced into the fermentor via a sparger...

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Optimize Flue Gas Settings to Promote Microalgae Growth in Photobioreactors via Computer Simulations
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Improving membrane photobioreactor performance by reducing light path: operating conditions and key performance

J González-Camejo1, S Aparicio2, A Jiménez-Benítez1

  • 1CALAGUA - Unidad Mixta UV-UPV, Institut Universitari d'Investigació d'Enginyeria de l'Aigua i Medi Ambient - IIAMA, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camí de Vera s/n, 46022, Valencia, Spain.

Water Research
|January 29, 2020
PubMed
Summary

Reducing the light path in membrane photobioreactors (MPBRs) significantly boosts nutrient recovery and microalgae biomass productivity. This optimization also lowers operational costs and meets discharge limits, showcasing MPBRs

Keywords:
Light pathMembrane photobioreactorMicroalgaeOutdoorPerformance indicator

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Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Biotechnology
  • Chemical Engineering

Background:

  • Microalgae cultivation is increasingly vital for wastewater remediation due to nutrient assimilation capabilities.
  • Membrane photobioreactors (MPBRs) enable decoupling of solid retention time (SRT) and hydraulic retention time (HRT), enhancing nutrient loading and biomass retention.
  • Optimizing MPBR design is crucial for efficient wastewater treatment and resource recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of reducing the photobioreactor (PBR) light path on microalgae cultivation performance in MPBRs.
  • To evaluate the effects of light path reduction on nutrient recovery, biomass productivity, and operational costs.
  • To identify key operational parameters and indicators for stable and efficient MPBR performance in wastewater remediation.

Main Methods:

  • Cultivation of microalgae in MPBRs with reduced light path (10 cm) compared to a standard path (25 cm).
  • Monitoring of nitrogen and phosphorus recovery rates, microalgae biomass productivity, and photosynthetic efficiency.
  • Analysis of capital and operating expenditures (CAPEX and OPEX), permeate flux, and specific gas demand.
  • Evaluation of operational parameters like optical density (OD680), soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD), dissolved oxygen, and nutrient concentrations.

Main Results:

  • Reducing the PBR light path from 25 to 10 cm significantly increased nitrogen and phosphorus recovery rates by 150% and 103%, respectively.
  • Microalgae biomass productivity and photosynthetic efficiency saw substantial increases of 194% and 67% with the reduced light path.
  • Areal biomass productivity (aBP) improved, indicating better light utilization. CAPEX and OPEX were reduced by 27% and 49%, respectively.
  • Discharge limits were met at specific SRT/HRT ranges, with efficient membrane performance (15 LMH permeate flux) and manageable gas demand.

Conclusions:

  • A reduced light path in MPBRs is a highly effective strategy for enhancing nutrient recovery and microalgae biomass production in wastewater treatment.
  • The optimized 10-cm light path MPBR system demonstrates significant cost savings and meets stringent environmental discharge standards.
  • Monitoring parameters such as OD680, sCOD, and dissolved oxygen are critical for maintaining optimal MPBR performance and preventing culture deterioration.